Fat bar for back squats?

[jpease]

Thinking of getting a fat bar.

I've never used one, but they mainly seem recommended for presses & pulls.

Anyone used one for a back squat? Bad idea? Just curious. Seems like it would be stiff and perhaps comfortable, but slippery without any knurling.

[jpease]

Mainly just curious.

It would be my 2nd bar. If a friend was using bar #1, wondering about the practical limitations of how the fat bar could be used.

[Cousin Bo]

I had to use one for a couple of months when I was going to my school's gym, I hated it. Could never get it in the right place on my back and it would start to roll up or down.

I'm not sure if its with all the fat bars since the one at my school was crappy quality.

[hamburgerfan]

Don't do it. Fat bars like to roll. Fucked up my biceps for a couple weeks by doing a 950 lb squat lockout with a fat bar.

[Flimflam]

hurt ur biceps doing quarter squats lol

[Flimflam]

where is the shame?

[spiderman]

Don't do it. Fat bars like to roll. Fucked up my biceps for a couple weeks by doing a 950 lb squat lockout with a fat bar.

I'm sorry for your injury but what the hell were you thinking?!

[slowgain]

It depends entirely on what you mean by "fat." I squat exclusively with a 32mm Hampton "1500lb" bar. I would never put half of 1500lbs on the piece of shit, even if I could, but it has handled up to 440 so far. The knurling is very good--tiny, sharp and grabby, and there is very little flex. The bar is useless for pulls, and if you have small hands the extra diameter is definitely going to cause problems for squatting.

If you are talking about a squatting 2inch bar, do not waste your time. The heel of your palm will not cover a large enough arc to keep it shoved forward on your back and it'll play your vertebrae like a xylophone on the way down. My understanding is that fat bars/axles are mostly for grip training and feats of strength.

[John Bono]

learn me somethin: what is the purpose and benefit of a fat bar?

It trains your grip. Otherwise, it sucks.

[hamburgerfan]

I'm sorry for your injury but what the hell were you thinking?!

It was part of an unsanctioned strongman meet I was doing.