Modify a Safety Squat Bar

[AndyHammer]

Hi Rip,

The safety squat bar is great for getting trainees with inadequate shoulder mobility under a bar to squat. But because the safety squat bar shifts the weight forward of the bar the back angle becomes more vertical as the weight increases. I was thinking cutting off and re-welding the handles so the weight would hang straight down instead of forward. This would move the weight back so it more resembled a low bar squat. Do you see any issues with this idea?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Might work. I've never used a safety squat bar, so I don't know.

[skid]

I love my safety squat bar. You can't squat as much weight as low bar, but the mechanics of the lift just feel better on the body in my opinion. You should try one sometime Rip!

Andy, if you want to make the SSB squat into more of a low bar squat, just push up on the handles and push the bar further down your back. I've found I could "cheat" this way and make the squat easier if the weight was getting really heavy.

[AndrewLewis]

Andy, if you want to make the SSB squat into more of a low bar squat, just push up on the handles and push the bar further down your back. I've found I could "cheat" this way and make the squat easier if the weight was getting really heavy.

If I recall correctly, this is also what Reynolds/Baker (it's one of them, can't remember which) has older clients do as well.


Why the safety squat bar is designed the way it is is beyond me. Some kids at the gym were asking me about the angled collars and my answer was essentially "I don't know why they did it that way. I would have just made it straight. It's easier to manufacture and better for squat mechanics."

[Jonathon Sullivan]

I love my safety squat bar. You can't squat as much weight as low bar, but the mechanics of the lift just feel better on the body in my opinion. You should try one sometime Rip!

Andy, if you want to make the SSB squat into more of a low bar squat, just push up on the handles and push the bar further down your back. I've found I could "cheat" this way and make the squat easier if the weight was getting really heavy.

This. We use this approach commonly at Greysteel, where a lot of our Masters have shoulder mobility issues. With practice, you can get pretty close to low bar mechanics.

[Oldandfat]

Watching this thread closely. I’ve been doing the stretch Paul Horn shows on a YouTube video for 2 months, and I can barely get into a high bar position. My shoulders are extremely bad.

Perhaps people can help me understand better.... if you push up on the safety bar handles, it will lower the bar on the back, but the plates are still in front of you. Does that matter, or it looks like where the bar ends up on your back is the important thing. Although the forward leaning plates would make you want to lean forward.

I found a safety squat bar that has the plates sitting back instead of out front so that if you were to draw an imaginary line between the plates they would be sitting in low bar position.

Am I allowed to post links to this bar? It looks as though it may be a solution to this problem.

[Sean Herbison]

I want to get a Transformer Bar and try it out to see how well it matches its claims. Not enough to pay $500 + shipping to Europe though.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Am I allowed to post links to this bar?

No links. They can find it themselves.

[Fulcrum]

or these handles:

[Mark Rippetoe]

Do you realize that David doesn't sell these?