highbar sqaut for my older parent?

[Tom Cashmore]

Wondering if a vid exists of an SS coach demonstrating the highbar position and technique to follow. My step father in no way can get into low bar position at 71 yrs..however wants to strength train. Too much pain in shoulder....He is willing to squat and can get into a highbar position for now. I am hoping to get him into some lifting and passing on what I have learned thus far from Starting Strength. Any advice much appreciated.

Thank you

[Mark Rippetoe]

We don't coach the high-bar position, but lots of other people do. Just make sure the bar is not actually on his neck.

[Michael Wolf]

There's some inherent tension between the fact that a small percentage of the population does actually need to high bar squat and could use quality instruction, and the near certainty that if we provide that instruction, some percentage of people who can and should low bar squat will take the easy way out and just do high bar. The high bar squat is easier to perform, so even without detailed instruction, if you keep in mind the midfoot lifter/barbell system balance, and that the back angle will necessarily be more upright and knees will travel more forward, and less hip drive can be utilized - the rest will probably take care of itself to an acceptable degree.

[Tom Cashmore]

Thank you much obliged....

[skid]

There's some inherent tension between the fact that a small percentage of the population does actually need to high bar squat and could use quality instruction, and the near certainty that if we provide that instruction, some percentage of people who can and should low bar squat will take the easy way out and just do high bar. The high bar squat is easier to perform, so even without detailed instruction, if you keep in mind the midfoot lifter/barbell system balance, and that the back angle will necessarily be more upright and knees will travel more forward, and less hip drive can be utilized - the rest will probably take care of itself to an acceptable degree.

I never thought of the high-bar squat as an easy way out. When I first started squatting (back before there were any training guides besides Weider's magazines) I high-bar squatted. I found if I pushed the weights further down my back the weight was easier to squat. I thought I was cheating by doing that...

[Mark Rippetoe]

You make up for the "ease" by using heavier weights. I thought we'd been clear about that.

[skid]

You make up for the "ease" by using heavier weights. I thought we'd been clear about that.

I've known that for a long time, but in the early 90s when I first started squatting there wasn't much lifting info to go by in my neck of the backwoods...

[Michael Wolf]

I never thought of the high-bar squat as an easy way out. When I first started squatting (back before there were any training guides besides Weider's magazines) I high-bar squatted. I found if I pushed the weights further down my back the weight was easier to squat. I thought I was cheating by doing that...

I was referring to the more intuitive (not better) place to put the bar and the resultant differences in mechanics that follow. A high bar squat is easier to perform more or less correctly - you don't need to worry about getting your knees in place and holding them there nearly as much; you don't need to force yourself, against the caution of your tiny pea-brain, to lean over; you don't need to stay super tight and cut it off an inch below parallel. Obviously there are lots of ways you can still fuck up a high bar squat. Not needing to stay as tight and rebound off the tightness doesn't mean anything goes and that a dive-bomb is just fine, for example. But high bar is more intuitive and easier to perform to a decent standard, movement-wise. My comment had nothing to do with the weight on the bar.