Transition from low bar to high bar

[smithy]

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to go about transitioning from a low bar squat to a high bar?
I'm currently on a TM set up. Im thinking of taking a week off and just squatting to get use to it. maybe monday 5x5 light, wednesday 3x5 medium, friday work up to a comfortable heavy set. then the following week get back to TM squatting based on how i felt the previous week went.

[veryhrm]

Can you actually do HB squats? I tried it a few weeks ago and i was a mess... gut was running into thighs, i was coming up on my toes, didn't know where to put my hips and knees, it was ... not good. So for me i would first have to figure out what kind of HB squats i wanted and then i would practice them w/ light weights at the end of my workouts until i figured out what i was doing and got the right parts stretched out.

[PFerrari]

I just did the transition to high bar since I'm focusing on olympic lifting. I did something similar to what you said. The hardest part for me was getting used to having the bar on my traps instead of on my nice shelf of a back where there is a lot more surface area. I say just take 1-2 weeks of not following a specific program per se. Just start light and work up to a heavier set and then resume TM based on how those ramp-up weeks went. I found I didn't have to drop as much weight as I'd thought.

(Yes, I've read Rip's arguments for why everyone should low bar, but I'm experimenting with high bar and seeing what it does to my lifts. Fucking sue me.)

[smithy]

And it looks fucking cooler. thats the most important thing

[Steve Berryman]

Just drop the weight back about 50lbs and work your way back up. This is especially important if you are doing ATG, as joints and tissues will be worked differently than before and could use some strengthening.

[bustermonkey2]

I switched to all high bar about six months ago for a few months. What Steve said is correct, drop weight down and work back up. The first several weeks was really tough in terms of quad DOMS. I now will typically do about half of my volume sets high bar as I think it isolates leg strength more than low bar.

[Dastardly]

For HB, its a lot of fun to do higher rep sets, often single worksets to failure.

One of starrs squat routines is fool proof and very enjoyable, the ramped lead in sets really aid in learning good technique also.

Monday; 5 sets of 10, go up in weight for each set. (this counts as a heavy/volume day)

Wednesday; 5 sets of 3, go up in weight each set. (this is a light volume/high intensity day)

Friday; 5 sets of 5, go up in weight each set. (this is a medium day)

Be conservative so you do not get stuck, if you do, then repeat the same weight for the next set.

It is an excellent routine which requires no irritating calculation of percentages like for the usual Starr 5x5, it also allows you to just lift as hard as you can for every session and experience every kind of rep range.

[DV]

Just drop the weight back about 50lbs and work your way back up. This is especially important if you are doing ATG, as joints and tissues will be worked differently than before and could use some strengthening.

This. 50 lbs might be too much or not enough depending on how you lift. I'd low-ball it for sure. You can always do a couple of weeks with 10 lb jumps.

[smithy]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.
I've ended up going with the LP type approach and dropped the weight right back. monday and friday 3x5 back squats and because I'm starting to do the oly lifts wednesday is front squats. front squats will be 3x5 as well to start because i haven't really done them, then dropping volume as i get comfortable with these.

[Mr_Rogers]

3 reps by 5 sets or 5 reps by 3 sets? I've done (am doing) a very similar thing you're doing (but I'm still doing low bar squats) and I do 3 sets of 3 for front squat. I think in Rip's front squat video (on the resource page) and possibly in the book he recommends three reps per set for front squat. Good luck with the lifts!


edit:

Do you keep a log somewhere smithy? I'd like to follow along if you do.