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Transcript

It may seem like a minor detail, but how you position the barbell has a major effect on your squat form. In this video, we'll look at the differences between a high bar and a low bar squat, and I'll help you choose the right variation to get better results from your workouts. The main difference between these exercises is where you put the barbell on your shoulders. The high bar squat places it on top of your traps at the base of your neck, while the low bar squat typically puts it further down your shoulders on top of your rear delts. There's also differences in how you hold the bar. For example, most people use a narrower grip on the high. Our squad because squeezing your shoulder blades together creates ahead of muscle that prevents the bar from resting on your spine, and it also helps keep your chest U during the squat. With the low bar squat, most people have to use a wider grip since the bar is further back and harder to reach. You may also need to rotate your elbows up and back to create a shelf on your rear delt. With both variations, the weight should rest entirely on your back and not in your hands. Changing the bar placement by just a couple of inches shifts your center of gravity, resulting in different mechanics during the squat. That's because your body must move. In a way that keeps the bar roughly over the middle of your foot to maintain balance. On the high bar squat, the weight is closer to the front, resulting in a more upright torso. As you squat, your knees travel forward past your toes and your hips drop almost straight down. Conversely, the low bar shifts your center of gravity to the rear, requiring more forward lean to stay balanced. Your hips push back while your knees stay above your toes at the bottom of the squat. These body mechanics result in significantly different muscle activation. The deeper knee flexion of the high bar squat emphasizes the quads. While the hip hinge movement of the low bar squat targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. If we were to compare these to other exercises, the high bar is knee dominant like the front squat or hack squat, whereas the low bar is hip dominant like a leg press. Each type of squat has benefits and drawbacks. The high bar squat maximizes quad activation, which is excellent for hypertrophy training. The upright body position also takes most of the strain off your lower back, plus it's generally easier to hold the bar in this position. However, the high bar technique puts more stress on your knees, which can be painful if you have joint problems. Although this type of movement can actually strengthen your knee if you gradually increase the load over time. High bar squats also require a lot of ankle mobility to reach full depth with good form if your knees can't pass your toes. Your heels will come up off the floor or your back will round forward at the bottom of the squat. By comparison, the low bar squat requires very little ankle flexibility because your shin stay more upright. This variation also engages more muscle groups, allowing you to lift heavier weights. The downside is that it can put more strain on your lower back. The low bar grip also requires more shoulder mobility. If you lack this, your arms take a tremendous amount of stress, and many low bar squatters develop bicep tendonitis as a result. So how do you know which bar position is best for you? The answer depends on your training. Girls body proportions and mobility If you're a bodybuilder or training for muscle gain, high bar squats are excellent for building the quad sweep and teardrop shape. Low bar squats are not ideal for bodybuilding because they generally build thick upper thighs that taper off at the knee. In addition, Olympic lifters will benefit more from high bar squats since it has the most carryover to clean and jerk exercises. The high bar also transfers well to sports that involve knee extension in the form of jumping or juking. On the other hand, lobar squats are king when it comes to moving heavy weights. This is why the majority of competitive power lifters use the low bar technique. In addition, building the posterior chain muscles translates well to increased deadlift strength. Another factor to consider is your body proportions. Some people have longer legs and a shorter torso, while others have a longer torso and shorter legs. Long femurs require more forward lean to maintain your balance, which makes high bar squats challenging. At the same time, short legs allow a more upright torso, and this body type is perfectly suited to high bar squats. The final factor is mobility. If you can't do high bar squats due to a lack of flexibility, you can use the low bar method while you work on mobility. For anyone struggling with high bar squats, I recommend elevating your heels to reduce the ankle mobility bottleneck. It also helps people with longer limbs squat deeper with a more upright torso and heel. Elevated squats are ideal for targeting your quads. To summarize, the high bar squat is the more versatile variation for building muscle and improving athletic performance, while the low bar squat is the heavy hitter for strength athletes and powerlifters. But remember bar placement. There's only one variable in the complex movement that is back squats. In fact, foot placement also has a big impact on form and muscle activation. O Check out my related video to learn how to optimize your stance for better squats.