Bar Placement While Squatting

What effect does it have and what body part is affected more?

I squat with a medium stance with the bar rested up pretty high, but shooting my ass backwards is the first movement, followed by dropping down and squatting. Just want to know if low placing the bar will help my lower back or not??

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Bumped this up so i don’t fade away

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personally high bar works my quads more and low bar allows me to move more weight.

yeah i go medium stance also and low bar helps me at heavier weights (>85%1rm). especially going atg, i’m stronger and less likely to stick and cave forward just off the bottom w/low bar near my max. leverage is an interesting thing.

Well if you are talking about helping it by working it more Then the high bar will work the lower back more. it is higher on the leverage point and causes you to strain to keep that arch more . Like lifting a hammer from the end of the handle or near the head.

This is why say like the West Side guys use the safety squat. It really strengthens the lower back and forces you to Not cave in. But then lowering the bar allows for more weight . Better leverage etc.

Use them Both.

Hope that helps,
Phill

Be cool and wear it low!

[quote]Phill wrote:
Well if you are talking about helping it by working it more Then the high bar will work the lower back more. it is higher on the leverage point and causes you to strain to keep that arch more . Like lifting a hammer from the end of the handle or near the head.

Phill[/quote]

I see what you’re saying, but when I have the bar lower, I notice I lean forward more. Maybe to compensate for center of gravity, or just bad form.
So my back is not working as hard, leverage wise, but it’s going through a greater ROM.

Again, maybe it’s just my form (My pride likes to tell me that it’s the center of gravity issue;)

Thanks everybody, all i’ve done for the past 2 years is high bar squat. Time to change it up.

And all I do is ATG…well…i do what i can

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