No.
But last time I checked, no judges at BBing competitions ask that question (the great Roy Calendar used to hold sponges while doing all his barbell work).
Whatever it takes for you to squat, do it. Who gives a shit if it’s for pussies. Nobody will call you a pussy when you carry home a trophy.
I ventured out of power lifting land to chime in on this one. When I first started squatting I used the pad a few times but it made the bar feel very unsecured on my back and I was afraid to put much weight on the bar. When I took it off and had the bar directly on my back, there was a better connection and the weight went up much faster. As for the comments about putting meat on your back, I weigh 123lbs and maxed 315. You don’t need a super thick back. You just need to work on bar position. Try a narrower hand width. It forces your shoulder blades together and creates a nice shelf for the bar.
[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
Who gives a shit if it’s for pussies. Nobody will call you a pussy when you carry home a trophy.[/quote]
Unless, of course, you are really a pussy with a trophy… 
[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
I ventured out of power lifting land to chime in on this one. When I first started squatting I used the pad a few times but it made the bar feel very unsecured on my back and I was afraid to put much weight on the bar. When I took it off and had the bar directly on my back, there was a better connection and the weight went up much faster. As for the comments about putting meat on your back, I weigh 123lbs and maxed 315. You don’t need a super thick back. You just need to work on bar position. Try a narrower hand width. It forces your shoulder blades together and creates a nice shelf for the bar.[/quote]
This.
[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
I weigh 123lbs and maxed 315. [/quote]
That is really fucking strong. Good work.
[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
I ventured out of power lifting land to chime in on this one. When I first started squatting I used the pad a few times but it made the bar feel very unsecured on my back and I was afraid to put much weight on the bar. When I took it off and had the bar directly on my back, there was a better connection and the weight went up much faster. As for the comments about putting meat on your back, I weigh 123lbs and maxed 315. You don’t need a super thick back. You just need to work on bar position. Try a narrower hand width. It forces your shoulder blades together and creates a nice shelf for the bar.[/quote]
315?! o_O you go girl!
the maxi pad?? even girls don’t use it
i only use it to get people’s attention, usually when their headphones are too loud, by throwing it at them.
im curious as to who thinks those little pads actually work though, lol i mean seriously its a piece of < 1 inch, quasi Styrofoam and its supposed help with the 600lbs on your neck? El o El
[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
No.
But last time I checked, no judges at BBing competitions ask that question (the great Roy Calendar used to hold sponges while doing all his barbell work).
Whatever it takes for you to squat, do it. Who gives a shit if it’s for pussies. Nobody will call you a pussy when you carry home a trophy.[/quote]
x2
It is funny to me that so many of those claiming it is for ‘pussies’ and making jokes about those who use them are absolute weeds themselves.
While i don’t use one usually i have tried one in the past - and from that experience all i found was that it made the free bar squat a little more comfortable, no less effort and no less effective…
Why does that have to be for pussies? I am in the game of building muscle, not enduring unnecessary pain to convince others of my ‘bravado’.
Those who feel the need to do so clearly have little.
Now of course, if we are talking about someone who won’t or can’t squat without it - then sure, man up.
But if it is there, why not use it… some smith widowmakers would go down nicely with that pad IMO.
Unless they are for pussies.
no, I use my traps
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
humanjhawkins wrote:
Do you guys use a pad?
My girlfriend uses a pad.[/quote]
my soon to be wife doesn’t
[quote]Akuma01 wrote:
im curious as to who thinks those little pads actually work though, lol i mean seriously its a piece of < 1 inch, quasi Styrofoam and its supposed help with the 600lbs on your neck? El o El [/quote]
Dumbass. Its not gonna help you squat 600. If you can squat 600, you won’t need a fucking pad.
Most people who use the pad are beginners, at least in the gyms that I’ve been in.
[quote]B.L.U. Ninja wrote:
Akuma01 wrote:
im curious as to who thinks those little pads actually work though, lol i mean seriously its a piece of < 1 inch, quasi Styrofoam and its supposed help with the 600lbs on your neck? El o El
Dumbass. Its not gonna help you squat 600. If you can squat 600, you won’t need a fucking pad.
Most people who use the pad are beginners, at least in the gyms that I’ve been in.[/quote]
At 16 years old, how many gyms have you spent significant time in?
My traps and upper back were pretty damn sore after a squat workout when I threw the pussy pad away. I think this by itself made my traps grow a lot in a matter of weeks…no need for shrugs really!
[quote]Nyral wrote:
My traps and upper back were pretty damn sore after a squat workout when I threw the pussy pad away. I think this by itself made my traps grow a lot in a matter of weeks…no need for shrugs really![/quote]
That is a joke right?
pad? whats a pad? People use pads for squatting? Why weight lift if you can’t take a little bit of pressure on your bacK?
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Nyral wrote:
My traps and upper back were pretty damn sore after a squat workout when I threw the pussy pad away. I think this by itself made my traps grow a lot in a matter of weeks…no need for shrugs really!
That is a joke right?[/quote]
That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard if it isn’t a joke.
I decided to throw the tampon away once I got to 225lbs on the squat. I just tell people to “Man up” and do it.
[quote] Brook wrote:
Iron Dwarf wrote:
No.
But last time I checked, no judges at BBing competitions ask that question (the great Roy Calendar used to hold sponges while doing all his barbell work).
Whatever it takes for you to squat, do it. Who gives a shit if it’s for pussies. Nobody will call you a pussy when you carry home a trophy.
x2
It is funny to me that so many of those claiming it is for ‘pussies’ and making jokes about those who use them are absolute weeds themselves.
While i don’t use one usually i have tried one in the past - and from that experience all i found was that it made the free bar squat a little more comfortable, no less effort and no less effective…
Why does that have to be for pussies? I am in the game of building muscle, not enduring unnecessary pain to convince others of my ‘bravado’.
Those who feel the need to do so clearly have little.
Now of course, if we are talking about someone who won’t or can’t squat without it - then sure, man up.
But if it is there, why not use it… some smith widowmakers would go down nicely with that pad IMO.
Unless they are for pussies.[/quote]
Is it really that bad though? I might be a little uncomfortable at first, but I never though having a bar on my back was painful.
Squatting it is another story, but having the bar there seems to be what nature intended.
Fuck yeah I use it. Who cares if no one else uses it? Do it man. It was made for a reason. If you want to conform to this forum and just throw it out because no one on this site uses it, go ahead. But it can’t hurt you. I think alot of people don’t use it just because it happens to be called a pad, and it’s easy to mess with that word. (MAxi Pad, Pussy Pad) You can’t change a word like “deadlift” and make it sound gay.