SAFETY SQUAT BAR

I originally became familiar with the safety squat bar (SSQB) via some articles written by its developer Fred "Dr. Squat" Hatfield. I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Squat on a few occasions, but one will always stand out in my mind. I was at the Police Academy adjacent to Dodger Stadium in the mid 1980's. A friend at the time, Ron Fernando, was a writer for the magazine Powerlifting USA and I were at a Powerlifting meet at the academy. I was in the back of the room when Ron asked if I could spot Fred on his last warm-up. Seven hundred pounds was on the bar. Yes, that is correct seven hundred pounds! I spotted Fred on his right and almost got hit in the jaw. His explosiveness was amazing! I had never seen a squat attempt that heavy go so fast. Little did I know that was one of the earliest examples of a dynamic effort lift that Louie Simmons has researched and written so much about.
Anyway, the SSQB is a product that Dr. Squat developed and popularized. The bar is counter balanced so that when you place the bar on your shoulders, you can stand up without it falling off. Look ma no hands! There are two pads that rest on the athlete's traps. The traps are the muscles in between your neck and your shoulder.
When the SSQB was initially used, it came under unfair criticism for supposedly creating injuries to the knees. Lifters were either grabbing the squat cage or using hooks to pull themselves up if they were unable to complete a lift. Self spotting as it were. To much overload on the knees is the concept flaw here, not the product flaw. To much weight was the culprit.
The SSQB has some great uses for many different types of athletes. Training young athletes like young girls, or underdeveloped athletes with little muscle in the the upper back and shoulder area, can be improved with the use of the SSQB. The uncomfortable feeling that these athletes experience could cause them to quit very early on in the development of strength and explosiveness. Athletes with a history of injuries in the neck and shoulders find the SSQB very helpful. I have a right shoulder, that was hurt in a car accident ions ago, (coupled with many years of lifting) that reacts favorably to the position I maintain when using the SSQB. If you think about it, the elbows are closer to the body and this position is much more favorable toward maintaining healthy shoulders. Please refer to my article "The Impingement Zone" dated 5/25/05 which better explains this matter. If you happen to be a baseball, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, quarterback, or what I call a stick or throwing athlete, the SSQB is something you should look into to maintain the aforementioned healthy shoulders. An athlete with wrist, elbow, bicep, tricep or hand injuries could also be included into this entire discussion.
Another point important is the angle of the back when using a regular bar versus the SSQB. The SSQB promotes a more upright back, versus a more parallel back when using a regular squat bar while placement of the bar is in a more powerlifting position on the back. Please refer to my article "The Squat" dated 5/16/05 for more information on the subject of bar placement. If you want to squat olympic style, with the bar high on the traps, remember the stress that is placed on the 7th cervical disc. This and other neck upper back problems can be minimized.
Glad to be back, and thanks for those questions at acudave@yahoo.com.