Today we are going to be discussing one of the most talked about and questioned topics in powerlifting and to some extent bodybuilding as well. The High Bar and Low Bar Squat. For those of you that have been following me lately you know that before i had sustained my back injury that put me out from squats and deadlifts for over 4 weeks now i have recently switched from a higher position to a lower position and before i got injured squats were feeling the best they have ever felt. It really was a shame to get injured but i can feel my back recovering nicely so I'm hoping to be able to get back to one of my favorite lifts in a couple weeks. Before i begin today i just want to let you guys know that the following charts and info in this blog today came from the great website Strength Theory so i really recommend checking there article as they go a lot and i mean a lot more in depth on this subject. Today I'm going to be giving you my thoughts on the subject tho and maybe make it a little easier to understand for some people.
Strength Theory Has The Best Article on This so i recommend going to read their post on it here. Some of his charts i borrowed as well so they also belong to him.
What Is A Low Bar Squat?
First off we have to discuss both descriptions of the squat. Low Bar is nothing more than the position where the bar sets on your back is lower and on the rear delts instead of the traps. Low bar is used by the majority of powerlifters because it sets you up by default to be able to handle more weight. Generally speaking most people if they were asked to squat the most weight as possible they would do so in a low bar position. Being in a low bar position allows you to really get the most out of your posterior chain which is those glamor muscles the glutes and the hamstrings, and low bar has also been shown to activate the back a lot more than high bar squats as well but we will get more into that later. All you need to know here is the basic description of Low bar and that it can generally for most people be the stronger position.
What Is A High Bar Squat?
Now lets discuss the high bar squat. Used by many olympic lifters and body builders we have the high bar squat. The high bar squat is having the bar higher up on your back around your traps. Now i said that most power lifters use low bar and for the most part that is true but an exception to that rule is Bryce Lewis. Bryce is a world class Powerlifter and he uses a high bar squat so remember that everyone is different, we will get more into that as well later. The high bar squat puts a lot more focus on the quads as that is your primary muscle thats lifting the weight while in a high bar squat. Typically speaking most people will find as well that you can hit depth a lot easier but in powerlifting you don't need to squat as low so thats where the lower bar position can benefit you. The high bar will look a lot more prettier than the low bar usually but also know that once your quads give out you usually almost always will fail the lift because with high bar you can not use your back nearly as much. Think of it this way. In the low bar squat you have your entire posterior chain, you still have quad activation as well especially coming out of the hole and then also you have your back muscles to push the weight as well. Thats a lot more being activated than the high bar which has your quads, and some hamstrings and some glutes but almost no back besides the stabilization factor that the back plays in the lift. Its sort of obvious now why when the goal is to push the most weight that most people will use a low bar position.
What Is The Advantage of Low Bar?
The advantage of low bar as i went into above is simple. You can lift more weight and activate more muscle than the high bar.
The cons of the low bar is that less of the quadricep is being activated . Another can be that you might struggle more in a low bar getting depth than high bar and the last con i can think of is that it takes a while to get used to low bar especially if you have been squatting high bar all the time. Low bar is painful at first because your rear delts are not used to being smashed by hundreds of pounds and the bar will seriously destroy your back and cause some major scabbing but once you get used to it the bar feels so snug and secure and just locked in. When you un rack with low bar you can just feel the power and you have no doubt that your going to make the lift.
What is The Advantage of High Bar?
The Advantages of the high bar is that it will allow you activate more of your quads for hypertrophy reasons and also will allow you to remain more upright.Another advantage is that its a lot more comfortable in the beginning on your wrists and your back. Most beginners i recommend start with a high bar as it will allow you to build the squatting motor pattern. Then when the weight begins to go up over the months you can start adding in low bar and then you can also decide for yourself whichever one works for you the best. The cons of high bar is that;
- you will generally be weaker and limited to how much you can lift because the weight going up is dependent on how strong your quads are.
- Its a lot more difficult to keep tight during a high bar squat.
- Failing on a high bar squat can be really difficult and dangerous. Since the bar is higher on on your back you will find dumping the weight becomes almost impossible and you might even end up dumping it forward over your head! which can put extreme stress on the neck and back.
So What One Should I do?
When it comes to figuring out which on you should do i almost always recommend everyone should begin in a high bar squat as it will teach you to reach depth early on and it also is generally an easier motion with lighter weights. Also a lot of new lifters will benefit from high bar as it will build the quads up. Once you have several months under the bar tho thats a good time to start experimenting with low bar and see how it works for you. When it comes to picking what will work best for you we can look at natural body levers and base your decision on that.
Try The Low Bar Squat if
- You have powerlifting or bodybuilding goals
- You have longer legs
- You have a shorter torso
- Your back is a strong point for you
- Your rear delts allow you to create a solid shelf for the bar to sit on
Try The High Bar Squat If
- You are an olympic style lifter or if you are trying to bring up your quads if your a bodybuilder
- If you have trouble learning how to hit depth
- You have shorter legs
- You have a longer torso
- If you have larger traps you may find you like resting the bar there
- Your quads are a strong point for you
Need help with creating a program for your squats? Try checking out my 5 rules for a better program article
Use Variations When Your Further Out From A Meet or Testing
One question that i have gotten from several of my clients in the past though is “Shawn whats your opinion on bringing up the weak sticking points in a squat with a variation of the lift?” For the most part just squatting will help you bring up your squat but when you become a certain level of lifter you might start to really have well shown weak points in a lift so thats when i recommend trying some variations but always having your main competition lifts in your training as well.
Similar to the conjugate method i recommend if you are having weaknesses and weak points in the squat to throw in the opposite and other variations to help bring you past a sticking point. For Instance you might have a sticking point coming right out of the hole like most people for that i recommend adding in some high bar squats and pause squats to help build strength in that area. When your further out from a test day or a meet thats when you can add variations if you so choose too. 4 weeks out and closer to a meet though i recommend just sticking with your competition stance. When your close to when you test out your max you need to be as proficient as possible at the lift and thats achieved with specificity (specific and pertaining to ones goals when competing).
Let talk about forward lean
If your a huge fan of Layne Norton like i am then you know Layne squats with a lot of forward lean and its hilarious the comments i see that are telling layne how to squat when in reality those people probably can’t even squat 225 pounds. Layne has discussed this many times but the reason Layne has to lean so far forward is because since he has a short torso and long legs in order for the bar to be over mid foot he needs to lean forward. If he tried to squat more upright he would simply fall out of balance because the bar would be over his heel or ever farther back so stay in your own lane (pun intended lol) and stop critiquing elite lifters when you can’t squat anything near them and don't be afraid of some forward lean it might actually help you.
Leaning forward a tad at the beginning of the lift will help you in a low bar stance to hinge at the hips first before going down so that can actually be a good cue as long as you don't take it to far and just fall forward. You should try to stay as upright as possible that will allow the bar still to be over mid foot and traveling in a good bar path throughout the movement.
Just experiment and see what works best for you
I have squatted high bar for over 3 years so switching to low bar this late in the game was different for me and i was sort of forced to try it because where i injured my back doing high bar put pressure on the discs that i did not want so one of the main reasons to switching to low bar for me was that it allowed me to squat pain free again. At first the switch was hard. It was super weird to have the bar lower down and i just felt not stable but about 3 weeks into low bar and it only kept getting better. I seriously can’t wait to get back to squatting because i know that the switch to low bar for me was a great one and the gains i am going to make once i can get back into my programming should finally allow me to hit that long goal of squatting 300lbs for me.
Currently Injured and can't squat? It sucks i know trust me, but maybe this article can help.
Still Trying To Learn How To Squat? Check Out Layne's Video Below On Everything You Need To Know For Squats
Pick Your Version and Get SQUATTING
In the end its your decision what works best for you. I like how Bryce lewis stated it in one of his videos “Don’t look at high bar and low bar as completely different things. Just make small adjustments with where the bar sits. When you find that sweet spot you will know it” So to sum this up
- Low Bar and High Bar just depends where the bar sits
- Try Low Bar if your goal is to lift the max weight
- Try high bar if you are trying to bring up weak quads or your an olympic lifter or maybe you just like the bar higher
- Spend time first with the bar higher up in your beginning stages and as you get more experienced with the movement drop the bar lower till you find that sweet spot.
- When your further than 4 weeks out from a test or meet feel free to add in other variations of the lift to get past being bored or bring up a weak point in the lift.
- Stick with your competition stance 4 weeks out and closer to a meet or test.
- Stop critiquing world class lifters how to lift
- Learn your own body levers and use that to adjust how you should squat
- don’t be afraid of some forward lean when low bar squatting
- Experiment for yourself and see what works best for you
Thats it guys another blog in the books. Below i want to hear - do you prefer lower bar squats or do you prefer more of the higher bar position? let me know in the comments below. Also don’t forget to check out Strength Theory for the most in depth article and explanation you can find on this topic. If you enjoyed this blog then all i ask is that you click those share buttons as it helps the blog grow and it helps me out by letting me know you guys are enjoying the weekly content. Till next time
Stay Strong, and Stay Squatting!
Shawn Fausey
Looking for a coach that understands you and your goals?
look no further and sign up for Fausey's Fitness Coaching Here!
• Custom Programming
• Custom Macro Calculations
• Weekly Check-Ins
- Shawn Fausey is the Founder and CEO of Fausey's Fitness. With Over 6 years experience in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Nutrition. Shawn offers services of online fitness coaching, programing and consulting. Shawn is also a Graphic Designer and can be reached for graphic services on www.rev-graphics.com
- Follow me on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Google +
You Might Also Be Interested In Checking Out
