Effective exercises using a safety squat bar
Thank you for reading this article.
This time, following on from the previous article ( about how to use a safety squat bar and its benefits ), I would like to explain some effective ways to use a safety squat bar.
If you are a trainee, coach, or trainer who has already purchased the product, we hope that you will be able to incorporate effective events to suit your goals.
Training events that can be done with a safety squat bar
① Good Morning (targets hamstrings, erector spinae, trunk, and lumbar multifidus muscles)
Good mornings using a safety squat bar have the advantage of putting less strain on your shoulders and elbows and making it easier to maintain good form compared to doing good mornings with a regular Olympic barbell.
A common form disorder is that people who are unable to lower their shoulder blades tend to shrug their shoulders while carrying the shoulder blades, which makes it difficult to properly stabilize the shoulder girdle and trunk, causing excessive tension in the neck. There are some things that can put a heavy burden on you.
With a safety squat bar, you're holding the handle in front of you, which makes this compensatory shrug less likely. Therefore, it becomes easier to be aware of the adduction and downward movements of the scapulae, and it becomes easier to focus on things like fixing the trunk.
Maintain a neutral spine in the starting position, keep your shoulder blades in an internally rotated and downward position, and lean your upper body forward as shown in the photo above. Bend to the angle where you feel maximum tension in your hamstrings, then return to the starting position.
When starting, instead of leaning forward from your hips or chest, try to keep the line of your spine as you lean forward from your pelvis (especially the sacrum) and raise your buttocks (sit bones) toward the ceiling. You should be able to feel the load on your core, lower back, and hamstrings.
If you only feel pain in your lower back or neck after doing Good Morning, you should be aware of which parts to stabilize and which part to perform the movements from, and the effect will change.
Also, in the case of a safety squat bar, as mentioned in the previous article, the force is always applied to the front, so you can mobilize target muscle groups such as the core, lower back, and hamstrings more strongly than when using a regular Olympic bar. It's easy to feel that it's working because it leads to making people feel better, and it can be said to be very effective.
②Bulgarian squat (targets glutes and hamstrings)
The Bulgarian squat is a particularly recommended exercise. Women who want to increase the weight they use for hip-ups and squats, as well as competitive athletes, should definitely use it.
As you can see in the photo, the Bulgarian squat is a one-legged exercise. Therefore, it is very effective for improving not only muscle strength but also various balances such as muscle strength differences between the left and right sides and coordination.
How to do it: From the starting position, bend your upper body forward as shown in the photo above, squat down as deep as you can, and stand up.
The important thing at this time is whether you are able to properly create a state in which your trunk and scapulae are adducted and depressed at the start, and whether you are able to maintain this state while performing the movement.
In many cases, the back, lower back, and pelvis are rounded or move excessively during the movement, so it is important to be conscious of your form so that you can maintain the same position.
Also, since the number one target is the gluteal muscles and hamstrings, it is very important to be conscious of bending your upper body deeply forward and constantly lifting your butt (sit bones) towards the ceiling as you squat. Similarly, when standing up, make sure to keep your lower back and pelvis firmly pulled up to avoid rounding as you finish.
Place about 90 % of your weight on your feet, which are extended vertically.
It's very hard during the movement, so you tend to put your weight on your back foot, but if you do that, the load will be lost, so do your best to keep your weight on your front foot.
This event is usually performed with dumbbells, but using a safety squat bar is highly recommended as it allows you to safely and stably apply a larger load.
*If you are unable to shake your body or have strong fear, we recommend that you take your hands off the handlebars (basically, the bar will not fall) and place your hands on the support of a power rack while supporting yourself with your hands. is.
③Bulgarian squat (targeting quadriceps)
This is another version of the Bulgarian squat mentioned above. In this case, the main target muscle will be the quadriceps. Is this form more common?
The major difference from the above form is the angle of the upper body. Here, squat down with your upper body firmly upright and your knee joints as the fulcrum.
The safety squat bar's features include the ability to perform movements while strongly fixing the trunk and spine, and the ability to handle larger loads safely and stably, which is a major benefit.
I feel that it is also very effective for increasing quadriceps muscle hypertrophy. Another way to do this is to squat straight down, with your knees slightly forward.
If you want to increase the strength of the eccentric phase of your quadriceps muscles (runners, pitchers, athletes who want to effectively decelerate, etc.), we recommend doing it this way.
④Box squat (targeting the trunk, glutes, and hamstrings + checking the center of gravity)
Isn't the box squat an event that is often performed on the regular Olympic bar?
I think the main purpose of doing this is to improve the stability of the trunk and around the spine, and to improve the strength of the gluteal muscles and hamstrings. In box squats, it is especially important to improve stability around the trunk and spine.
From the starting position, squat down as you would a regular squat.
Then, as shown in the photo above, make sure your butt touches the platform from parallel to full depth. Then sit down on the stand (for about 1 to 2 seconds) and stand up.
As the weight increases, you will find it becomes much more difficult to keep your core and spine engaged.
Particularly when performing this with a safety squat bar, the load is constantly being applied to the front, so it requires more strength and awareness.
When standing up, your upper body leans slightly forward, so you can feel a stronger load on your core, buttocks, and hamstrings than with a regular Olympic bar.
Another thing that is very important when doing squats is the position of the center of gravity on the soles of your feet, and by doing this box squat, you will be able to understand the point on the soles of your feet where you can stably apply the most force. This will also lead to an increase in the weight used when squatting, which may be a factor in increasing muscle hypertrophy, improving training efficiency, and improving athlete performance, so please keep this in mind as you train.
summary
How was that?
Even if it looks like something you do in your regular training, using a safety squat bar will completely change how it works and how you feel the effects.
In fact, Master Mind members love training on the safety squat bar because it's so easy to see the results. I hope that everyone reading this article will feel the same way.
Thank you for reading to the end.
notice
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Official tournament best record (no gear)
105kg class squat 302.5kg
bench press 195kg
Deadlift 285kg
Total 780kg
120kg class squat 330kg
bench press 197.5kg
Deadlift 287.5kg
Total 806kg
Single bench press 190kg
Japan record holder General men's 120kg class squat 323.5kg
War record
World Classic Powerlifting Championship: Participated 1 time Japan Classic Powerlifting Championship: Participated 8 times, won 2 times Japan Classic Bench Press Championship: Participated 3 times, Highest place: 8th place
2018
Tokyo Autumn Powerlifting Championships 105kg class winner *Set Tokyo record with squat 265kg and total 685kg (at the time)
2021
Japan Classic Powerlifting Championship 105kg class winner Tokyo Powerlifting Championship 105kg class winner *Squat 280.5kg, deadlift 275.5kg Tokyo record set Tokyo Bench Press Championship 105kg class winner
2022
Tokyo Powerlifting Championship 105kg class 1st place *Squat 300kg, deadlift 285kg, total 770kg Tokyo record setting World Classic Powerlifting Championship 105kg class 16th place
2023
Japan Classic Powerlifting Championships 105kg class 2nd place Kanto Powerlifting Championships 120kg class 2nd place General Men's 120kg class Squat Japanese record 323.5kg set
