The Truth About Safety Squat Bars

This is a clip from @TheOkayPodcast where Starting Strength Coach Grant Broggi gives his reasons for changing his mind about safety squat bars, and how he uses them now to supplement his barbell training.

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[ColonelEMHouse]

I’m 44. Elbows and shoulders hurt with barbell squat. Tendinitis. The SSB allows me to squat free weights. It’s great for me. I have no competition goals, so there’s no reason to deal with tendon/shoulder issues. If you have access to one, try it a couple times. It’s a cool tool.

[joecowan]

My Marrs Bar has ruined me from using any straight bar ever again... love how locked in I feel, I just focus on the squat!

[thomaslacy]

I appreciate the discussion on SSBs and MBs. One *slight* bone of contention. I am a 64 YO lifelong athlete/lifter. My observation is that there are certain associated lifetime achievement awards (torn rotator cuff, labrum, bicep, etc.). Up until 60, no problem. Since then, elbows, shoulders, knees act up in ways you cannot fathom when you’re younger. This is in spite of better consistency, commitment to mobility/flexibility, etc. Recovery and injury prevention become more important than adhering to some dogma.

That said, really enjoy the channel. Keep up the good work 😊

Please keep providing content aimed at oldsters. As Sully frequently points out, we are athletes of aging.

[tigerwoodcourt]

I bought my Marrs Bar from Strength Co. It is terrific! Feels like a back pack. It works the posterior chain without loading the upper body. Never going back to the straight bar.

[markridley-vwxh]

I love my Marrs bar. I had shoulder issues.

[maddmaxx]

EliteFTS SS Yoke bar is one of the better safety squat bars on the market also.

[beefriprock]

I’m a 50 yo with 3 shoulder surgeries, right AC joint dislocated, and severe tennis elbow all triggered by the low bar position. For years I forced myself into the low bar position on principle, saw your video for the SSB, immediately ordered one from Titan and my squat continues to go up. I feel like I’m leaning forward enough to I engage the hips properly. I used to dread doing squats, with the SSB I fell in love with squatting again.

[rns]

I loved using the Marrs bar. I had wrist and shoulder issues and this let me recover. I used it for some months.

Now I’ve transitioned back to straight bar. But I will be utilizing the Marrs as Grant talked about.

It’s a great bar!

And yes there is a small difference in weight due to the difference in the upper body that is utilized.

I’ve found that straight bar utilizes more upper body structure to support the bar while going up and down.

The Marrs bar kind of takes that issue out. Again it’s worn like a “jet pack”. The weight is distributed better.

When I transitioned back to straight bar I noticed that I needed to do a small reset to retrain that upper body structure.

My butt, hips and legs didn’t care either way. They could push the weight regardless!

[pbennett]

getting under the bar was always tough for me.. I have very long arms that extend over the ends of the bar and the last time I tried to squat I had a pec tear.

Been using Dave Draper Top Squat attachment, which allows for high and low bar squat and it made a huge difference

[timwerner]

I’m 65 training for 40+ years love my SSB

[stevenowilson]

Thoughts on the Dufalo bar (cambered squat bar)? It took a long time for my son to get back to low bar back squats after having labrum surgery. He would do lots of stretching exercises with the bar while using an SSB for squats. Then he added the bar for warm-ups, and eventually a work set or two, and finally switching back to low bar squats with a straight bar.

[Natureboypkr]

The regular SSB really helped me with size and strength. I also noticed they’re a lot harder than regular squats.

[JT]

So if you're able to squat more weight using the Marrs bar, what's the argument for ever using a straight bar? Wouldn't the fact that you can use more weight make it superior by default to train the squat? Why do you need the "skill" of squatting with a straight bar unless you're going to be entering powerlifting tournaments? I've been using the Marrs bar for the last year and I can't come up with any logical reason to ever use a straight bar again. I got up to 300 with a straight bar and kept getting stuck because of upper back and elbow issues, switched to a Marrs bar and went up consistently from there to 415.

[mastermindmartialarts]

I have both shoulder and elbow problems and love squatting with my SSB. I’ll still place my hands on the bar instead of the handles to try to mimic a real squat as much as possible. But what I love the most is that at any point I can let go of the bar with my hands to save the lift if it gets too heavy, I can grab the rack to help get the weight back up.

[arymniak]

Elite FTS Yoke SSB is my go to alternative to the straight low bar squat. Takes a bit to find the best placement for you, but once you find it, the bar works very well. No shoulder or elbow issues and seems to work the anterior better than the low bar back squat.

[warrenhenning]

I recently bought a Marrs Bar from Strength Co. Feels amazingly snug on the shoulders and unlocks a different squat variation if you have shoulder issues with standard low-bar squats. Also useful for things like standing calf raises because the bar is actually so stable it will balance itself without holding the handles.

[tigerwoodcourt]

Please show a photo of how you store the Marrs Barr.

[martystrasinger]

When my supraspinatus ruptured a few years ago, I couldn’t squat with a straight bar (among other limitations). A SSB allowed me to keep squatting for about 9 months until my right shoulder regained ROM, though I could tell the form was more quad than hip focused.

[TheKrumster]

Anything that keeps you training is worth it. Besides past preferences of old school people before us there isn’t a benefit to mess up your shoulders doing a lb squat which everyone does eventually if they do it long enough. Like any sport people have to adapt

[secureyourgainz]

As you progress even more, you’ll learn to use Hatfield Marrs bar squat… and you’ll also do 3/3 sessions with a Marrs bar. It isn’t preventative when you can do more bar. It’s superior.