High bar v low bar squats

[Pseudonym]

This is something I see mentioned from time to time by the powerlifting guys.

 

I've always just put the bar on my back and squatted. It just sits on my traps, in between the vertebrae of my neck - and to be honest, I wouldn't have a clue whether it's considered high or low.

 

What's the difference between the two? What are the pros and cons?

[Rebel101]

Milind at Club Physical Albany tried to get me doing squats with the bar placed lower than the traps more around rear delt area almost on the upper shoulder blades.

He was a fan of power lifting style and said that the technique was more correct, allowed better form, and once mastered allowed the user to lift heavier with good form. I think it allows the upper body to remain more upright and weight balanced for the quads and glutes to be activated.

But as I am not a power lifter better wait for their comments to be entirely correct.

[Tonkintechnique]

I'm not addressing this from a competition aspect but personally there's around a 20-25kg difference between high bar and low bar for 3-5 reps. But i choose to high bar squat as for me it feels alot healthier plus my glutes grow very fast haha. So i'd rather choose the movement thats slightly more quad dominant 

[Spacebound]

Low bar is when the bar sits over/ontop of the rear delts. this means to keep the bar over your mid foot you have to lean forward. This puts you in less of an upright position, and thus you utilize more of your posterior chain in the lift. 

 

High bar is what most people do and its basically having the bar on your upper traps. This means you can be more upright compared to a low bar squat. 

 

Both are very effective, low bar is 99% of the time more effective for moving more weight. But ive heard people say that for general strength purpose (ie not just powerlifting) that the high bar squat is better. And imo a proper high bar squat looks joocy as phuck, where as low bar looks weird.

 

Personally i squat highbar as low bar messes up my shoulders and i like benching. Need to work on mobility. Everyone has different morphology so people have different preferences, either or its better than no squatting. 

[Pseudonym]

Well, that answers that! Cheers guys - good explanations.

 

Guess I keep squatting as I have been. I too suffer from Tonkintechnique's problem of a fast-growing butt.