YORK COUNTY, Pa. — In this week's FOX43 FitMinute, Megan Anderson, fitness center coordinator and personal trainer with the York JCC takes us into the weight room and teaches us about the safety squat bar.
What makes this bar different is the extra padding and two padded arms extending out from the bar with handles for grip.
This bar also creates more instability, so expect to feel added work in your core as a result and to adjust your overall weight added to the bar to fit the challenge.
"This one is a lot more comfortable than doing a regular back squat, so if you don't have great range of motion in the shoulders this is a great way to have the bar sit comfortably on your back versus trying to get yourself pinched here," Anderson said.
Once the bar is set up on the cage with a selected weight, safely maneuver your head through the extending pads, until those pads are comfortably on your shoulders. From there, set your feet shoulder-width apart, lift up through the bar, and scoot back towards the middle of the cage. Once you have the space, Anderson says to squat to chair height or lower.
Rep count depends on the amount of weight and specific workout chosen. For muscle gains, try between six and 12 repetitions. For endurance, try 10 to 20 repetitions.
Anderson says the bar can be an asset for those who may have suffered an upper-body injury in the past, since your shoulders do not have to pinch into the back.
If you are interested in giving the safety bar a try, be sure to ask for help at the gym from a trainer or worker. This bar can be on the heavier side, and it's better to start out with assistance if it is your first time. Participants can also try out different moves like lunges or good mornings, not just the squat!
Anderson does recommend using a lower weight to get used to the instability of the bar though if you're new to the exercise.
You just got better!