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Bob Youngs is a Genius
I tried the Reverse Crunches (in red below). Good stuff!
I did 2 sets shoulder width, and 2 sets in my squat stance. Both hit my upper back and abs really hard.
The Safety Squat Bar
By Bob Youngs
The Safety Squat bar (SSB) is my most hated bar. I am terrible at any exercise that I do with it. Why do I continue to use it? Most of often it is what we are worst at that helps us the most. This bar has done wonders for both my squat and deadlift. The bar itself has a yolk and the weight is set far forward of your center of gravity. It places a lot of stress on the entire posterior chain and this is why it has helped me so much. Here is a list of exercises that can be done with the SSB.
Box Squat
These can be done on a low or high box. I prefer a low box almost all of the time. Your stance should be narrow or about shoulder width apart. I used to place my hands on the yolks in front of the body. This hand position seemed to cause me some pec problems. So, now I hold my hands out in front of me and make sure I have tension throughout my entire body. I always work up to a max single in this exercise.
Chain Suspended Goodmorning
This is the exercise that I feel has helped my deadlift the most. Suspend the bar in chains that are hung from the top of a power rack. The bar should be at about 32-36 inches from the ground. Cram yourself under the bar and do a goodmorning to raise the bar so that you are standing erect. Don’t get too caught up in form on this exercise. My rule of thumb is to do whatever you can to get the bar to the top. I prefer to work up to a max single, but you can also do triples.
Rack Goodmorning
This exercise is very similar to the chain suspended version. The difference being the bar will start on the safety pins of the rack. This is the one bar I will use off of the pins in the rack. It is a bit harder to get the bar into just the right position, but this is still a great exercise. Singles are used here.
Bent Over Goodmorning
I do these just like a regular goodmorning. The only difference is you cannot go as far forward with the SSB or it will roll you forward. Watch your range of motion closely. I recommend triples here so that you will not be tempted to use a load that will cause you to cut the range of motion down.
Arched Back Goodmorning
These are done the same as a regular arched back. It will change the load position on you and it is great for a change from the regular bar. I prefer triples for this one.
Reverse Crunch
Todd Brock taught me this exercise and it is great for developing the upper back. Take a light load and stand up erect with the bar. While standing do a crunch and then return to the erect position. This will hit your upper back like you have never felt before. The reps should be higher for this exercise. I recommend in the 10-15 range.
Front Squat
To do this one you will need to turn the bar around so that the yolk is pointed towards your body. I like this one as an assistance exercise and use a rep range of 8-12.
Jerry O Squats
This is a favorite of Jerry Obradovic. It is performed on a low box. Take the bar out and get into the same crunch position you did for the reverse crunch. You will hold this position for the entire movement. You will basically be doing a rounded back squat. The weights will be fairly light here and the reps should be 3-5. Jerry relies heavily on this exercise to aid his deadlift. You will really feel this in your erectors.
JM Presses
See the exercise index on the Q&A for a description of the JM press. This will be the same thing, but with a couple of twists. You will need to place either a large (12”x12”) piece of plywood on your chest or some foam padding. Lower the yolk until it touches your chest while bringing the bar in a line to your throat. Then press up until lock out.
Extensions
You will need the same plywood or foam set up as in the JM press. Lower the bar until the yolk contacts the board and then pivot the bar back until it hits you in the nose. Then, extend the bar back to the lockout position. Try to think of the point where the yolk hits the board as a pivot point or hinge.
Zercher squats
Take the bar out of the rack in the crooks of your arms. Step back and squat down until the bar is out in front of your knees. Most people find the SSB to be much more comfortable than a regular bar for this exercise. You can do this as a max effort exercise and work up to max single. It can also be an assistance exercise and the reps would be 6-10.
Glute Ham Raises or Back Raises
The SSB can be used to add weight to the GHR or the traditional back raise. Be careful not to go too far forward on these.
Shrugs
Jim Wendler has been doing these and reports great results. Take the bar out of the rack and stand erect. With your arms held out in front of you raise your shoulders in the vertical plain only. Keep the reps in the 8-12 range.
As you can see there are many ways to use the SSB. At Southside Barbell we are using the SSB in many different ways. I consider the SSB to be a must have for any serious powerlifter. It will be the bar that takes you over the hump to new PRs.
I tried the Reverse Crunches (in red below). Good stuff!
I did 2 sets shoulder width, and 2 sets in my squat stance. Both hit my upper back and abs really hard.
The Safety Squat Bar
By Bob Youngs
The Safety Squat bar (SSB) is my most hated bar. I am terrible at any exercise that I do with it. Why do I continue to use it? Most of often it is what we are worst at that helps us the most. This bar has done wonders for both my squat and deadlift. The bar itself has a yolk and the weight is set far forward of your center of gravity. It places a lot of stress on the entire posterior chain and this is why it has helped me so much. Here is a list of exercises that can be done with the SSB.
Box Squat
These can be done on a low or high box. I prefer a low box almost all of the time. Your stance should be narrow or about shoulder width apart. I used to place my hands on the yolks in front of the body. This hand position seemed to cause me some pec problems. So, now I hold my hands out in front of me and make sure I have tension throughout my entire body. I always work up to a max single in this exercise.
Chain Suspended Goodmorning
This is the exercise that I feel has helped my deadlift the most. Suspend the bar in chains that are hung from the top of a power rack. The bar should be at about 32-36 inches from the ground. Cram yourself under the bar and do a goodmorning to raise the bar so that you are standing erect. Don’t get too caught up in form on this exercise. My rule of thumb is to do whatever you can to get the bar to the top. I prefer to work up to a max single, but you can also do triples.
Rack Goodmorning
This exercise is very similar to the chain suspended version. The difference being the bar will start on the safety pins of the rack. This is the one bar I will use off of the pins in the rack. It is a bit harder to get the bar into just the right position, but this is still a great exercise. Singles are used here.
Bent Over Goodmorning
I do these just like a regular goodmorning. The only difference is you cannot go as far forward with the SSB or it will roll you forward. Watch your range of motion closely. I recommend triples here so that you will not be tempted to use a load that will cause you to cut the range of motion down.
Arched Back Goodmorning
These are done the same as a regular arched back. It will change the load position on you and it is great for a change from the regular bar. I prefer triples for this one.
Reverse Crunch
Todd Brock taught me this exercise and it is great for developing the upper back. Take a light load and stand up erect with the bar. While standing do a crunch and then return to the erect position. This will hit your upper back like you have never felt before. The reps should be higher for this exercise. I recommend in the 10-15 range.
Front Squat
To do this one you will need to turn the bar around so that the yolk is pointed towards your body. I like this one as an assistance exercise and use a rep range of 8-12.
Jerry O Squats
This is a favorite of Jerry Obradovic. It is performed on a low box. Take the bar out and get into the same crunch position you did for the reverse crunch. You will hold this position for the entire movement. You will basically be doing a rounded back squat. The weights will be fairly light here and the reps should be 3-5. Jerry relies heavily on this exercise to aid his deadlift. You will really feel this in your erectors.
JM Presses
See the exercise index on the Q&A for a description of the JM press. This will be the same thing, but with a couple of twists. You will need to place either a large (12”x12”) piece of plywood on your chest or some foam padding. Lower the yolk until it touches your chest while bringing the bar in a line to your throat. Then press up until lock out.
Extensions
You will need the same plywood or foam set up as in the JM press. Lower the bar until the yolk contacts the board and then pivot the bar back until it hits you in the nose. Then, extend the bar back to the lockout position. Try to think of the point where the yolk hits the board as a pivot point or hinge.
Zercher squats
Take the bar out of the rack in the crooks of your arms. Step back and squat down until the bar is out in front of your knees. Most people find the SSB to be much more comfortable than a regular bar for this exercise. You can do this as a max effort exercise and work up to max single. It can also be an assistance exercise and the reps would be 6-10.
Glute Ham Raises or Back Raises
The SSB can be used to add weight to the GHR or the traditional back raise. Be careful not to go too far forward on these.
Shrugs
Jim Wendler has been doing these and reports great results. Take the bar out of the rack and stand erect. With your arms held out in front of you raise your shoulders in the vertical plain only. Keep the reps in the 8-12 range.
As you can see there are many ways to use the SSB. At Southside Barbell we are using the SSB in many different ways. I consider the SSB to be a must have for any serious powerlifter. It will be the bar that takes you over the hump to new PRs.
