I use the "pussy pad" while squatting.

[maxpayne72]

O.k. time to admit some stuff here,a nd get some machismo inspired flames. I use the "pussy pad". I shit you not, I use two of them if they are available. Yup, that's those bicycle pad things that you put on the bar when you do squats. Shit, I'll also admit, I do squats on the smith machine, and squat down to a bench. Put all my weight down on it before going back up.

I'm 5'5" and I squat >450 for reps. yup, 5 plates aside + the bar.

Not as much as some, but more then others.

I use the pussy pad, because it lets me focus on what I should focus on, my legs, and not my back. I use it because when I haven't, I've ended up with huge freaken bruises along my traps. And trust me, I've got big freaken traps. And I'm not one to usually bruise. I use the smith machine, and the bench, because I like taking it to failure, without a partner.

Best freaken squat workouts were on a smith machine with shoulder pads instead of a straight bar, at Gold's Redondo Beach.

So let's open up the floor to all the machismo about how we shouldn't use a "pussy pad" or wraps, or hooks, or gloves, or belts or sponges??????

Seriously lets get some thoughts here on all this.

 

[KillahBee]

my thoughts:


you goddamn vagina.
























j/k. if it works for you, then fuck it, keep doing it. if wearing a pink thong helped me lift more, get bigger and get stronger, I would do it.

 

[cwc73]

I vote for the pink thong!

k to ya

 

[halfaclue]

O.k. time to admit some stuff here,a nd get some machismo inspired flames. I use the "pussy pad". I shit you not, I use two of them if they are available. Yup, that's those bicycle pad things that you put on the bar when you do squats. Shit, I'll also admit, I do squats on the smith machine, and squat down to a bench. Put all my weight down on it before going back up.

I'm 5'5" and I squat >450 for reps. yup, 5 plates aside + the bar.

Not as much as some, but more then others.

I use the pussy pad, because it lets me focus on what I should focus on, my legs, and not my back. I use it because when I haven't, I've ended up with huge freaken bruises along my traps. And trust me, I've got big freaken traps. And I'm not one to usually bruise. I use the smith machine, and the bench, because I like taking it to failure, without a partner.

Best freaken squat workouts were on a smith machine with shoulder pads instead of a straight bar, at Gold's Redondo Beach.

So let's open up the floor to all the machismo about how we shouldn't use a "pussy pad" or wraps, or hooks, or gloves, or belts or sponges??????

Seriously lets get some thoughts here on all this.

Joe namatha wore womens panty hose when playing football..he was still awesome. back in the day before I had traps i used the pussy pad liek in high school. Now that I have traps i like feeling the slight pain in them when I'm doing squats. I can't do 450 for reps so nice job.

 

[SAGAT]

i used it once but it felt like the bar was sliding off mu back, didnt feel comfortable. so i just took them off, no pain whatsoever while squatting around 400 for reps.
i think it's just a matter of preference, if you wanna use em, do.

 

[d3track]

i tried the pad once and the bar rolled off my back
i'm up to 405 for sets of eight and no problems......
i used to squat in the smith, but dont any more.....i think its more personal preference

 

[NorgePrecision]

Take the tampon off that bar! J/k, I guess if it hurts the other way, you do what you have to do.

 

[Carmen]

if you're squatting that on the smith machine... you're not squatting.
get the pad off, get under a real bar, and squat to parallel, then come back and brag. till you do that, you haven't squatted jack.

 

[Schutzhund1]

The safetly squat bar I use for good mornings has padding. Does that qualify?

 

[Carmen]

The safetly squat bar I use for good mornings has padding. Does that qualify?

qualify for what?
for being a sissy?
if your using it for gm's, no.

 

[BlondBomber]

No, the padding on the safety squat bar goes that way from the manufacturer. Now, if you were to place a pad on it, saying that it does not come with one, yes.
Hmm, imagine a safety squat bar without any padding, now that would be hardcore.
Schutzhund1, do you get your neck adjusted after using the SSB for GM's. Last time that I did them, my neck got fucking racked!

 

[H_T_]

i might use a belt but nothing else, i have callouses on my neck.

 

[Carmen]

i might use a belt but nothing else, i have callouses on my neck.

the bar shouldn't be on your neck.

 

[H_T_]

well, ok, upper back.

 

[6_pak]

495lbs squat regardless of smith machine is still pretty good. If your training as a powerlifter, i would have to agree with sugarplum, w/o the bluntness, of cource. But if your training along the lines of a bb'er, the smith will definitely suffice, as your trying to tear every bit of fiber in your thighs, and if 495 does that to you, then keep at it. I would however, rotate between smith and free squats to give it a different feel.

 

[Carmen]

as your trying to tear every bit of fiber in your thighs, and if 495 does that to you, then keep at it.

what about all the bit of fiber that help balance the bar on your back- from calves to obliques to shoulders, etc.
none of that gets worked, which is why he couldn't squat that much on a real bar at all.

 

[Illuminati]

not to mention that a 450 bar weight on the smith machine does not equal 495. and that is no where near squatting with a bar on your back. you are not using any stabilizing muscles with a smith machine.

 

[6_pak]

what about all the bit of fiber that help balance the bar on your back- from calves to obliques to shoulders, etc.
none of that gets worked, which is why he couldn't squat that much on a real bar at all.

As with any other machine, the purpose is to isolate the thighs. Obviously your axcillary muscles want be as stimulated but thats not the purpose of using the machines. I personally dont make it a mainstay in my w/o but it is a nice alternative. Im speaking purely as a bb'er, which the main goal is to destroy the muscle fiber for hypertrophy, not necessarly worring about the weight. Obviously PL have a different approach,goal,mindset, than a bb'er.

 

[super_rice]

squatting 450 in a smith machine is not something to brag about...

 

[maxpayne72]

if you're squatting that on the smith machine... you're not squatting.
get the pad off, get under a real bar, and squat to parallel, then come back and brag. till you do that, you haven't squatted jack.

Actually I can squat a lot more without the smith machine. The smith machine forces me to follow stricter form.

 

[maxpayne72]

squatting 450 in a smith machine is not something to brag about...

Back in the day I used to do "power" style squats with the bar accross my upp back. No pad needed then, and I could do much more weight, but my form was screwed.

 

[Carmen]

Actually I can squat a lot more without the smith machine. The smith machine forces me to follow stricter form.

it doesn't force you, it helps you lift. so whatever great number you squat on a smith machine doesn't mean a thing since you can't really squat that.
you don't squat in a straight line anyway, so its not forcing you into stricter form, its forcing you into INCORRECT form.

 

[Carmen]

Back in the day I used to do "power" style squats with the bar accross my upp back. No pad needed then, and I could do much more weight, but my form was screwed.

what the heck is a "power" style?
was it a full, regular, normal squat- ass parallel to your knees? thats not a "power" style, thats just a squat, done the way it should be. all this other crap- smith machines and stuff- thats not a squat.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

If you do 450 for reps in the smith machine I would bet money that 315 for a barbell full squat would probably pin you to the ground.

There's absolutely no comparison.

That's like when I see guy's doing shrugs in the smith machine with 4 or 5 plates per side. BIG DEAL. Let's see you do that with a barbell and no smith, ain't gonna happen.

I just recently learned the difference stopping at legit parallel in the squat and going all the way into a full squat. I can do a belt only single with 315 ass to calves which makes me legitimately one of the strongest squatters in the gym apparently lol, because everyone else really does half squats using more weight LMFAO!

I could probably do 350-365 at legit parallel and 405-450 half squat, but that doesn't mean shit.

Start squatting like a REAL MAN and take that stupid pad off the bar you GIRLY MAN!

 

[pwrlftrscott]

what the heck is a "power" style?
was it a full, regular, normal squat- ass parallel to your knees? thats not a "power" style, thats just a squat, done the way it should be. all this other crap- smith machines and stuff- thats not a squat.

sp, you have to remember, we are p/lers and think that way, sure your right, a smith machine squat is not a real squat, but this guy is doing them to build his legs, he is not a p/l. but no he can't claim that as his squat, when they are done in the smith machine, with a bar pad.

 

[maxpayne72]

lol, when I say "power style" I mean that deep WIDE stance as per that avatar pic.

When I'm on the smith, I usally have my feet just a bit wider then shoulder width. Back isn't all bent forward either. Bar, hips, feet are directly in line. MUCH more focus on the quads then the gluts. Try it. It's like the difference between a hack squat machine and a leg press.

But yeah, let me go that wide, and have a bar on my upper back, not my neck, and well lets just say 450 was back in college before serious leg training.

But yeah,"power style" putting the weight on my upper back ( held by rear delts ), not my neck ( right on top of the upper traps ) I'd have trouble with it sliding off if I used a pad.

 

[SAGAT]

if you're squatting that on the smith machine... you're not squatting.
get the pad off, get under a real bar, and squat to parallel, then come back and brag. till you do that, you haven't squatted jack.

when was this ever about bragging?

 

[Carmen]

"Not as much as some, but more then others."

who cares how much you can SMITH machine squat? i can slingshot my hotwheels cars to 125 miles per hour... is that like driving?
if you're training for size and you think the smith machine is good- good for you, but trying to brag about how much you do on it is ironic- since its not squatting and he's not lifting for strength anyway, obviously.
i'm done with this thread- i gave my opinion.

 

[Pamela]

Guy and Gals don't you think you can benefit from both Smith and Free Style Squats?

 

[pwrlftrscott]

Guy and Gals don't you think you can benefit from both Smith and Free Style Squats?

for building bigger legs yes, for building a big squat no. a squat p/l squat like in my avatar pic has more to do with hips and glute strength, not to mention stabilizing the weight, so it would not be good for somone trying to increase the size of thier legs, and i do not work on buiding my quads like the original poster does cause quads do very little for the way i squat. I guess my point is they are 2 different things, a squat and a smith machine squat, and a smith squat does not carry over to a free weight squat.

 

[b fold the truth]

Guy and Gals don't you think you can benefit from both Smith and Free Style Squats?

If I want to wreck my knees and back..sure I could use a Smith Machine.

A good friend of mine didn't walk for a LONG time after an "accident" on a Smith Machine. I don't think I"ll ever use one again. I've torn my rotator cuffs on them before doing OHP as well.

They don't allow for a natural ROM and it is MUCH easier than a free bar squat...any style.

B True

 

[Jim Ouini]

Bar, hips, feet are directly in line.

This seems really awkward to me, seems you can't go down very far before your knees shoot out in front of your feet.

So most people I see doing smith's move their feet forward, which I read takes your hammies out of it and creates a lot of shear forces on the knee.

 

[super_rice]

good post. personally, i don't find powerlifter squats very deep either, but looking at the sheer amount of weight moved by the world class... damn

when i see those vids of 1000+ squats, though, i always think, "how much could they oly squat?"

If you do 450 for reps in the smith machine I would bet money that 315 for a barbell full squat would probably pin you to the ground.

There's absolutely no comparison.

That's like when I see guy's doing shrugs in the smith machine with 4 or 5 plates per side. BIG DEAL. Let's see you do that with a barbell and no smith, ain't gonna happen.

I just recently learned the difference stopping at legit parallel in the squat and going all the way into a full squat. I can do a belt only single with 315 ass to calves which makes me legitimately one of the strongest squatters in the gym apparently lol, because everyone else really does half squats using more weight LMFAO!

I could probably do 350-365 at legit parallel and 405-450 half squat, but that doesn't mean shit.

Start squatting like a REAL MAN and take that stupid pad off the bar you GIRLY MAN!

 

[super_rice]

knees coming out in front of your toes doesn't mean it's bad, but the smith machine not only creates an incorrect bar path, but they are often counterweighted too.

anyway, i'm sure the only reason why you can use a "pussy pad" without having the bar fall off your back and kick your ass for using the puss pad is because you are in the smith...

somehow i don't think it's quite safe to create a soft spot at the most critical point of contact - your traps and the bar.

i mean, why bother trying to stay tight throughout the movement (a la good squatting form) if you are undermining yourself by using the pad?

oh wait, the smith takes away any work you have to do to remain stable.

it's cool to have cuts on your back.

the cuts on your back leave stains on your shirts - which is also good.

chalk is often required. that too, is good.

one thing: in the times i squatted with a smith, i could NEVER get into the hole without the bar shifting. weird

 

[football63]

Today was my leg day and I loved it! I cant say Ive ever done squats on a Smith.... I dont think I really like teh Smith just because of the limited ROM and that it doesnt work your stabalizers. Since I do leg presses I consider that to be my excercise where I can put alot of weight.
How high in weight do you guys go before using a belt? I didnt use one today and I went up to 315 for reps of 6. I normally would use one above anything that is 225, but I didnt today. When do you guys use a belt?

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

Back isn't all bent forward either. Bar, hips, feet are directly in line.

how the hell do you do this? in my head i imagine your hips dropping straight into your knees, or your knees flaring out like mad. this just seems very bad on the knees IMO. i know for a fact that i would injure my knees doing them that way.

 

[maxpayne72]

Next question: as the pounds get heavier... what is the safest way to keep squatting? Knee wraps? etc...

One of the big reasons I use the smith machine is... no spotter. I work out alone.

Thoughts? And btw thanks for the responses. And no, lets not make this a brag post. At 5'5, my job isn't to compete pound for pound with some guy that looks like a line backer. Sorry if ti seemed that way. It's to work out safely and effectively.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

my answer to safety is this... use knee wraps if you are maxxing out, but dont go heavier than your body can take. i get close to failure with squats, but i know how to bail onto the bars in the power rack. my girlfriend cant spot me on squats, so i just have to lift smart. if i listen to my body, i avoid injury.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I never worry about being spotted generally even on max attempts because I know I can always bail out. I squat using squat stands and if I can't get the weight I can just pop it off my back without fear of hurting anyone else because I lift in an area dedicated to powerlifters and only a few besides the pl'ers actually venture into the area. It's kinda cool. People just tend not to go back there unless they have a real reason too haha!

It's real simple. Can't get up, release bar and push it back with a shove and voila! No problems.

 

[Illuminati]

Next question: as the pounds get heavier... what is the safest way to keep squatting? Knee wraps? etc...

One of the big reasons I use the smith machine is... no spotter. I work out alone.

Thoughts? And btw thanks for the responses. And no, lets not make this a brag post. At 5'5, my job isn't to compete pound for pound with some guy that looks like a line backer. Sorry if ti seemed that way. It's to work out safely and effectively.

try setting up in a power rack with the safety bars set just below where the bar would be when you hit parallel. and like ghettostud. said, just drop the weight off safety bars if you get in trouble. its that simple.

 

[H_T_]

i had a buddy break his leg when he did that, the weight caught on his belt and he was standing near upright. but yeah, i still do it that way.

 

[Madcow2]

It's real simple. Can't get up, release bar and push it back with a shove and voila! No problems.

This is actually why I can't stand crowded gyms with equipment packed in and people on top of each other (plus they usually line the walls with glass mirror and that tends to fuck one up rather badly). Bailing in your scenario works nicely but a lot of people aren't that lucky and then the gym managers tend to complain when it hits the ground like thunder.

The best thing I ever saw was a friend bail on a squat clean. At the time he was 5'8" and 330ish. He was using around 400 somewhere in the 180kg range. Bar comes in, he receives it but was stronger than he thought and overpulled it a bit, all of a sudden his eyes go wide and he launches himself backward. The bar is dropping and I see him flying through the air, giant arms and legs scratching frantically for purchase to get him out of there. He was fast as hell. I still remember it to this day.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I train at a very public gym. Mostly pumpers and toners and there are plenty of machines and mirros and chrome lol, and it gets packed.

But there is a small powerlifting contingent made up of about 7-8 consistent guys and a couple of them have been doing it a long time 15+ years. We are lucky as we just happen to have a small cove in the back of the gym that most people stay out of.

It's funny. When new members come in and are brought on tours the consultants go " and this is the powerlifter area. These guy's are crazy. They lift hella heavy weights" or something like that generally. I love it!

 

[b fold the truth]

Next question: as the pounds get heavier... what is the safest way to keep squatting? Knee wraps? etc...

One of the big reasons I use the smith machine is... no spotter. I work out alone.

Thoughts? And btw thanks for the responses. And no, lets not make this a brag post. At 5'5, my job isn't to compete pound for pound with some guy that looks like a line backer. Sorry if ti seemed that way. It's to work out safely and effectively.

I train alone, heavy, and in on of the most hardcore gyms just about anyone's seen.

I squat in my power rack, pay extra special attention to my form and my hamstrings (very important to knee health).

If I drop a weight...I drop it. Safety racks will catch it. It has me a few times.

B True

 

[cwc73]

Hey guys. I know this might be an old thread, but I use something a little different than the pad. I think it is called a "Manta Ray" or something like that. It is a blue piece of plastic that clips on to the bar. I fits around your neck and over your traps. It really feels very confortable, and it never feels like it is going to roll off. Is there any information out there about this piece of accesorry equipment?
Thanks!!!!`

 

[JKurz1]

I got 1-x more respect for someone who sqauts 135 ATF with no pad in the rack than anyone squatting 450 with two pads in the Smith.........just my .02.........

 

[Carmen]

I got 1-x more respect for someone who sqauts 135 ATF with no pad in the rack than anyone squatting 450 with two pads in the Smith.........just my .02.........

agreed.

 

[cwc73]

I'd like to see Sugarplum do ATF squats, but I could care less if she had the pad on.

 

[Allon]

It really is not about respect, it is about what works for each person better. But I agree with everyone that the smith is a no no.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I was talking with the powerlifter's at my gym and they all squat a little below parallel, some deeper than other's, but always below parallel when we noticed this really muscular guy who it's obvious is on steroids for a myriad of reasons doing literally 500lbs half squats. I don't think his thighs broke 45 degrees. It was a joke. Now this guy is very strong for a bodybuilder, but he was just making himself look stupid doing them like that. I can do a 315 ATF squat, but I could probably load up 450lbs on my back and do squats like he was doing. Talk about retarded.

 

[bignate73]

i watched a guy today, get all wrapped up (knees, flimsy everlast belt) and set up under 405. he yells and has his homey yell too. (good, lose all your air before you even unrack it) he unracks it, hits a 60% to parallel squat, yelling. (more air lost...) racks it and walks off. This was the most intensity i've seen on squats in a while....and I was so disappointed that he didn't take the squat all the way. but I think in his mind....he got it. i overheard him saying to someone else, "I do 5...i don't like em, but I do 5."

sure....5 plates...on a walkout, shaking like a tree in the wind.

ah, the gym is full of comedy.

 

[b fold the truth]

i watched a guy today, get all wrapped up (knees, flimsy everlast belt) and set up under 405. he yells and has his homey yell too. (good, lose all your air before you even unrack it) he unracks it, hits a 60% to parallel squat, yelling. (more air lost...) racks it and walks off. This was the most intensity i've seen on squats in a while....and I was so disappointed that he didn't take the squat all the way. but I think in his mind....he got it. i overheard him saying to someone else, "I do 5...i don't like em, but I do 5."

sure....5 plates...on a walkout, shaking like a tree in the wind.

ah, the gym is full of comedy.

B True