Squatting with or without pad

[anthrax]

What about a towel on your shoulders ?

 

[StickFigure]

personally, I have seen a lot of you bros in pics and if my back and shoulders were that big, I too could go without a pad. My back is the size of a wittle girls. I do use the manta-ray and it works for me. Call me a pussy but my back thanks me the next day for using the manta-ray.Once I get huge, I will be saying yeah, fuck the pad and the ray.

Even though I don't use either, I have tried the Ray and I felt it was more beneficial for stability than usefull as padding. Do what you gotta do I guess but start hitting those heavy shrugs and upright rows HARD and make those traps grow baby!!

 

[super_rice]

when i started squatting i needed a t-shirt or a towel or something (this was around 135#). hurt like shit. then i started doing heavy deads. a week or two later or squats and deads, i got rid of the pad, never to look back.

pad shifts your center of gravity and also, for me, makes me uneasy about it slipping off and causing some major damage.

imho, full oly squats, and heavy deads fix all problems, and aid each other. if i wasn't so self conscious, i'd get rid of my upper body workout altogether and just clean/snatch, squat, and dead.

 

[Beachbum1546]

i actually have no pain or discomfort squatting with just the bar. i guess i found the perfect groove.

 

[the guy on the couch]

it's all about position. i think you should make sure your form is correct.

Bad form:
http://www.nismat.org/traintip/snowboard/squat.jpg

Good form:
http://femuscle.free.fr/nicole_luster/squat.jpg

your lower back and abs should be tight causing a slight arch in the lower torso. your entire midsection should be a rock. this forces you place the bar on your traps instead of your lower neck.

as mentioned previously, i would avoid the pad at all costs. it's just too easy for that thing to slip down your back and cause more trouble. work the back out (deads, lat pulls, etc) and lose the pad.

 

[ChinkNasty]

without...I guess I just have this natural groove that my traps form and the bar rests nicely across my back wihtout even touching my shoulders

 

[Longhorn85]

When my wife and I do squats, the pad goes on for her set, comes off for mine...

 

[StickFigure]

it's all about position. i think you should make sure your form is correct.

Bad form:
http://www.nismat.org/traintip/snowboard/squat.jpg

Good form:
http://femuscle.free.fr/nicole_luster/squat.jpg

your lower back and abs should be tight causing a slight arch in the lower torso. your entire midsection should be a rock. this forces you place the bar on your traps instead of your lower neck.

as mentioned previously, i would avoid the pad at all costs. it's just too easy for that thing to slip down your back and cause more trouble. work the back out (deads, lat pulls, etc) and lose the pad.

Good choice of pic for the "good" squat position example!! K for that bro!

 

[anthrax]

Good choice of pic for the "good" squat position example!! K for that bro!

She is hot

 

[Mike_Rojas]

just say no