Towel while 20-rep squatting...

[Debaser]

In Super Squats, when Randall Strossen is describing the 20-rep breathing squat set, he suggests wrapping a towel a couple times around the bar to offer some padding. Of course this isn't anything like the foam pad, this is maybe just a quarter inch.

Has anyone tried this? Before someone says I'm a pussy for thinking about it, hopefully they have tried a true 20-rep rest-pause set of highbar squats. This set can last literally 5 full minutes, the bar on your back the entire time. This isn't a 1 minute or less 5 rep set. Trust me, by the last few reps focusing becomes difficult with the bar being on your traps that entire time, with heavy weight. It's not like it's really "painful," per se, it just tends to divert your focus from banging out those brutal final reps, which already require a huge focused effort.

 

[Tweakle]

I've found the problem with doing that is the towel can cause the bar to slip which prematurely ends the set. And that would suck

How far down your back are you riding the bar on the 20's? I use a pretty lowbar positioning and I find the biggest problem is being 'crushed' forward when standing between reps. High bar would be better but I'm a shitty high bar squatter.

 

[Debaser]

Are you talking about the bar slipping in the highbar or lowbar position?

In the 20s I use a fairly high bar. I was using lowbar when I was doing sets of 5, but for me it's difficult to stand up taking deep breaths when the bar is real low on my back. It's hard to keep everything tight (a must with a low bar) when you're doing a 4 or 5 minute set of 20.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

there's a molded plastic piece they were showing me at the gym that i have yet to try. it fits over your shoulders and has a groove in it for the bar. if i remember correctly, it'd keep the bar in the highbar position. guy that showed it to me says it feels a little weird the first few times you use it, but once you try it, you'll never go back to a pad because it's much more stable and allows you to focus more on your reps. no one is a pussy for using some sort of padding. the point of the exercise isn't to see how long you can hold that weight on a bar across your shoulders or on your back, but you already knew that.

i'll try to remember to give that piece a shot this week and i'll get back to you if you want to know how well it works. i never remember that they have it at the gym until i'm almost done my workout, but i'll make a mental note to get it on wednesday when i go to do my leg workout.

 

[JOKER47]

If I squat with the bar resting in the "groove", no pad is needed, and is actually more of a distraction.

If I place the bar higher up on my neck, similar to where I believe CCJ places it, I would probably need a pad or towel.

.02,
Joker