Jamie. AKA- J.C. working on her depth in the back squat.

High Bar vs. low bar placement on Squat

High Bar-
Most of us naturally place the bar high on our traps, just below the neck. Placing the bar high increases the distance bar to hip. This has several implication:

• More torque on lower back
• More upright position
• Easier to squat deep
• Hips and Quads evenly emphasized
• Better skill transfer to Olympic lifts
• Easier on the shoulders if you’re less flexible.

Low Bar-

• Less torque on lower back
• More leaning forward (Hips go back, back, back.)
• More difficult to squat “Rock Bottom”
• Posterior chain emphasis. More hips, less quads
• More load can be moved.

Either method you choose is still a great squat. They both will benefit your athletic development and strength tremendously. Play around with both of these in you’re programming for best results for a balanced CrossFitter. You will find both can be extremely unconfortable with heavy loads. Keep in mind this is normal because bare steel is resting on you muscle tissue. Just make sure the bar is on muscle tissue and not bone.


WOD
Back Squat
5-3-3-2-2-2-1-1-1-1

* Rock Bottom for high bar
* Hip crease clearly below knee cap for low bar

Tags: CrossFit South County, Grit Strength and Conditioning, Low Bar Back Squat, High Bar Back Squat