Potential issues with barbell squats:
I used to love doing barbell squats, specifically back squats. I questioned my use of them however when I learned that Strength Coach Mike Boyle stopped using them with his own clients and saw a reduction in back injuries with his clientele. Mike’s job depends on keeping athletes in the game and off the injury list, so he’s a guy who’s worth listening to.
I felt it was worth researching further before making a firm decision and managed to find a text with some interesting research on the orthopedic issues with squatting with a bar on the shoulders. Here’s a brief summary of the issues identified:
1) Squatting with a barbell on the shoulders causes compression of the spinal column, which could lead to disc injury.
2) The forces experienced in the lower back are many times more than the weight on the bar.
3) Squatting with the bar across the shoulders increases shear forces at the knee, which is exacerbated if you have longer limbs.
For me, these risks outweigh the potential rewards of the exercise, especially when there are a number of excellent alternative exercises that can be used to train the same muscles. I began by replacing barbell squats with static and dynamic single leg knee dominant exercises as well as using bodyweight and goblet squat variations at times, but then I realised I had another option: The Trap Bar Deadlift.
Trap bar deadlift benefits:
The shape of the Trap Bar and the position that you are in when gripping the handles puts you in a more upright, knee dominant position than you would be in the “hinged” hip dominant position you are in when doing a conventional deadlift where the bar is in front of you. This upright position shifts the emphasis of the exercise from the muscles that extend the hip, to the muscles that extend the knee-just like a squat. Additionally, standing within the bar reduces the back-stress problems that are experienced during barbell squats as the bar is now in your hands rather than on your shoulders.
Take a look at the pictures above and you’ll see that the body position is virtually the same as a squat. Most Trap Bars have two sets of handles which will allow you to adjust the depth of the exercise. Holding onto the higher set of handles will allow you to start higher up, which is of benefit if you are learning the exercise and/or using smaller weight plates. If you need more depth, the bar can be turned over and the lower handles will cause you to sit deeper into the bottom position of the exercise. It’s best to go no deeper than having your upper thigh parallel to the floor.
In my own training I’m perfectly happy using the high handles on the Trap Bar as I feel most confident with my technique in this position, but the great thing is how much I can feel the exercise working my quadriceps. As well as getting a squat type movement without the risks of having a bar on the shoulders, the Trap Bar Deadlift trains that all important life skill of being able to safely pick heavy stuff up off the floor, making the Trap Bar Deadlift somewhat of a hybrid exercise.
I have always believed that training should prevent problems, not cause them. So, when taking into account the potential risks of squatting with a barbell, the Trap Bar Deadlift presents us with an alternative that provides all the benefits with less of the risk-although as with all lower body exercises you should ensure you know how to do it correctly and safely, and particularly focus on correct position of the spine and knees. It’s fun to do and feels great-there’s no question about which muscles are being worked most in this exercise. It’s still important to do single leg exercises for the myriad benefits that they provide, but the Trap Bar Deadlift provides a bilateral strength training option which balances muscle development with functional strength.
Steve Shreeve