Sign In | Sign Up
Powerlifting
 
SSB Squats and Close Grip Benchin
1
Today's Activity
 

StormTheBeach
Level 0

Join date: Jun 2009
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 3264

Some heavy stuff from this pas week:

  Report
 

kylesully
Level 0

Join date: Apr 2012
Location:
Posts: 46

Great tunes on the video haha. Also really good lifts. Can you tell me though whats the difference doing SSB Squats over nomal squats?

  Report
 

Aragorn
Level 4

Join date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7251

kylesully wrote:
Great tunes on the video haha. Also really good lifts. Can you tell me though whats the difference doing SSB Squats over nomal squats?


Not Storm but the biggest difference (for me) is that the SSB puts a lot more strain on your upper back from the way the bar is leveraged. You have to really fight to keep the chest up and back tight so it helps when you move back to normal bar if you have problems caving over.

  Report
 

kylesully
Level 0

Join date: Apr 2012
Location:
Posts: 46

Aragorn wrote:
kylesully wrote:
Great tunes on the video haha. Also really good lifts. Can you tell me though whats the difference doing SSB Squats over nomal squats?


Not Storm but the biggest difference (for me) is that the SSB puts a lot more strain on your upper back from the way the bar is leveraged. You have to really fight to keep the chest up and back tight so it helps when you move back to normal bar if you have problems caving over.


thanks man i noticed that in the video how upright he was. Can I just get a bar or the set-up for that bar online?

  Report
 

StormTheBeach
Level 0

Join date: Jun 2009
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 3264

Aragorn wrote:
kylesully wrote:
Great tunes on the video haha. Also really good lifts. Can you tell me though whats the difference doing SSB Squats over nomal squats?


Not Storm but the biggest difference (for me) is that the SSB puts a lot more strain on your upper back from the way the bar is leveraged. You have to really fight to keep the chest up and back tight so it helps when you move back to normal bar if you have problems caving over.


This. My SSB max is over 100lbs less than my straight bar max just because it puts me in such an awkward position. I love this thing because the only time I fail a squat in a meet, it's because my thoracic spine gives out and I go flying forward.

I'm really going to hammer these and front squats for the next couple weeks.

  Report
 

marlboroman
Level 0

Join date: Jun 2006
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 1382

strong lifts Storm .


you like the SSB for DE work too ? if so ......do you need to use a narrower stance compared to a straight bar when box-squatting ?



Im using a ghetto SSB for the first time this cycle . gotta say its definitely different .

  Report
 

Aragorn
Level 4

Join date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7251

Storm, gotta say that front squats have done more for my upper back tightness in the back squat than almost anything ever. Doing a month of reverse band front squats did fucking amazing things for my back from having to support a supermaximal front squat up top. Pf course i've seen you using the regular band set-up on front and i like that.

Also I use them because I don't have access to an SSB. But try it, you might like it.

  Report
 

Drake37
Level 0

Join date: Jan 2011
Location: West Virginia, USA
Posts: 705

Do you think training close grip most of the year and only moving my grip out would help training for a meet?

  Report
 

StormTheBeach
Level 0

Join date: Jun 2009
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 3264

marlboroman wrote:
strong lifts Storm .


you like the SSB for DE work too ? if so ......do you need to use a narrower stance compared to a straight bar when box-squatting ?



Im using a ghetto SSB for the first time this cycle . gotta say its definitely different .


I love the ssb for dynamic work. Personally, I change my foot position on every set when using a box.

  Report
 

StormTheBeach
Level 0

Join date: Jun 2009
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 3264

Aragorn wrote:
Storm, gotta say that front squats have done more for my upper back tightness in the back squat than almost anything ever. Doing a month of reverse band front squats did fucking amazing things for my back from having to support a supermaximal front squat up top. Pf course i've seen you using the regular band set-up on front and i like that.

Also I use them because I don't have access to an SSB. But try it, you might like it.


I've done reverse band SSB squats before... it felt like my spinal erectors had a suicide party.

  Report
 

StormTheBeach
Level 0

Join date: Jun 2009
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 3264

Drake37 wrote:
Do you think training close grip most of the year and only moving my grip out would help training for a meet?


That's what I normally do. I have a couple grips I train with:

Very Close- Index and middle finger on the smooth part of the bar. This is inside shoulder width.
Close- Shoulder width. A thumbs distance in from the first set of rings on a normal power bar.
Medium- Pinky's on the rings
Competition- Indexes on the rings
Illegal wide- Hands outside the rings

I do the majority of my training inside the rings. This might be cutting some pounds off my bench but I NEVER have shoulder issues.

  Report
 

Drake37
Level 0

Join date: Jan 2011
Location: West Virginia, USA
Posts: 705

Alright thanks. I use index on the edge of the smooth grip and shoulders feel much better.
My biggest issue with my bench that I can think of is my back. What are good exercises to keep my back tight when I bench?

Sorry to ask so many questions.

  Report
1