Benefits of the Cambered Bar Squat
Dedicated powerlifters are always looking to further their strength through practicing variations of the classic three lifts: the back squat, bench press and deadlift. The cambered bar squat is one variation to develop your back squat technique and strength through stability work and mental focus. Below includes the unique features of a cambered squat bar and the benefits of incorporating a cambered bar squat in your lower body training.
The cambered squat bar is a unusual looking bar where the plates are loaded greater than a foot below the point of contact of the shoulders. The lower bars are also naturally offset from the upper part of the bar (hence cambered bar). This front or rear offset of the load will result in swinging of the bar while squatting, causing instability.
The cambered squat bar forces the individual to maintain flawless execution of the back squat through proper bracing and mechanics/bar path. Any deviation from a proper bar path will result in swaying of the plates and an uncontrolled bar. The cambered squat bar provides a unique opportunity to build greater stability, better control, identify small imperfections and fortify a more efficient bar path in the back squat. The cambered bar provides these opportunities by enhancing your awareness of your mechanics, and correctly accounting for imperfections. A lifter who commonly misgrooves during the traditional back squat would benefit from this bar.
Cambered bar squats also strengthen your squat mechanics through placing empahsis on squat stabilizers and the posterior chain. Swinging of the cambered bar while squatting impacts flexion and extension of the trunk and hip, and will require more activation from trunk/hip flexors and extensors in order to maintain proper upright positioning. A forward swing of the weight requires greater trunk extension activation, while a backward swing of the bar requires greater trunk flexion activiaton.
Extensors incorporated in trunk/hip extension of the back squat include the bilateral action of the erector spinae, semispinalis, and deep posterior spinal muscles. These muscles will contribute to limmiting trunk flexion during the back squat, and will be further activated when the load of the camber bar swings forward. Flexors of the trunk/hip include any muscles which fibres attach to the pelvis and thorax. These muscles will contribute to limiting abnormal trunk and hip extension during the back squat, a lesser concern commonly amongst lifters as the weight of a traditional barbell back squat applied tends to pressure trunk and hip flexion. However in the cambered bar squat, excessive trunk/hip extension occurs when the load of the bar swings backwards. Trunk/hip flexors limiting extension in the squat include the rectus abominus, external obliques, internal obliques, and psoas major muscles. Strengthening these stabilizers of the back squat will result in a more sturdy and strong barbell back squat.
While the bar has the potential to swing forwards and backwards most lifters experience more forward swinging of the load. This is a reason how the cambered bar targets the posterior chain more aggressively. To maintain proper squat mechanics with this added pressure in favour of hip and trunk flexion hip and trunk extensors are going to need to work harder. The posterior chain muscles included are the gluteus maximus, hamstring muscles, and the squat stabilizers previously mention that contribute to trunk extension are muscles which will be greatly affected by the cambered bar squat, and its forward motion.
While powerlifters can incorporate the cambered bar in their lower body days to develop strength and stability in the back squat, recreational lifters can benefit from this bar if experiencing limited shoulder mobility or upper body injuries restricting them from the back squat. The cambered bar squat provides lifters ways to place their hands in better positions on the lower portions of the bar, which may provide the individual shoulder or upper body relief during the backsquat.
While the cambered bar is an option for lifters with upper body limitations, the instability of the bar is still something to consider. For lifters who choose to squat with the cambered bar only due to shoulder mobility, the safety squat bar (SSB) may be a better option. The SSB is a more stable bar which also provides upper body relief.
Conclusion
Compared to a regular barbell, the cambered squat bar is an excellent variation to incorporate into your training if you feel instability or a weak posterior chain are traits of your back squat. The cambered bar will incorporate more squat stabilizer muscles and allow for an individual to identify flaws in their bar path through the motion of the cambered bar during the lift. Cambered bars are commonlyn produced without knurling, which may be a limitation to some powerlifters. Lifters who experience upper body issues or shoulder pain while performing the traditional back squat can benefit with the cambered bar due to less demanding areas to hold in regards to shoulder mobility. These different hand placements can have the potential to cause lifters to feel unstable and not properly maintain upper back tightness.
References
- Schafer, R. C. (n.a.). Chapter 12: The lumbar and sacral areas. Chiro.org. Retrieved December 28, 2022, from https://chiro.org/ACAPress/Lumbar_and_Sacral_Areas.html
