I recommend you use a bar pad….

August 24, 2009 on 4:47 pm | In Strength Training | 3 Comments

I will get my bias out of the way early.  I don’t like that pad that people snap on the bar to cushion the bar on their upper back.  I actually would go as far as saying that I think it does more harm than good.

The pad alters the mechanics of the lift, putting more stress on the neck or shoulders depending on the bar placement (high bar equals stress on the neck, low bar will cause the shoulders to have to reach back even further to hold the bar since the pad spaces the bar off of the back). 

Plus, I hate when people say “oo the bar is hurting my back, its sooooo rough…” 

Well, to those people, get stronger.  Build muscle in your traps and upper back, work on squat form, and do things the right way. 

However the point of this post is to actually PROMOTE THE USE OF THE BAR PAD..

WHAT?!?!

Of course not as a cushion during the squat, that’s just crazy…

Here is the back story.  My current lifting partner, “Rob Diesel” (its one of those ironic nicknames, like calling a bald guy “curlie”), takes his younger brother to a local commercial gym every day and helps him work out.  Later Rob comes over to Synergy Athletics and trains. 

Last week I introduced him to “Tyler Grips.”  Tyler Grips are a rubber like thick tube that you can snap over the bar to thicken it up for DB work primarily.  They are a great tool.

See where I am going with this?

However, they don’t have Tyler Grips at a commercial gym, so Rob had to improvise.  He took that silly bar pad, snapped it over a pull up bar and used it as an instant thick grip!  Extremely efficient and effective.

I just did an amazon.com search and bar pads go as low as $13, and I bet you can find the “Veleo” brand at a local walmart. 

====> Here’s my suggestion.  Go buy a bar pad and cut it in half.  That way you can widen them out for some killer thick grip pull ups.  If you have your own DB set, cut it down to snap over the handles and bam, instant thick handled DB’s for holds.

I bet you can get some great results during your “real world strength” strength sessions with this crazy easy thick grip idea.

- Joe Hashey, CSCS -

PS.  I’ve been working a lot of these cool homemade equipment ideas in a DVD with Jedd Johnson.  All the video is done, just working on the websites!  If you want priority notification, and more cool training ideas, you’ll want to sign up for the free newsletter on HomemadeStrength.com.