What's the deal with camber bar squats?

[CRJ]

I guess they may help people that have poor shoulder mobility, and Westside seems to use them to teach people not to rock forward in a "vertical shins-type high-box" squat through the proprioceptive feedback they receive from the bar swinging.

However, for the average BBM lifter, these don't seem like a super useful variation, apart from being a fun change-up.

I went looking on Google searching for other applications, and most of what I found was a casserole of nonsense that was spuriously deduced from the observation that the center of mass is lower. For instance, the Titan Fitness product page says their bar "increases intensity and focus to your hamstrings and lower back, as the camber bar allows you to stay vertical to get deeper in your squats." .....wut?


Anyway, do you have any insights about the usefulness or uselessness of this bar? Do you program these for yourself? If so, why?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I think they're a fine variation if someone wants to use them for whatever reason. I don't think they have a specific use other than for folks who can't rack a bar properly due to a shoulder injury, recent procedure, etc.

That said, we encourage exercise variability to increase physical development in different contexts. I have the camber attachments from Pro Loc that I use regularly.

[CRJ]

Interesting. I'm not familiar with the Pro Loc attachment. After looking into them, I would guess that when you use them you are still racking the bar as normal with usual hand placement. That is to say, you aren't holding onto the attachment, right?

What is the purpose then? Do you just find that they are a bit unstable and this provides a novel stimulus?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Yea I just hold the bar in the High bar position. They just feel different than other squats, yes.