Benefits of High Bar / Front Squat?

Training Q&A [Moderated]
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Dear Dr. Feigenbaum and Dr. Baraki,

At last, my journey on the Strength I template has come to a close. I will be embarking on the General Strength and Conditioning template next week!

Below are my results:
Squat: 130kg
Deadlift: 141.5kg
Bench: 87kg
Bodyweight: 73kg

I was wondering about the benefits of training the high bar or the front squat. I tried out some new movements today in order to get a feel for them (DB low incline, barbell hip thrusts, and front / high bar squats).

For some odd reason, I cannot for the life of me secure the bar onto the anterior deltoids or on my rear deltoids without it hurting excessively. Actually, this goes for the hip thrusts as well. The pressure on my groin makes it feel like the bar is going to lacerate my skin.

I managed to front squat 60kg, and it still gave me tremendous discomfort. For the high bar, I managed to squat 85kg, but I had to resort to using the foam pad to minimize discomfort.

Do you think the benefits of adding front squats and/or high bar squats outweigh my current inability to squat with them at significant training weights?

I don’t ever plan on competing in Olympic weightlifting, but I do have plans to compete at a powerlifting meet, perhaps after two cycles of general strength and conditioning.

I know you and Dr. Baraki stress the importance of not specializing early (I only started on your templates in March of 2019, but do you think I could omit the “alternate bar placement squat” for a more “powerlifting-specific” movement, or should I suck it up and practice the technique?

I am mildly concerned that I will be losing strength by practicing movement patterns that do not allow me to load enough weight because of technical issues.

Thank you always for your templates and replies! You guys are truly a godsend :smile:

Kind Regards,

Eddie

P.S. Why do I feel like the answer is going to be something along the lines of

  1. What are you gonna do, not train? or
  2. Do what helps you be compliant with training.
1 Like
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Hey Eddie,

A few things you might try:

  1. Moving the bar up on your traps for high bar, as iit might be resting too high or too low based on how you describe it.
  2. Try using a cross grip or grip with straps for F/S (T Nation Content - T NATION )
  3. Use a bar pad or wrapped towel for hip thrusts. They can be quite uncomfortable without

I think it’s not unusual that you’re not great at F/S and HBBS having not done them before. I suspect these will get better with exposure.

I don’t think you should do a more powerlifting-specific lift until you sign up for a meet.

:slight_smile:

-Jordan

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Thank you always for the prompt and insightful replies, Dr. Feigenbaum!

  • Eddie