When Dean Somerset and I created the Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint and its expanded version, our goal was to help people connect how they’re assessed with how they perform. We also wanted to champion the idea that strength can be corrective. You don’t always need to send someone into a long corrective-exercise cycle when a shoulder or hip isn’t acting right. While some breathing work or improving scapular upward rotation may help, what tends to stick and earn real buy-in to rehab is making rehab feel like training.
Often the fix is about dialing back training volume (many people do too much) or tweaking a specific exercise—stance, range of motion, tempo—to better fit someone’s injury history and current ability. Dean and I cover this in depth in CSHB 1.0 and 2.0.
If a body part hurts during an exercise, it doesn’t automatically mean you have to cancel the movement entirely. It’s fine to skip truly problematic things, but don’t rush to eliminate an entire exercise category.
The bar every gym should have
This post isn’t a manifesto against the back squat. If you want to do them, great. If not, that’s fine too. No one outside of competitive powerlifters (and maybe He-Man) needs to perform a traditional barbell back squat. They can be a powerful option for building strength, athleticism, and a strong physique. They’re a tool in the toolbox.
That said, a straight-bar back squat tends to put more stress on the shoulders than many people expect. I’d even say straight-bar back squats can be tougher on the shoulders than the bench press on many days.
I know the barbell back squat carries prestige and “street cred,” and there was a time in my career when I’d defend the idea that everyone, regardless of goal or sport, should have back squats in their program. But with experience comes perspective.
So I’ve taken a balanced approach. Some coaches are strongly pro-back-squat; others are strongly against. Which brings me to the point of today’s post.
The Safety Squat Bar (SSB), also called the Yoke bar, is still technically a back squat, but it’s become one of my favorite ways to incorporate squatting into most people’s programs. I also believe every gym should add one to their equipment.
Why your gym needs an SSB bar
1. Shoulder friendly
Back squatting with a straight bar requires good shoulder mobility. Many lifters don’t have enough shoulder abduction and external rotation to rest the bar comfortably on the upper traps (high-bar) or rear delts (low-bar). The SSB bar fits my idea that “strength is corrective.” Its front-facing handles let you lift heavy without irritating the shoulders, so you can keep training even if your shoulders don’t handle the straight bar well.
2. More upright torso
There’s always some forward lean in squats, but straight-bar back squats tend to lean more than front squats. More forward lean means more shear on the spine. The SSB bar’s higher placement allows for a more upright torso, which is easier on the back. When my deadlift volume is high, I default to SSB squats so my lower back gets less pounding.
3. Increased range of motion and upper-back strength
Because the SSB’s higher bar position lets you stay more upright, you often get a bigger range of motion. The posture also forces the upper back to work harder to keep the shoulders from rolling forward. In short, the SSB tends to recruit the upper body more than traditional squats.
4. Opens up training with upper-body injuries
The SSB lets you train legs even if you’ve recently had shoulder surgery or have a wrist injury. It opens up options that are hard with a straight-bar back squat.
5. Hatfield-friendly
Finally, the SSB makes it easier to do supported single-leg work like Hatfield Split Squats. There are other benefits I’m missing, but these are the big ones. If you’re a gym owner or manager, share this with your team so you can start using the SSB soon.
And a personal aside: I once drank flaxseed oil by the teaspoon, just because. That was part of my early meathead days. Looking back, I didn’t know much then.
