Squat Pads vs No Pads...

...I decided to read "Beyond Brawn" again after recommending it to some bros. For those of you who don't know it, read it. McRobert is a true savior when it comes to intelligent mass building for life.

Anyway, I've always squatted with a bar pad, not that my traps are small, I just started with it years back and never gave it up. I can parallel 405 and am progressing with partials and micro-loads.

I have done a lot of tweaking to my training since reading Beyond Brawn, but I still haven't dropped the pad as is advised. Any of the heavier "weight movers" (350 and up) have experience with and without?

Does it really make a difference? I let the bar ride low "PL style" and don't have problems hanging on to it, but I would like to hear some eplanations & opinions against the pad.

When in doubt...Knock 'em out.

[DTD]

I just could not use a pad...I have competed in PL for several contests and I also let the bar ride somewhat low on the traps...

I just feel the C.O.G. is much too high with a pad...I also have tried squatting with the bar high on the traps on occasion to see if I felt the motion more in the quads, but it has always made me feel as if I am falling forward...Adding the pad would crash me, for sure...The motion of the squat feels more "natural" when the bar is resting lower on the traps, at least to me...

I think you would be hard pressed to find ANY 600 lb. plus squatters that use a pad...Damn, I miss PL!!!...Maybe someday again... <img src="http://www.massmonsters.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif" alt="Wink" width="15" height="15"><!--graemlin:-->

[duckbutter]

IMO

the pad is dangerous, it raises the bar off the shoulder gidle and does not allow it to sit on the natural "shelf" you have on your back. i have seen many people lose the bar because it simply rolls off the shoulders.

[nitroed]

I've always done w/o a pad. It just feels more natural too me. I can't see it hurting with it on though really. I guess it depends on the person. I use weight ranging from 225 - 495 for working sets. I don't really think the pad effects anything as long as you can keep good form, but if you can't then I would say loose it obviously.

...I worked w/out the Pad just about 1/2hr ago.
I realized that since I was Holding the bar PL style, the pad really wasn't doing much anyway.
My real contact points are practically outside the pad
The only bad thing was I had planned on just doing Arms today and saving legs till Sat. So I wore a tank top. Now I've got big Red Knurl prints on my rear delts <img src="http://www.massmonsters.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_redface.gif" alt="Red Face" width="15" height="15"><!--graemlin:-->
I always squat in a T-shirt with a cut off sweatshirt over it.
Shoulda left my ego at home today <img src="http://www.massmonsters.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="Big Grin" width="15" height="15"><!--graemlin:-->
When in doubt...Knock 'em out.

[MightyMouse1]

I too was into hardcore powerlifting for sometime and worked up to squatting 605 with belt and knee wraps for a set of 6 all going below parallel at a bw@193 no pad....if you want to use something put a small towel that only wraps around the bar 2-3 times...

[sust251]

No pad

Got to feel the steel

sust251@keptprivate.com

[CytoMel]

Yes no pad. Also heavy standing barbell rows seemed to really help me develop the area where the bar sits on my back

"Train beyond the pain and death is your only release!"
-Steve Michalik

[champion]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sust251:
No pad

Got to feel the steel

sust251@keptprivate.com[/quote]

EXACTLY!
I tried it once and just didnt like the feel.

[spiderman007]

"I think you would be hard pressed to find ANY 600 lb. plus squatters that use a pad..."

Well - I do squat with 600 lbs (1/2 reps for 13 reps), and I don't use a pad - BUT - I do use a plastic device that is molded to rest over the shoulders and clips onto the bar. If I do not use this, my traps and delts get bruise / rip marks. It feels a little (8%) better with just a towel over the sholders, but it's not worth the scarring.

Spider