|
By Dave "The Blonde
Bomber" Draper
My new Top Squat was
developed for the athlete who loves to squat, realizes the important role it
plays in strength and muscle building and would like an alternative method for
holding the bar in place across the back. Shoulder problems are no rarity among
athletes, especially strength and muscle-building athletes, and securing the bar
with outstretched arms can be distressing if not impossible. The Bomber Top
Squat is a powerful apparatus which positions a pair of rugged handles sensibly
in front of the shoulders for comfort, safety and control.
The concept of the Top Squat was conceived in my late 50s when I overloaded my
upper back and shoulder cage while pursuing some aggressive squat and dead lift
training.
Humbled and healing, I realized I could no longer squat as my shoulder rotation
was limited by the painful and damaging injuries I sustained. Positioning my
hands to control the bar or extending my arms the length of the bar for support
was impossible.
That I could not squat cuz my shoulders were limited in range seemed
unacceptable. If only I could balance the bar from a comfortable and powerful
placement of the hands and arms before me, like two handles protruding from the
front of the bar itself.
Voila, the Top Squat. Hefty enough for gorillas and designed for all levels of
fitness advancement, the unit makes squatting possible again when it once was
retired to the heap of bittersweet memories.
Training without squatting is like lightning without thunder. The bright
instantaneous dance of light is captivating, but you've got to feel the earth
move under your feet and hear the great rumbling down the length of your back.
The Top Squat is as simple as squatting, agreeably not the easiest exercise in
the lifter's repertoire, but possibly the most effective. You center the unit on
your standard 1 1/16th" bar and press it into place. Secure the beast to the bar
with the pair of nylon and Velcro safety straps provided and you're ready for
action. After a few hardy workouts you'll probably forego the safety straps as
the unit remains sufficiently in place by pressure.
Here is where the lifter does his thing, comfortably locating his or her body in
relation to the apparatus. Stand close to the bar and grasp the handles near the
curve and duck under the bar as is your customary approach. Maneuver yourself
feet position, body erectness, shoulder-trap placement, etc and unrack the bar
adequately loaded to achieve a groove but not to set any world records. To begin
I find that the handles in a 45-degree downward position are just right for
comfort and the functional upward rotation. Testing: one, two, three. Be
attentive, be confident.
Once in position, balanced and solid, move the handles up and down to become
familiar with their range, sureness and advantage. As you raise the handles
(parallel or above) the bar will follow the Top Squat's rotation and position
the bar backward for ultimate squatting efficiency and performance, AKA the
powerful and perfect squat. The erectness of the back can be determined by the
raising or lowering of the handles, an added attraction I had not foreseen in
the inception of the Top Squat and have come to appreciate.
The action of the squat remains true. It is not altered unless you choose to for
lower back safety, maximum thigh power or improved thigh recruitment.
Within a few sets of thoughtful squatting I think you'll agree the Top Squat
builds strong legs while protecting the shoulders and back. If your shoulders
are troublesome, you'll jump up and down like we do when we have a spectacular
workout. If your shoulders are healthy, unimpaired and without pain, you must be
young, invincible or new at the sport. Swell. The chances of you damaging your
rotation cuff will be reduced considerably, as supporting the bar in the
conventional manner while squatting is a tremendous stress on the vulnerable and
overworked shoulder region.
Put squats back in your workouts and start climbing those once-impossible
mountains again.
Product Description
This 18.75", 11-gauge
heat-treated steel tube coated with dense polyurethane is customized to press
onto your 1 1/16th" bar. The plastic-coated tubular section offers a densely
padded 3-inch diameter support with an indented, centrally located vertebra
relief for weight distribution and shoulder comfort. Two solid steel one-inch
handles extend outward 16 inches at agreeable angles and with slight end-curves
for universal functionality. The unit is slick and rugged at 15 pounds.
Shipping Information
The Top Squat is
drop-shipped from our fabricating plant in Indiana. Air delivery is not
available for this item. Allow 1-2 weeks for arrival by UPS ground.
UPS Ground charges will be added to your invoice: $15 for mainland US locations
- Canada is $35.00; all other shipping will be determined for each individual
order, and we will contact you prior to shipment.
|
