"no hands" squatting

[Buddy_Christ]

AAP's thread about a guy in the gym doing this along with the video Mr. db posted inspired me to try this today with ATF squats.

95x15 - warm up set and gave it a shot. bar was pretty wobbly due to the light weight. i had to grab it a few times and ended up doing the last 5 reps with my hands on the bar.

135x12 - had to grab the bar a few times, but was much steadier than 95lbs. did the last 2 or 3 reps holding the bar as i almost lost it so i figured i'd hold it from that point on.

175x10 - bar was very steady. the "no hands" approach was more of a reminder about keeping my back straight. this set was pretty solid and i think i only grabbed the bar once.

205x8 - very steady solid set. i grabbed the bar once when i was up at the top taking a "break."

255x5 - the first 2 reps i managed not holding the bar. after that, i held the bar.

255x5 - held the bar the entire time.

not my best squat numbers, but i'm going slower than i was a few weeks ago and trying to get just a little bit deeper.

i felt less pressure across my upper back with the no hands approach, and more pressure on the lower back if it wasn't straight.

what's the pros and cons of doing squats in this manner?

 

[jenscats5]

Haven't seen you around lately......was wondering where you were?

 

[Dial_tone]

I want to give this puppy a shot now. I haven't done a real squat in so long that when I tried the other day I had a hard time getting my hands back on the bar. It was cutting off my circulation. I wonder if it's better not to use any sort of bar wrap.

 

[Becoming]

props to the dudes that can do it, but it looks like a good way to make myself "extinct"

 

[Scotsman]

props to the dudes that can do it, but it looks like a good way to make myself "extinct"

My thoughts exactly.

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[SoreArms]

doesnt that hurt the fuck out of your back/traps/neck/collar bone?

 

[supersizeme]

wow "no hands" ...tough.

*shivers*

i hold the bar in my mouth with my head tilted back and fold ornate little origami paper deadlifters during my sets while my spotter charlie horses me mid-thigh with a running start at the top of the reps

 

[jerkbox]

interesting......

good job crak, you finally contributed something useful to the board

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

what's the pros and cons of doing squats in this manner?

the pros would be that all the hot gym chicks watch & try to hit on you... the cons would be that you drop the bar & totally embarrass yourself.

 

[Ulcasterdropout]

Your gym has a Smith Machine, uh? j/k