High Bar Vs. Low Bar Squats

Squats. The existential hole we shove ourselves into, hoping to escape (eventually). As Powerlifters, it is our bread and butter, the opening act to our greatest event- meet day. A common question arises about where to place the bar on one’s back- and how this position changes the movement. There are two main styles of back squatting (some will argue there’s a middle, but that’s pretty nonsensical)- “High Bar” and “Low Bar.” Where you position it, even with the minute difference of a couple of inches, can alter your squat performance & muscle activation. High Bar is a great place for everyone to begin- developing fundamental technique and strength, but Low Bar may be a promising option for those looking to push more weight- and/or compete- (more on that later). There are benefits to both, and it’s not necessarily an “either-or” decision- they can each have their place in a training program. Ensure that your squatting, down to the style itself, is executed with intent and that you’re informed about the differences between the two.

First, let’s discuss the mechanics and nature of High Bar squatting. 

High Bar is where most people begin their squatting journeys- rightfully so. I recommend that all lifters learn this style first for the reasons outlined below. 

With High Bar, the bar is placed on the top of your traps (not your neck- this should not be painful, compressing your spine. This is why we don’t use hip thrust pads for squatting- they force the bar to be in the wrong place). You want to focus on creating a “shelf” by squeezing your shoulder blades together and pinning your elbows underneath. Because of the higher placement, your torso is more upright, and the mechanics of your squat will maintain a more upright/vertical path (to preserve the center of gravity). Let’s look at this from a side view:

Lifter is sitting in deep knee flexion, chest is relatively upright, due to the High Bar position.

With High Bar, you want to focus on letting your knees travel forward rather than “sitting back” as much- to maintain proper bar path.

By nature of your positioning, this squatting style possesses some specific advantages:

High Bar’s more knee-dominant squat pattern is highly beneficial to improve knee strength, stability, and resiliency. A 2021* study comparing High Bar and Low Bar stated that “11 of 14 studies showed greater knee flexion with the high-bar squat, resulting in a deeper bottom position,”(1)  resulting in increased quad activity. This notion is supported by a separate 2020 study (2) (performed on trained Powerlifters) comparing the two, stating that; “When depth and stance width were matched, the low bar technique was associated with lower erector spinae and quadriceps activity than the high bar technique.” Moving the bar up on your back causes you to be more upright, requiring more ankle mobility to reach depth- and therefore- resulting in increased quad activation. The more vertical position allows the knees to travel further over the toes, and adequate strength & capacity are required to support you in training this movement pattern.