The Frank Zane Leg Blaster

For about the same price as the Safety Squat bar, an even safer alternative is Frank Zane's Leg Blaster. The device stabilizes the weight, placing the load through the shoulders and vertical midline. It distills the squat to a pure leg exercise and allows you to focus your efforts on contraction, not stabilization.

A padded harness makes contact with the shoulders and ribcage. This connects to the rack to prevent the lifter from tipping while loading. "It is engineered to hug your ribcage when you squat with your upper body in an erect position, making it unnecessary to use a lot of weights to get results. You can do any kind of squat simply by changing your foot position. The side weight-bearing arms of the harness angle downward giving you a lower center of gravity making it easier on knees and lower back. You'll find it safer and more enjoyable to build, shape and define your legs," says Zane. One-inch plate holders accommodate regular and Olympic plates. Obviously, this one is not portable. It takes up less space than a squat cage, and is much narrower than a squat bar, straight or "safety".

(around $400)

Get it at Frank Zane Web site