Sting Ray

Don't do front squats? You're in the unfortunate majority. Most people don't do this basic, quad-blasting, multi-joint exercise because it's awkward and it hurts. Nevermind the muscle pain; this move hurts from the crush of the bar onto the shoulders and collarbone. The tissue hurts from the pressure, and the pressure passed on through the ribcage can make it difficult to breathe. So no wonder most people try this one out and then forget about it.

It's too bad, because front squats are a great way to activate the quad groups. Mark Pittroff, president of Advanced Fitness, tells me, "You sit so upright in front squats that you use hardly any glute, hip, low back, so the load comes much more from the frontal quad. Years ago Arthur Jones (inventor of Nautilus machines) used sophisticated equipment to test a world-record squatter and found his quads were doing hardly any of the lift. Just the opposite of front squats."

Front squats are a basic exercise of Olympic-style weightlifting, but we hold the bar in a "racked" position instead of the way that this device is designed for. And that's good for the general public, because unless you're training for weightlifting, you probably will use this position. This is great for anyone with flexibility issues.

So whatever your goals, now you can add the front squat to your list of staple exercises, thanks to the Sting Ray. Mark, who brought us the legendary Manta Ray, has once again given the world an indispensable accessory for leg day. (It's been out for a while, but I finally got to try one, thanks to Mark.)

Before I launch into the glowing accolades, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. If you don't normally do front squats, this will feel awkward at first. Be sure to follow the directions carefully, especially getting the bar as close to your body as possible. Load the bar lightly--try about 6x less your regular squat load (there will always be dramatic disparity between the two squat loads). Trying to keep the shoulders raised to 45 degrees is tough, and by nature, it means your anterior deltoids are contracted and bearing the load of the bar throughout the exercise. This is a good one to bring in a spotter for, not only to save you from spills, but to help prop the elbows when the delts fatigue (because you'll keep going, but the arms will drop, and the biomechanics will change). This device doesn't really lend itself to the Olympic lifting grip, so as it emphatically states, follow the directions (see photo for hand position). And by the way, try this on a Smith machine as well as the free bar.

Okay, now to give the Sting Ray its props. From the biomechanical logic to the durable design to the thoughtful practicality of connecting the two components so they don't get separated (like mittens), Mark has once more proven himself as an important inventor in the gym.

I usually write my own thoughts on products, but in this case, the marketing copy from Advanced Fitness really nails it. So, from the company, all backed up by the Mighty Kat, below are the specific benefits of the Sting Ray.

• Lifts the bar off the collar bone allowing full expansion of the rib cage
• Provides easy bar control without stressing shoulder, elbow, or wrists
• Allows the widest rack on the body by moving the load out to the front delt
• Keeps the Humerus in a safe neutral position
• Protects the lifters body so all new repair tissue goes where you want it
• Small and lightweight yet virtually indestructible for years of tough service

The Sting Ray (like the Manta Ray) is made of a high-tech polyurethane polymer. This material is flexible enough in the upward projecting bosses to snap on and off the bar indefinitely, but rigid enough in the thicker sections to act as a load distributor. With the surface area of the bar increased as much as 1600%, the biggest problem with transferring weight to the human body is eliminated.

One last perk -- the rays are made in the U.S.A., in Cincinnati, Ohio.

(About $40 (or combine it with the Manta ray for $75 altogether))


Get it at Advanced Fitness

Manta Ray

Sold in stores and through distributors on many web sites - comparison shop. The Manta Ray has become fairly well known, despite inventor Mark Pittroff's shunning of the spotlight. Pittroff's device may have been the first to address shoulder issues in squats. This 12.5" lightweight blue polyurethane attachment with its graceful lines easily slips into your gym bag, to be snapped directly onto a straight bar. "It transfers the load to the traps exclusively and doesn't involve the shoulder caps. It's a simple load distribution principle where the load is spread over as much as 1600% more surface area than the raw bar. It's like comparing a bed of nails to a single nail," says Pittroff. He claims that since it sits just on the traps, it doesn't involve the delts. This can pay off in your squat for three reasons: one, you still reap the benefits of stabilizer work; two, the decreased discomfort increases your work potential; three, "since the crush injury is eliminated from the upper body, all your bodies ability to build new tissue goes right to the stimulated muscle fibers rather than wasting that effort on damage control" (Pittroff). Pittroff invented, developed and markets his invention, out of belief in its value.

(around $40.00)

Get it at Advanced Fitness or here:

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

Safety Squat Bar

This squat bar is designed to balance the load directly through the midline, freeing the shoulders to be in safer positions than the straight bar allows. The shoulders are not forced into the vulnerable position of exaggerated external rotation and partial flexion in the frontal plane, which is a common culprit in longterm shoulder injuries for lifters, states its originator, famous Fred "Dr. Squat" Hatfield, the first man to squat 1,000 pounds. "For lifters such as me, this position is so damaging that if it weren't for this particular bar, I would never squat again. I'm a big personal fan of this bar design, and believe every gym should carry one," says Hatfield. In fact, most owners of this bar come to find it specifically because their shoulders can no longer tolerate the position the straight bar forces them into. "The bar has two pegs laying perpendicular to the main bar which rest across the meat of the tops of the upper trapezius muscles. This is where the load is focused, and the bar is balanced. The bar does not need to be held with the arms and hands, as a straight bar does. Forward or downward angles on each end draw the weight into balance" (Hatfield). The lifter is free to move his/her arms, even to grip the squat cage and self-spot, and he/she is not pitched forward as much as with the straight bar, thus protecting the spine.

Various equipment companies offer bars based on Hatfield's design. Although there are pretty standard measurements for the majority of users, these bars can be made custom-made to fit the individual, especially good for smaller framed lifters such as myself. I got my custom-made bar from Sorinex at www.sorinex.com. Ten years later, no structural problems, but the powder coating is wearing off the points of contact with plates and rack.

(around $400)

ShoulderHorn

Because rotator cuff injuries are so rampant in the gym, I cannot recommend this one highly enough.

By isolating and strengthening your external rotators, you can develop minor muscles that often receive less work than they should, thus improving muscular development balance and setting the stage for proper functioning of the shoulder.

"Two of the most underrated muscles of the body are the infraspinatus and the teres minor. These small muscles of the rotator cuff stretch from your shoulder blade to your upper arm. They work together to externally rotate your arm, and to stabilize your arm during almost all shoulder movements. If these two muscles are weak or underdeveloped in comparison to your major chest and back muscles, a muscular imbalance is created that can severely jeopardize your shoulder's integrity, and lead to chronic pain and injury. The ShoulderHorn helps restore your shoulder's natural strength balance by specifically strengthening and conditioning these two key muscles" (ShoulderHorn marketing).

The ShoulderHorn fits closely and comfortable to your body. It rests your arms in the optimum position for isolating and strengthening the muscles of the rotator cuff. Then you simply lift very light weights (important! Approach this as you would a rehabilitation exercise, especially is that is how you are using it.) in the only path of motion available to you. It's pretty foolproof.

My only bone to pick with the ShoulderHorn, and it's a common one, is that the steel bar is covered in the same foam tube used in plumbing - it tears very easily. It's not unusual to see weathered ShoulderHorns covered in duct tape. But now you know in advance, so like me, you can take precautions. Mine is three years old and still like new.

(around $60)

Get it at Better Fitness Products