Saturday, January 24, 2009
The Sponge in the Basement
Today was an upper body workout.
I was looking forward to training. As a fitness professional, I'm often offered various items to test or try out. Obviously the goal is to help raise awareness about the product and to possibly receive an endorsement. I am always open to trying new things and happy to share my experience with them.
I was contacted not long ago by someone who wanted me to try out his innovation, referred to as The Squat Sponge. It was something I've never heard of before, but looking at the product on Amazon it seemed intriguing so I asked him to send me a sample and told him I would try it out.
Anyone who squats heavy weights knows that the bar can be brutal. I've often had bruises on my shoulders from bearing the weight. While it is often the spirit of bodybuilding to "shrug it off" and get tough, sometimes your goal in training is not to worry about the strength you have to build to bear the weight of the bar ... you are simply targeting your legs and it can hold back a successful workout when the shoulders are the weak link.
I purchased a product that was (and possibly still is) very possible called the Manta Ray, which is a plastic contraption that helps support the load of the bar across your shoulders. It did offer some comfort and relief, but still did not completely eliminate the issue.
I received my Squat Sponge the other day and was very curious to try it out.
Fortunately today was a heavy leg workout and I'm approach several hundred pounds for the squat. So, I wrapped the sponge around the bar and went to work.
At first I thought I wouldn't have a good review. The first attempt really left my neck feeling sore. It was like instead of distributing the weight on my shoulders and back, it was pushing into the back of my neck. That didn't feel good ... but then I realized I wasn't compensating for the extra thickness on the bar and was positioning the bar too high on my shoulders.
The next round wasn't great either because I put the sleeve on so it was able to slip off and then the bar started feeling "loose" as it slid out. I quickly re-racked it.
After getting the hang of it however, I really enjoyed it. I worked my way up to my final sets and once I knew how to position the sleeve and the bar, it was very comfortable. In fact, I didn't have any discomfort in my upper back at all, and was able to focus on really putting the strain where it belonged: my legs.
I definitely like this product and will be using it again.
Pro: it is definitely a comfortable fit and comes in less expensive than the Manta Ray.
Con: I would say my only con is that it offers cushioning and padding, but doesn't help correct your posture like the Manta Ray. the Manta Ray forces the bar to a position that encourages proper squat form. This product, I believe, will help buffer against some of the discomfort but really keeps the onus of working on that good squat form on you. The con is that as a sleeve, it can slip off and this could be potentially dangerous if you're not paying attention.
All product discussion aside, it was a great workout and I'm looking forward to my longer (5 miles) run tomorrow.
I was looking forward to training. As a fitness professional, I'm often offered various items to test or try out. Obviously the goal is to help raise awareness about the product and to possibly receive an endorsement. I am always open to trying new things and happy to share my experience with them.
I was contacted not long ago by someone who wanted me to try out his innovation, referred to as The Squat Sponge. It was something I've never heard of before, but looking at the product on Amazon it seemed intriguing so I asked him to send me a sample and told him I would try it out.
Anyone who squats heavy weights knows that the bar can be brutal. I've often had bruises on my shoulders from bearing the weight. While it is often the spirit of bodybuilding to "shrug it off" and get tough, sometimes your goal in training is not to worry about the strength you have to build to bear the weight of the bar ... you are simply targeting your legs and it can hold back a successful workout when the shoulders are the weak link.
I purchased a product that was (and possibly still is) very possible called the Manta Ray, which is a plastic contraption that helps support the load of the bar across your shoulders. It did offer some comfort and relief, but still did not completely eliminate the issue.
I received my Squat Sponge the other day and was very curious to try it out.
Fortunately today was a heavy leg workout and I'm approach several hundred pounds for the squat. So, I wrapped the sponge around the bar and went to work.
At first I thought I wouldn't have a good review. The first attempt really left my neck feeling sore. It was like instead of distributing the weight on my shoulders and back, it was pushing into the back of my neck. That didn't feel good ... but then I realized I wasn't compensating for the extra thickness on the bar and was positioning the bar too high on my shoulders.
The next round wasn't great either because I put the sleeve on so it was able to slip off and then the bar started feeling "loose" as it slid out. I quickly re-racked it.
After getting the hang of it however, I really enjoyed it. I worked my way up to my final sets and once I knew how to position the sleeve and the bar, it was very comfortable. In fact, I didn't have any discomfort in my upper back at all, and was able to focus on really putting the strain where it belonged: my legs.
I definitely like this product and will be using it again.
Pro: it is definitely a comfortable fit and comes in less expensive than the Manta Ray.
Con: I would say my only con is that it offers cushioning and padding, but doesn't help correct your posture like the Manta Ray. the Manta Ray forces the bar to a position that encourages proper squat form. This product, I believe, will help buffer against some of the discomfort but really keeps the onus of working on that good squat form on you. The con is that as a sleeve, it can slip off and this could be potentially dangerous if you're not paying attention.
All product discussion aside, it was a great workout and I'm looking forward to my longer (5 miles) run tomorrow.
Labels: manta ray, squat, squat sponge
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