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The
barbell squat, as I'm sure you've heard time and
again, is one of the most effective exercises
not only for building the legs but also for building
muscle all over the entire body. The metabolic
effects of the squat are very powerful.
One
of the main problems with the barbell squat, however,
lies in the placement of the bar across the shoulders.
For many, placing the bar across the shoulders
can be a painful experience. If it hurts when
you do it (and not in a good way), chances are,
you're going to be a lot less likely to do squats
regularly, if at all. You'll be missing out on
an excellent exercise!
In
the past, you had fewer choices when it came to
padding your shoulders for the squat. You could
wear a thick sweatshirt when squatting, you could
wrap a towel around the bar, or you could place
a foam pad around the bar.
The
sweatshirt, unfortunately, does little to cushion
the bar and the towel or foam pad can actually
allow the bar to more easily roll or slip down
your back. Not a good thing!
The
"Manta Ray" squatting accessory aims
to change all that. It addresses the structure
of the body with respect to the mechanics of the
squat exercise, claiming to make the exercise
more comfortable to perform and more effective.
The
Manta Ray is a simple piece of strong, specially-molded
blue plastic. It has a groove for the bar and
is shaped to rest comfortably over the trapezius/shoulder
area of the body. It looks a lot like the sea
creature it's named for!
But
can it live up to its claim of making the squat
more comfortable and, therefore, more effective?
I will
cut right to the chase. The Manta Ray lives up
to these claims easily. It is simply one of THE
most effective training tools I've every used
in the 15-plus years I've been training. Here
are the two major reasons why:
1. Effective Load Distribution
The
Manta Ray effectively distributes the entire load
of the bar over a much larger area of the body
than you get with just the bar alone. It works
for the same reason that a person wearing snowshoes
can walk easily where a person without snowshoes
will sink down into the snow: increased surface
area. I've found the unique shape of the Manta
Ray to be very well-constructed for this purpose.
To
illustrate this point, I've used the Manta Ray
to do partial top-range squats with more than
1100 pounds. If I tried this weight with just
the bar, I'm sure I'd be missing a few vertebrae!
The Manta Ray's extremely effective distribution
of load will allow you to use more weight more
comfortably.
2. Prevents the Bar From Rolling
or Slipping
Barbells
are round. I'm sure you've noticed this. What
better shape to roll with? One of the hardest
things to deal with in the barbell squat is in
fighting the tendency of the bar to slide or roll
down your back.
Even
a slight roll of the bar can throw off the balance
of the exercise and compromise your form and safety.
Worst case, if the bar rolls or slips too far,
you may even have to ditch the bar to avoid serious
injury.
The
Manta Ray effectively arrests this tendency to
roll or slide. The molded shape of the plastic
locks the bar into position on your shoulders
and stops the shifting of the bar.
In comparison to the positives of the Manta Ray
(load distribution and roll prevention), the negatives,
in my opinion, are minor.
1.
If you've been squatting regularly with just the
bar or with foam pads, the feel of the position
the Manta Ray puts you in does take some getting
used to. It will require you squat with your torso
in a more upright position than you may be used
to. This is actually a good thing, though, as
it will help your quad development and keep your
back in a safer, arched position.
2.
When you use the Manta Ray with heavier weights,
it does have a tendency to leave temporary red
marks on your upper shoulder area. I've found,
however, that these fade fairly quickly.
3.
If you workout in a public gym, you have to carry
the Manta Ray around with you or go to your locker
and get it when you're ready to use it. Since
it's molded plastic, it doesn't fold up. It isn't,
however, large or awkward to carry around, making
this a relatively minor inconvenience.
4.
Placement on the bar can be tricky. To get best
use out of the Manta Ray, you need to be sure
it is set very close to centered on the bar. A
slightly-off placement can put a torque on the
body and unbalance the load. Fortunately, it's
a simple matter to visually line up the ends of
the Manta Ray with the knurled (rough) areas on
an Olympic bar. Once you unrack the bar, if the
Manta Ray is not centered, you'll likely be able
to feel it an adjust its position accordingly.
The
negatives of the Manta Ray are a small price to
pay for the exceptional benefits and value you'll
get from it. Not only will the Manta Ray help
make your barbell squats more comfortable and
more effective, it can also very easily be used
for other exercises such as barbell calf raises,
barbell lunges and more.
Priced
at $39.95, I've found the Manta Ray to be one
of the BEST investments in training equipment
I've ever made.
If
you're interested in improving your squat, I highly
recommend either getting one for yourself or talking
to your gym owner or manager about getting one
for your facility. I've been using mine for more
than 10 years!
Click
here to learn more about the
Manta Ray or to get one for yourself!
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