In most gyms, you will find plenty of barbells, and also a few barbell pads. These pads are tools that are meant to make a barbell easier to use and reduce how much of the weight of a bar is felt by the shoulders and upper back when performing the barbell back squat. The barbell pad does this pretty well, but it makes the squat harder in many other areas. Let’s look at why that is, and a few other ways to use the bar pad to actually make lifting a little easier.

The key problem with using the bar pad when squatting is that it effectively makes the bar three times as thick as it normally would be. It is also squishy, which lets the bar move around during the squat. This can make it extremely difficult to maintain the bar in a powerful position when squatting. When the bar is being held on the shoulders, this can cause the shoulders to hyper extend, which can be very painful, especially if you have shoulder mobility issues.

When you start squatting without the bar pad it might be hard and painful at first, but as you practice, you will get stronger. The bar without a pad will start to feel normal, and you will progress faster than you would with the pad.

Instead of using the bar pad when back squatting, you can use it for Zercher squats, barbell hip thrusts, and as a pad for the paused bench press.

The Zercher squat is a squat performed with the bar held in the crooks of the elbows rather than on the shoulders. This allows you to get much lower in the squat and to drop the bar on the rack a bit easier if you fail a rep. You can use the pad on the bar to protect the skin of your arms. You will run into some of the same problems as you do when you use it in the regular squat, but since the bar is held in the crooks of the elbows, these flaws will not affect the exercise as much.

The barbell hip thrust is a fantastic exercise to build glute strength and size, and most people who use it regularly in their routine will say it is a no-brainer to use a bar pad. The bar can hurt your hips and stomach, and using a bar pad with the hip-thrust does not hurt you whatsoever.

The paused bench press is just like the regular barbell bench press, just with a pause when the bar touches your chest. It can hurt, especially if you’re using a lot of weight (trust me, I have the bruises to prove it). Using a bar pad can provide a little bit of padding and does not affect the exercise very much at all.

Just like any other tool, using it properly is the key to getting the most out of it, and misusing it can lead to injury. Don’t use the bar pad when you squat, and before you use it on any other exercise, carefully consider if it makes sense to use.