I have a safety squat bar, as my shoulders are ridiculously stiff. Any back squatting I do will end with the barbell on my neck, so no low-bar squatting for me. However, I’ve grown to like Zercher squats, and realize I have come to do them exclusively. Problem is, I fear that I will miss out on something if I don’t SSB, as the weight on Zerchers is naturally going to be lower. Is there a useful way for me to do both, and if I can’t do both productively, which one should I choose?
Deadlifts. I like my hex bar, but here again, I worry I’m missing out on something if I don’t do conventional deadlifts. Would you:
a) Do hex bar deadlifts exclusively, both volume and intensity?
b) Do conventional deadlifts for intensity, and do hex bar deadlifts with squat shoes on volume day?
c) Something else?
If you’re wanting to compete in powerlifting, it makes sense to do their lifts. If you’re wanting to compete in, say, Olympic lifting, front squats are probably better than Zerchers.
But if you’re just wanting to get bigger, stronger, healthier, your choices seem fine to me. As long as you don’t expect them to carry over directly to barbell deadlifts or barbell squats.
A couple other options to consider is “straddle deadlifts”/Jefferson Squats from blocks or mats, as well as just straight-bar deadlifts from blocks or mats.
All of those – zerchers, jeffersons, hex bar – are a bit more squat-like than deadlift-like, but I’m not even sure that’s an important distinction at all for almost any purpose.
Exactly correct.
People who do standard barbell deads don’t think “will I miss out if I don’t do hex bar DLs?”.
OP can keep doing the hex bar variation for his next reincarnations as well. It’s as at least as good as the normal deadlift, if not better.
There’s core variations that are just as good (dumbbell benchpress instead of barbell) and there are exotic exercises that merit a debate (kipping pullups).