Elite FTS Super Shoulder Saver Bar? Worth it?

[Jeebus987]

Wondering if I should invest in this bar to help my shoulders with decreased stress and load.

Anyone own one?

[ButcherPLer]

I don't own one, but I own a regular barbell that can be used for multiple types of exercises, and I own boards should I want to bench with a restricted range of motion. They just came out with some kind of pad that is about two board thickness that attatches to the bar, does the same thing as the shoulder saver bar without restricting the bar to a specific use. Or you can just shove boards up you shirt or wrap bands around your chest and the boards.

[weisgarb]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but if you don't want to bench with a full range of motion to avoid putting extra stress on your shoulders, wouldn't it be cheaper to just . . . bench with a shorter range of motion? If you like to bounce the bar off your chest I can see how this might help, but otherwise, why not use a regular bar and terminate the descent early and do partials?

When I saw the thread title I assumed it was some variation of a parallel grip bar, but the actual product seems like a solution in search of a problem. Then again, I never understood board presses either.

[817boy]

Wondering if I should invest in this bar to help my shoulders with decreased stress and load.

Anyone own one?

I think its worth it if you have bad shoulders or if you want to switch things up.

You can either buy the EFS shoulder saver bar or buy their new shoulder saver pad (that just slides on the bar)

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elit...d=212&pid=5063

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elit...d=182&pid=5804

[Keetman]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but if you don't want to bench with a full range of motion to avoid putting extra stress on your shoulders, wouldn't it be cheaper to just . . . bench with a shorter range of motion? If you like to bounce the bar off your chest I can see how this might help, but otherwise, why not use a regular bar and terminate the descent early and do partials?

When I saw the thread title I assumed it was some variation of a parallel grip bar, but the actual product seems like a solution in search of a problem. Then again, I never understood board presses either.

Actually, I kind of agree with this....at least I do insofar as I understand what is going on....which may be not so much!

Just like with the board presses you refer to, couldn't the lifter just set the safeties higher (Obviously this only works in a cage)? Maybe there is something else going on that I'm not familiar with, just seems like it would work.

I'm certainly asking for clarification more than doing any challenging here, just curious and your post made me question it.

[Cleveland33]

have you tried benching with a neutral grip with a swiss/football bar?

If I recall correctly, Wendler's shoulder(s) was injured earlier this year and he used one of these instead of the shoulder saver bar (which I assume he as access to).

[Kodokan]

Actually, I kind of agree with this....at least I do insofar as I understand what is going on....which may be not so much!

Just like with the board presses you refer to, couldn't the lifter just set the safeties higher (Obviously this only works in a cage)? Maybe there is something else going on that I'm not familiar with, just seems like it would work.

I'm certainly asking for clarification more than doing any challenging here, just curious and your post made me question it.

The problem with setting the safeties higher is that if feels a bit less natural and if you have one side of the bar contact the safeties first you could get messed up and miss the lift. I do that as part of my workout rotation and it does work, though...you just have to be careful.

I can't remember where I read it...but the 'shoulder saver' pad is what Wendler was calling the 'Manpon' (like tampon, but for men)...not because it was a bad idea but because that's what they thought it looked like. I think that 'shoulder saver' will help sell these a lot better than 'Manpon'...lol!

You can also get a kids pool noodle and make one. I don't know that I'd pay 60 bucks for one. It does have a better feel than just setting the safeties higher.

[Keetman]

Thanks! That makes sense, although I'm sure there still some issues with balance once the pad hits your chest? I'm sure that would quickly be adapted to though.

Glad to see you back on here!

[Kodokan]

Thanks! That makes sense, although I'm sure there still some issues with balance once the pad hits your chest? I'm sure that would quickly be adapted to though.

Glad to see you back on here!

Thanks...yeah I've been busy. In the middle of moving and let me tell you having your own perfect man-cave filled with plywood/stall mats/equipment is just awesome...until you have to move it somewhere else!

[KalleA]

The problem with setting the safeties higher is that if feels a bit less natural and if you have one side of the bar contact the safeties first you could get messed up and miss the lift. I do that as part of my workout rotation and it does work, though...you just have to be careful.

This.

Lowering the bar onto the chest/board instead of onto the pins gives you a "soft landing" and makes it easier to use the stretch reflex and to stay tight, irrespective of whether you bounce or pause at the bottom.

The last thing you want to do, particularly if you already have a shoulder injury, is to lose tightness at the bottom as this might really increase the risk of adding to the injury.

Cheers

[KalleA]

Wondering if I should invest in this bar to help my shoulders with decreased stress and load.

Probably not, but impossible to answer with the total lack of information you have provided about your situation.

Do you have a shoulder injury? Are you an experienced lifter? Do you lift competitively? Equipped/unequipped? What sort of weights are you moving in the bench? Do you know how to bench?

If you do have an injury, you should ideally get it diagnosed by a good MD, specialising in Sports Medicine, and follow whatever he and/or your physio therapist recommends.

What the "Shoulder Saver" does, is limit the range of motion, reducing the amount of shoulder rotation. "Overextending" past the the plane of the body (elbows below shoulders) can produce potentially dangerous stress on the shoulder, particularly if combined with a wide grip, flared elbows and poor setup.

IMO, the "Shoulder Saver", board presses, floor presses, et.al. are only for advanced lifters, who know what they are doing.

If you don't know what your are doing/how to bench, getting strong with a reduced ROM can be a really bad idea and a recipe for disaster.

There are a whole range of things a novice or intermediate lifter should first look into or consider w respect to shoulder health before a "Shoulder Saver Bar". Too big a topic for a forum post, but a few random headings:

- Learn to bench properly
- Incline presses
- Dumbbell presses
- Swiss Bars and Football Bars
- Shoulder Prehab (Rotators, etc.)

Cheers

[darkfact]

Replying to an old thread.

Elite fts has been out of stock of the shoulder saver pads for quite a long time and I've been waiting to get one, I wasn't interested in investing in the shoulder saver bar because I like my texas power bar alot for benching. They just recently started offering the pad again so I bought one immediately:

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elit...?m=PD&pid=7037

A little background: my normal style of training is low rep strength training, kind of in between true powerlifting and the typical bodybuilding styles. However I've always felt stronger and more natural using a more bodybuilding style bench form with my elbows out. For many years my bench form has consisted of stopping the movement 2-3" before it hits my chest and I feel like this way, especially with very heavy weights, it saves my shoulders and elbow joints from alot of the stress involved in going all the way down. I don't care to get into an argument over form I get results this way that's really as simple an answer as I can give any argument against it.

So since I saw the shoulder saver pad I've been super curious to try it out. I was specifically interested in it because while you can eyeball or go by feel you just won't always come down to the exact same spot when you don't touch your chest with the bar, I've taken videos for friends and often noticed that I'll go slightly lower or higher than I would want. Also in terms of where you bring the bar down to, when you don't have a spot to touch on your chest it's easier for the bar path to travel down to different spots especially as the sets get heavier, again, having a point of reference in where the pad touches the chest makes it alot easier have the bar path and depth stay more static.

Anyways, got the pad last week and had chest day today, used it for heavy flat benches (4-5 rep sets), and 8 rep sets of inclines. I'm actually quite surprised by how well this pad worked right off that bat. I can honestly say that this chest day I had zero pain in my shoulder and elbow joints, and that surprised the crap out of me, I didn't expect it to feel so much better on my joints than just stopping the bar path on my own. I haven't walked out of a heavy flat bench day with zero joint pain probably since I was in my 20's lol. While that did surprise me, what I really didn't expect was the feeling in my chest muscles, I felt they were way more involved in the press specifically during the concentric portion of the lift. I was pretty shocked by this and could tell the difference just a couple sets in to my warm ups. The only way I can explain it is perhaps the focus required to watch where the bar is lowering to and to stop it and reverse the lift back up takes away from really pressing the bar up with your chest right from the turn around. Going in to the day I thought the pad would make my sets easier and figured I'd have to add more weight in the end, this was not the case. It was harder overall on my chest and while I went up to the normal top weight I've been doing lately it really taxed me more than normal and I could really tell on the rest of the exercises for the day how much earlier my chest was fatiguing.

It worked ok for inclines, nothing really shocked me on those but again they were harder to do than when I stopped the bar path on my own.

If you're someone who always touches the bar to your chest this pad wouldn't be for you unless you're noticing stress in your shoulders or elbows and want to try something different. If you're like me and stop the bar above your chest or do board training this pad is worth the investment IMO. I don't normally write reviews over little inexpensive things like this but this one really shocked me.

[keyboardworkout]

Thanks for the review darkfact. I have been waiting for a review and for the pads to come back in stock.

My doc urged me not to let my elbows go lower than the bench when benching. He explained that when your elbows are behind you when pressing the top of the humerus is driven forward which eventually wrecks the joint. I've had surgery on both shoulders already, no need for further damage.

I have been using a 1/2 foam roller pad shoved under my shirt which works OK but I think the pad attached to the bar will be much better.

[darkfact]

Yeah dude I think this will be a great cheap answer for you then. Just a heads up you gotta really hammer the bastard onto the bar the first time at least, hopefully it gets easier. I have a troy tpb so I'm sure thinner bars are easier but especially with the center knurling I had to bash the thing against my rack to get it over the bar lol.

[sowilson]

That pad looks interesting. My son is recovering from labrum surgery and will be allowed to start benching in a month. His surgeon is having him board press with a 6" gap to start with and eventually going back to chest (possibly) after a few months. I'm going to make a 4, 3, 2, and 1 board for him but the pad would be a good idea if he eventually has to do his bench without going to the chest.

[darkfact]

That pad looks interesting. My son is recovering from labrum surgery and will be allowed to start benching in a month. His surgeon is having him board press with a 6" gap to start with and eventually going back to chest (possibly) after a few months. I'm going to make a 4, 3, 2, and 1 board for him but the pad would be a good idea if he eventually has to do his bench without going to the chest.

I think on one of the elite fts vids or possibly the link I bought the thing from it says the pad is equivalent to a 2 board press.

[jamesovercome]

I like the pool noodle idea the best rather than buying that barbell.

[Bench905]

I was thinking a roll of paper towels...but I don't know how you'd get it on the bar :/