Stingray (Sting ray) Front Squats training device

If like myself you don't bother with front squats because of the pain on the shoulders (Front Deltoids), now you shouldn't have an excuse. I have used the Stingray (Sting ray), and it definitely gets the thumbs up. Peoples reports seem to vary though, and I have had reports of some people not getting on with it, and others finding it to work like a charm.

Front Squats take the emphasis away from the lower back as found with regular squats, and targets the quads directly. You'll either love front squats or hate them. The Weights required are generally less than for regular squats, which might be an advantage for the home trainer. Many personal trainers advocate the use of front squats in a training routine as it really does hit the legs very effectively.

Here follows the manufacturers details :-

The Front Squat is a great exercise for the athlete, bodybuilder, powerlifter, or for people with general fitness goals, but the negative aspects of the movement bring a ton of excess baggage.

Most strength coaches prefer the Olympic, or clean style grip because it gives the lifter a wider rack on the bar and therefore more stability. The problem with this conventional grip is that it's almost impossible for anyone with shoulder, elbow or wrist problems and most lifters lack the necessary flexibility in these joints anyway. This grip also requires external rotation of the Humerus (upper arm bone) stressing the shoulder joint and mechanically causing even more limits on flexibility.

The crossed arm grip has a load of downsides too. Narrow rack with less stability, more crush to the shoulders and it's harder to keep the bar from rolling back into the throat, or down the arms. With either grip the bar can rest on the collar bone, press down on the sternum and cause the lifter to run out of breath long before leg strength. No wonder the front squat is usually tried once and tossed out.

Now, the Sting Ray removes all these negatives from one of the most powerful exercises available.

The Sting Ray (Manta Ray also) is made of a high tech polyurethane polymer. This material is flexible enough in the upward projecting bosses to snap on and off the bar indefinitely, but rigid enough in the thicker sections to act as a load distributor. With the surface area of the bar increased as much as 1600%, the biggest problem with transferring weight to the human body is eliminated.

• Lifts the bar off the collar bone allowing full expansion of the rib cage!
• Provides easy bar control without stressing shoulder, elbow, or wrists!
• Allows the widest rack on the body by moving the load out to the front delt!
• Keeps the Humerus in a safe neutral position!
• Protects the lifters body so all new repair tissue goes where you want it!
• Small and lightweight yet virtually indestructible for years of tough service!