NASA and Draper's Top Squat

[BendtheBar]

Powerlifting Watch deleted my comment about the Dave Draper Top Squat's instability, so I am re-posting my thoughts here.

First, the story:

NASA Powerlifting adds the Master Evolution Division | Powerlifting Watch

NASA Powerlifting adds the Master Evolution Division

The Natural Athletes Strength Association has announced the addition of the Masters Evolution division to be added to the national meets starting with World Cup on August 11th 2012. The Masters Evolution division incorporates the Dave Draper Top Squat attachment for the squat portion of the meet. The Top Squat allows masters level lifters with shoulder flexibility issues to still compete.

The squat portion of the meet will be un-equipped only allowing a belt, wrist wraps and knee wraps. The bench press and deadlift portion will allow the normal single ply gear as normally allowed in NASA powerlifting. The Top Squat allows masters lifter who thought that their competiton days of squatting were over return to the platform to lift again. For more information on the World Cup meet and NASA powerlifting go to NASA Powerlifting.

The Top Squat can be purchased at LiftingLarge.com
Current NASA members are eligible to receive a promotional discount on the Top Squat.

[BendtheBar]

I own a Top Squat. It is very shaky and unbalancing at 275 to 315 or more pounds. The handles can move. By this I mean the left one can move slightly up while the right one is moving down and perhaps outward. You get these types of unnatural and unpredictable movements on every rep.

Though they are slight, the wobble was enough to make me comfortable with 275+ pounds. If the handles did not have this tendency, it would be a good piece of equipment for 300-400 pound squats, or maybe more.

Anyway, I made a comment on this article at Powerlifting Watch stating that I did not believe the Top Squat to be the safest choice, and that I felt the buffalo bar was a far better choice for aging men with shoulder/flexibility issues.

Not sure why PL Watch deleted this, and I'm not trying to make this a big deal, but I did want to share my personal experience regarding this piece of equipment.

[J_Byrd]

What's next, rack pulls? These clowns have the nerve to comment on squat depth, but allow this?

[Off Road]

Could it be that they are getting kick-backs from the sale of Top Squats?

[BendtheBar]

I do know that one of the NASA's bigger names is very vocal, so my guess is that he saw my comment and complained.

But to your point, perhaps Lifting Large is one of PL Watch's advertisers. I'm not certain.