530lb Deadlift Pr from the CPL powerlifting meet at the Vancouver Pro Show

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A few Client Testimonials

"For the past 10 years or so I have struggled to be able to achieve personal fitness goals because of prior injuries. It's been a constant battle for me attempting to stay fit when I can so easily throw my back out. I'm the type of person who will push themselves even when they shouldn't and consequently doing things on my own often resulted in a re injury or severe aggravation.

Today I am happy to say that I am BEYOND thankful that a friend of mine met Shawn and started training with him at The Bar and convinced me to give him and his program a try.
Not only is he an amazingly supportive coach, he's extremely knowledgeable and his techniques for helping with injuries have been far more effective, even in the short time of working with him, then any chiropractor or massage therapist that I have seen so far. It's a
completely different approach that is already proving to work for me. (I will add that I have some pretty unique and undiagnosed injuries)

He's carefully watched and corrected my form on every movement we have gone over. Mobility and balance are key and I've had issues there as well, happy to report that I'm convinced this whole program is going to be life changing for me.
In the short time we have been working together, not only do I feel like I'm getting stronger, my body as a whole is starting to feel better then it has in a long time. I still have a long ways to go but I am SO EXCITED for what the future holds and finally feel like I'm in the perfect place with the right person to help me conquer my roadblocks of injures and achieve my goals! Thank you :)' - Beth
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'When it comes to personal trainers there really are very few who are worthy of this title. Before working with Shawn i was struggling with poor squating, due to an old injury. In just a few session i went from struggling to box squat 135lbs to lifting 285lbs (a feat i had not achieved since my rugby days). Not only did my strength go up but my mobility improved and my technique has meant i am able to get to that 90 degree angle. I would defo recommend Shawn to anyone, by far one of the best personal trainer in the Vancouver area I have trained with.' - Mike

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"It has been an amazing experience training with Shawn at The Bar Strength and Conditioning, the energy was through the roof and I literally felt that I can’t do anything but get better! I came to Shawn looking to increase my strength and explosiveness for basketball. Within a month, he has helped me hit a 405lbs squat PR and a 55 inch running box jump! I have seen tremendous improvements in my strength and speed on the court and I am definitely a BIG step closer to my goal ofdunking a basketball (at 5’8 )! Shawn is a very supportive and friendly person who is highly knowledgeable in his own craft. 

He challenges his clients and pushes them out of their comfort zone while ensuring good form and technique, that’s what make his training really intense, but safe at the same time. He uses a variety of exercises to keep his workouts challenging but exciting, and he constantly communicates with you to make sure you are getting the most out of it. No matter if you’re an average person looking to get in shape, or an aspiring athlete looking to dominate your competition, Shawn is definitely the Go-To guy to help you achieve your goals!" - Eugene

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'What can I say, if your looking for a gym with a sense of community in the Vancouver area where everyone wants to help everyone progress and succeed this is the gym!!!
The trainers are phenomenal, Shawn Adair, out of this world, his ability to see and break down any movement your having trouble with is unbelievable, he ll give u how ever many corrections you need and whatever ur trying do will be achieved in a matter of time. The other great part is that form and technique are above all taught first!! I will say with out a doubt best gym ever!! You ll have gains and gains!!! And even more gains!!' - Dustin

How Deep should you squat?

Walk into any commercial gym and 90% of the time people are doing quarter squats, I have even had people come up to me and say I'm squatting to deep because if I go below 90 it's bad for the knees........😐 

Now depending on the individual and joint mobility, the majority of people should be able to get the hip crease below the knee without any issues. I'm not saying you have to hit ass to grass but breaking just past 90 should be your main goal to work towards when squatting, doing anything above 90 is not a squat in my opinion. Now this doesn't just affect strength, aesthetics are affected as well as you can see from the photo where the most activation occurs during the movement. Learn how to squat correctly and get a coach that knows how to find your optimal squat for the goals your trying to achieve, remember there is no one way to squat everyone is different so you need an Individualized approach 💪🏼 "

There are a few studies showing no correlation between deep squatting and injury risk. In fact, there is some evidence that those who perform deep squats have increased stability of the knee joint. In a study using a knee ligament arthrometer to test nine measures knee stability they found that male powerlifters, many of them elite class, demonstrated significantly tighter joint capsules on anterior drawer tests compared to controls. Moreover, both the powerlifters as well as a group of competitive weight lifters were significantly tighter on the quadriceps active drawer tests at 90 degrees of knee flexion than control subjects. 

ACL and PCL forces have been shown to diminish at higher degrees of knee flexion. Peak ACL forces occur between 15 – 30 degrees of flexion, decreasing significantly at 60 degrees and leveling off thereafter at higher flexion angles. PCL forces rise consistently with every flexion angle beyond 30 degrees of knee flexion, peaking at approximately 90 degrees, and declining significantly thereafter (10). Beyond 120 degrees, PCL forces are minimal"