When I do squats I find that the bar really hurts my shoulders. Is there any reason why I shouldn’t use pads?
Jonas Hammond, via email

Jason Anderson replies: If the weight hurts your back, you’ve probably positioned the bar too high. It should be placed on the fleshy part of your upper back so that it rests on the upper trapezius muscle and across the back of the shoulders. Also, as you bring your arms back to hold the bar, lift your chest and retract your shoulder blades to ‘bunch’ these posterior muscles even further, creating a more effective cushion.

If you’re still tempted to use a pad, be aware that raising the weight even further up your spine will move your centre of mass forward, putting you off-balance. As the weight gets higher it increases pressure on the lower back, and if the bar is too high it can compress the vertebrae in your neck. I recommend wrapping a small training towel around the bar a couple of times to increase the cushion and take the pressure off the back of the neck.