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Originally Posted by Lucky 1
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True, barbell bench is really rough on the shoulders. I am over 6 foot with a narrow skeleton, 'lanky', so I squat and deadlift like a baby giraffe drinking water, but I have full range of motion, my posture is fine and form looks good, so they're my foundational exercises. I think they are essential basic movements for anyone who can do them. In my practice I go through a few stages to make sure people are straightened out and symmetrical before using barbells, and all my clients no matter their age have been able to perform all the compound barbell exercises - and none have been injured. The trick is there are no barbells for at least 4 months (usually much longer). We have to get the muscles firing properly, with symmetry, mind/muscle connection, correct skeletal posture, get joint mobility through full range of motion, be able to maintain good form, have control of significant weight and build above average strength base... then we can play with the barbells. That's why all my clients can do the Big 5 regardless of age and my injury count is zero. I did have one guy with a bit of deformity in the hip shape, so he never did Barbell back squats. His previous trainers used to program them for him, but that's because they didn't really understand the anatomy behind the physiology of squats. When I told the guy his hip bone makes back squatting an inadvisable injury risk he was very relieved. Leg press+good mornings no problem. Very few personal trainers understand these things. I came up with powerlifting + snatch and clean and jerk with the overhead movements, and in my opinion, trainers who don't get those big compound movements in detail aren't going to be much good.