The AbMat Zercher Pad is a specialty accessory that was made to make the Zercher squat more comfortable.

If you don’t know what a Zercher squat is, it’s an exercise mostly seen in Strongman competitions.

A loaded barbell sits on your elbow crease and you squat the weight in front of you.

I personally like it because I don’t have good wrist mobility for front squats so this is a good alternative.

And with the Zercher pad I can now do this exercise without destroying my elbow crease.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

The Zercher pad comes in a triangular box, with no extra padding or plastic wrapping, just the pad.

On one side of the pad you’ll see the name and the other side has AbMat branding.

The bottom side has a groove.

This is where I insert my barbell shaft to give it extra padding.

From the side you can see the groove has a keyhole shape.

The top part of the circle is wide and the bottom part is narrow.

This keeps it stable around my barbell so it doesn’t move around while I’m using it.

Specs

Length: 28″

Compatibility: Fits 28mm and 25mm Olympic barbells

Material: Molded anti-microbial foam

Features

Keyhole Cutout

Here’s a closer look at the keyhole cut out.

I place it over my barbell shaft then push it down until it snaps on.

This keyhole feature is the same one my Pivot Pad has.

I’ve noticed that the Zercher pad doesn’t spin as smoothly as the Pivot Pad around my bar, which is good.

The Zercher pad is also longer than the Pivot Pad so it grips more of the bar’s knurling.

Once I snap it on the barbell, I flip it upside down.

The V-shaped pad fits right on the crease of my elbow making it way more comfortable to do Zercher squats and other front loaded exercises.

Zercher Squat Pad Benefits

The whole purpose of the Zercher pad is to eliminate the discomfort caused by a loaded barbell on my elbow crease.

I’ve tried rolled up yoga mats and knee sleeves in the past but they don’t come close to the Zercher pad’s ease of use and comfort.

Zercher Squats Muscles Worked

Strengthens quad muscles

Develops upper and middle back muscles

Good alternative to front squats if you lack shoulder or wrist mobility (like me).

Engages core muscles in order to maintain an upright posture.

Improves hip mobility by allowing me to squat deeper than a back squat

Transfers to real life activities and Strongman events where you pick up stuff off the floor

Zercher Squats vs Front Squats

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Here’s what I’ve noticed between Zercher squats and front squats…

I lack the wrist mobility to use a straight bar for front squats so I’ve used my Titan Safety Squat Bar in the past.

But with the AbMat Zercher pad I can do front squats and target the same leg muscles (quads).

Had I known about this pad a while back, I could’ve saved a ton of money instead of getting a safety squat bar.

I feel Zercher squats engage more of my core, middle, and upper back because of where the weight sits.

With the weight right below my chest, I’m forced to maintain an erect posture throughout the exercise.

This keeps my hips from hinging back so the emphasis is on my quads.

Exercises Using The AbMat Zercher Pad

Number one exercise is…

You guessed it, the Zercher squat.

Another exercise I like to do with the pad is seated good mornings.

I learned about this one while doing the Knees Over Toes Program and it hits the lower back erector muscles real good.

This is also a good way to increase hip mobility as I lean forward.

I also like doing reverse lunges with the Zercher pad.

It feels like I can balance myself better than when I have a barbell over my shoulders.

And lastly, I really like doing weighted lower back extensions.

I’ve seen people put a barbell on their shoulders and that just seems too complicated to set up on a back extension machine.

The Zercher pad makes it way easier to pick up a loaded barbell in front of me.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Comfortable: It provides enough cushion for my elbow crease so that I don’t feel the bar pressing on my biceps tendons

Price: Inexpensive and I would actually pay more since it works so well

Stable: Once I set it on the barbell and my elbow crease, the pad is pinned between my arm and forearm so it doesn’t rotate

Length: It’s long enough so that I can alternate grip widths. So far narrow grip feels best for me.

Cons

Specialized: Useful for only handful of exercises so it’s a good thing it’s not expensive

AbMat Discount Code

AbMat currently sells the Zercher pad for $65 which is not bad at all if you like doing Zercher squats.

But here’s how to get a small discount to save you a few bucks.

Just click the red button to reveal a coupon code that’ll give you a 5% discount.

Reveal 5% Discount Code MAT