Squats causing mad strain in my arm

NotMe

Hey, I've been squatting for four weeks now and I'm starting to find my right arm holding me back.. so to speak. When I squat (back squat) my right arm feels really strained. It goes bright red and the veins are bulging out. My left arm is fine. I was able to work through it but as I increase the weight each time it gets worse. Yesterday I was lifting 51kg and I could only manage 3 reps before it felt like some blood vessels would burst. Btw my arm is strained when I'm just holding the bar on my back before I even begin squatting. I have a feeling it could be caused by inflexibility in my arm/shoulder but I don't know. Any ideas?

Colm_OReilly

Possibly shoulder flexibility issues.

Are you holding the bar with your hands or stabilising it (ie it's sitting on the back)?

Are you keeping your thumbs the same side as your fingers?

Have you tried adjusting the grip width (wider is usually easier if you have inflexible shoulders)?

Can you post a picture/vid? Maybe we could spot something there.

aye

are you breathing during the squat?
you should breath out on the push up.

if you aren't, and this counts for all lifts, you will raise your blood pressure.

couple that with the extra effort you heart goes through while lifting ,and possible bad form, this may cause it.

this is only an initial idea tho.

i would ask a trainer, who may refer you to a doctor.

NotMe

I have my thumbs behind the bar and I'm not holding up the bar with my arms. I'm trying to follow everything mentioned here. Except keeping my wrists straight.. I can't seem to manage that. It's not a breathing/ blood pressure thing because basically I have trouble holding a broomstick in the correct position.
I've been trying this stretch and I can't get my arms onto the wall. Here I'm standing with my back to the wall and my elbow touching it and I'm trying to touch my hand to the wall but it doesn't go back any further than that.
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/713/001da9.jpg

Squatting would be the same. I think my arm should rotate back more.
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8509/002vt6.jpg

Colm_OReilly

As regards breathing, I know Rip argues against it, using the Valsalva manoeuvre instead. Iirc correctly, it's in regard to keeping the thoracic (sp?) pressure constant throughout the lift. I can't recall the full argument at the moment.

As you've pointed out, you've v inflexible shoulders. In the pic of the squat position, your elbows are extremely low. Practive lifting them higher and higher with the bar. The desired effect will be a 'shelf' of muscle on which the bar sits.

Aside from that, you might need a lot of stretching. Hopefully others will have speedier resolutions for you.

Colm

Reyman

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

As regards breathing, I know Rip argues against it, using the Valsalva manoeuvre instead. Iirc correctly, it's in regard to keeping the thoracic (sp?) pressure constant throughout the lift. I can't recall the full argument at the moment.

As you've pointed out, you've v inflexible shoulders. In the pic of the squat position, your elbows are extremely low. Practive lifting them higher and higher with the bar. The desired effect will be a 'shelf' of muscle on which the bar sits.

Aside from that, you might need a lot of stretching. Hopefully others will have speedier resolutions for you.

Colm

Colm: Can you explain? Your post is not too clear - a misprint?

Transform

Stretch shoulders more.

Do front squats or single leg work instead e.g. lunges, step ups, split squats etc

hardtrainer

From your pictures you have a very severe inflexibilty issue and the only remedy is a lot of stretching and laying off any heavy chest/shoulder work for a couple of weeks to give you time to stretch out the muscles well. Take a warm shower and then do your stretches before your muscles cool down. Keep it nice and slow to begin and really you want to aim to spend about 20-30 mins stretching out your chest and shoulders, really working on the rotation in the shoulder joint too.

Once you get the muscle flexible again you need to really pay attention to your stretching after every workout to keep the flexibility. You'll find plenty of stretches online, but if you have some cash, go to your physio and get some professional advice as there may be some specific imbalance which is at the root of the flexibility issue.

Hanley

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

As you've pointed out, you've v inflexible shoulders. In the pic of the squat position, your elbows are extremely low. Practive lifting them higher and higher with the bar. The desired effect will be a 'shelf' of muscle on which the bar sits.

Colm

I'm not sure I'd agree with your trying to lift your elbows higher. To keep your upper back tight and arch it's really a better idea to have them low and be attempting to drive them forward. Like the picture you posted. The reason for this is that it should help you to lead up with your head and chest and prevent your legs straightening out too soon.

I've worked really hard on my elbow position in the squat and it's been a big factor in my progress, look at my elbows in this vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Junsms_mWVU

Also, from looking at the pic it looks like you're carrying the bar "high" (ie across the top of your traps). That's always something that's caused me ALOT of discomfort. Try switching to a low bar position, place about with different placements and you should find a natural shelf that the bar sits on. http://stronglifts.com/images/squat/squat-bar-placement.jpg

rubadub

Never say that stronglifts site before, very good. Good squat tips, I had been doing most without thinking before. I had asked in a few threads about squatting without a rack.

http://stronglifts.com/ways-to-squat-when-you-dont-have-a-squat-rack/

Mentions the "The Steinborn Lift"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qls96q4Phs4

Looks a bit dodgy. I did try something similar ages ago but with a short bar. I now have a bigger one so might try it, light at first of course.

Colm_OReilly

To keep your upper back tight and arch it's really a better idea to have them low and be attempting to drive them forward. Like the picture you posted. The reason for this is that it should help you to lead up with your head and chest and prevent your legs straightening out too soon.

Looking at the video your elbows are where I'd like to see someone's elbows - behind the bar and high - creating that 'shelf' of muscle on your back. Just from the description it seems like you want the elbows as far forward as possible, almost under or in front of the bar. I suppose it's just the cues we're using...

NotMe

Hanley wrote: »

Also, from looking at the pic it looks like you're carrying the bar "high" (ie across the top of your traps). That's always something that's caused me ALOT of discomfort. Try switching to a low bar position, place about with different placements and you should find a natural shelf that the bar sits on.

Nice I tried with a lower bar position today and found it MUCH better. The reason I had it so high was because it felt more secure there.. I was afraid of the bar sliding down my back. But the lower position isn't giving me the same problems and just takes a bit of getting used to I guess. I've been stretching 3 times a day too.. gonna add stretches to my workout ( I know I should've from the start ).

Hanley

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Looking at the video your elbows are where I'd like to see someone's elbows - behind the bar and high - creating that 'shelf' of muscle on your back. Just from the description it seems like you want the elbows as far forward as possible, almost under or in front of the bar. I suppose it's just the cues we're using...

I wouldn't have thought my elbows were up at all. In fact I probably have one of the narrower grips and lower eblows positions out of all of the lifters I know.

Trying to get your elbows under or forward of the bar is a good way to think about keeping a tight upper back actually. If you watch the 230kg vid (the one from the side) you'll see that my elbows are being driven forward on the way down, it's subtle, but you can see it. If you even try it without the bar your chest will lift and your upper back will tighten up.

Watch any of my squat vids, when I start to lead with my hips, my elbows are invariably popping up too.

NotMe wrote: »

Nice I tried with a lower bar position today and found it MUCH better. The reason I had it so high was because it felt more secure there.. I was afraid of the bar sliding down my back. But the lower position isn't giving me the same problems and just takes a bit of getting used to I guess. I've been stretching 3 times a day too.. gonna add stretches to my workout ( I know I should've from the start ).

The lower position might hurt the front of your shoulders for a few weeks. I'm sure there's stretches and stuff you can do but when I first started and complained that it hurt I was told to stop being a pussy and get over it. Soooo that's what I would advise. Probably not wise tho. But sure must people know not to listen to me anymore anyway!!

Glad it helped tho. One thing to be aware of tho... After each rep make sure your upper back is still arched and that your chest is high. Generally one thing I see happen alot is that with each rep the chest caves a little bit more and as a result each rep becomes more and more like good morning out of the bottom position with the hips shooting up too early.