Elbows and Grip for Squatting

dartstothesea

I've managed to really mess up my elbows - and to a certain extent forearms and shoulders - when squatting lately. I just want to check if anyone here has had similar problems or might know off the top of their head what can cause something like this.

I don't have a video of my squat but will do my best to describe.

I'm doing most things as described in SS, overhand grip, bar held low down on the back of my shoulders. Shoulders pulled back together tightly, chest up, lower back slightly arched.
I'm gripping the bar as low on the bottom of my palm as I can and using my 4 fingers (not thumb) to grip it tight. My grip width isn't particularly narrow, I have my middle finger right on the smooth ring inside the knurling.

Lately I've experienced hardly any lower back pump/fatigue when squatting - maybe I'm standing too upright now and my arms are supporting the bar moreso than my back? I can imagine that might cause the stress in my elbows and shoulders, would it?

It's really difficult to describe the shoulder pain but it's generally only when I try flexing it more than usual in a direction. The elbow **** is constant and feels like it's right inside the bottom of where my bicep goes into my elbow. The forearm thing is largely around below the elbow, the muscle there just feels ****ed I guess.

Hanley

dartstothesea wrote: »

I've managed to really mess up my elbows - and to a certain extent forearms and shoulders - when squatting lately. I just want to check if anyone here has had similar problems or might know off the top of their head what can cause something like this.

I don't have a video of my squat but will do my best to describe.

I'm doing most things as described in SS, overhand grip, bar held low down on the back of my shoulders. Shoulders pulled back together tightly, chest up, lower back slightly arched.
I'm gripping the bar as low on the bottom of my palm as I can and using my 4 fingers (not thumb) to grip it tight. My grip width isn't particularly narrow, I have my middle finger right on the smooth ring inside the knurling.

Lately I've experienced hardly any lower back pump/fatigue when squatting - maybe I'm standing too upright now and my arms are supporting the bar moreso than my back? I can imagine that might cause the stress in my elbows and shoulders, would it?

It's really difficult to describe the shoulder pain but it's generally only when I try flexing it more than usual in a direction. The elbow **** is constant and feels like it's right inside the bottom of where my bicep goes into my elbow. The forearm thing is largely around below the elbow, the muscle there just feels ****ed I guess.

Shoulder pain is probably down to flexiblity.

Elbow pain is a fact of life with low bar squatting and the main reason I only do it for short periods of time during training cycles. You'll need to go to higher bar positon, or front squat, or back off the intensity of squatting to get over it. Ice etc will help, but it should clear up once you start to rest it.

Elbow sleeves are another good option, tho at this stage the damage is done.

Are you doing any direct bicep work? If you're not, start curling. It'll help with the elbow pain, or at least will help to prevent it happening again.

d'Oracle

I see from your log that you are doing bicep and triceps stuff at home on your rest days.


As Hanley pointed out, do some curls at the end of your workout. He told me to do that one of the many times I had this problem and it worked.

Another time I switched to front squatting on the second day of the week and that worked a treat. Gave my elbows a little extra rest. Incidentally this is similar to the Advanced novice progression in Practical Programming.

Either way do not just keep hammering away with it, cos it can develop into a tendinitis problem.

dartstothesea

Edit: @Hanley: I wasn't really doing any direct bicep stuff, no. Closest thing would've been chinups maybe. I'll curl, cheers.

I wouldn't mind having a go at front squatting, may try that. I reckon I've managed to get flexible enough to start using quite a low bar position in the last while only and maybe that's why I have less back pump and more elbow pain. I'd definitely take the back pump!

Do you know how high a bar position you'd use when you're not using low-bar?
You're not talking about having the thing right up on your traps or anything are you?

Thanks a lot anyway. I should be able to sort this now.

dartstothesea

Yeah d'Oracle I resolved to start the bicep and tricep stuff a few days ago but haven't actually started that yet, heh, my fault really.

d'Oracle

dartstothesea wrote: »

Yeah d'Oracle I resolved to start the bicep and tricep stuff a few days ago but haven't actually started that yet, heh, my fault really.

I found tricep stuff made it worse.
You may as well stick some curls in with (or instead of) the flys.:)

I posted the Advanced novice routine in your log.

dartstothesea

Great, thanks a lot for that. I've been meaning to get reading Practical Procrastination Programming any day now!

papajimsmooth

Dont mean to hijack this thread but when i squat i cant do an overhand grib i need to grab it with my thumbs wrapped around it. I know this is wrong and i obviously need to stretch but i dont know what to stretch. If i put my thumbs on top i cant pull my back tight enough to support the bar. Any advice?

d'Oracle

I could be wrong here, but I think pulling your back tight is more important than where your thumbs are.

I mean look at videos of very good squatters, you will see a fair few of the use their thumbs.

papajimsmooth

Yeah i grip the bar because its safer for my back and sometimes i feel like being able to squeeze the bar helps with my drive up but im starting to feel the strain on my wrists recently

token

It's definitely a flexbility thing I had the same problem. The last two winters I injured my left elbow a couple of times low bar squatting. This year I've been doing a lot more mobility work and I've had zero elbow issues with the low bar position this winter.

Here's some specific stretches especially for the low bar rack from Kelly Starrett.

http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com/2010/09/shoulders-and-back-squat-rack-and-darth.html

Transform

Great recommendation token and i would add in some rolling for the forearms and triceps also as shown below -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WziAKeZoJC4

I do not think doing biceps or triceps work will help in any way. If there are trigger points that need to be worked on then thats the best route

d'Oracle

I tried that SMR stuff for my elbows and it didn't work.
Curls did though.

Inspector Coptoor

Transform wrote: »

i would add in some rolling for the forearms and triceps also as shown below

Foam rolling for the triceps is fine.
Works for me.
But that bit of rolling your arms on a bar?
Bit manky rubbing your sweaty forearms all over a bar, especially if the bar isnt your own

Transform wrote: »

I do not think doing biceps or triceps work will help in any way.

Works for others.

dartstothesea

Totally off topic here but, Transform, the echo / reverb of the rooms you're talking in in lots of your videos seems to make it really hard to hear whatever you're saying. At least listening out of laptop speakers with my ****e ears, anyway. Just FYI, like. A little mic or something on you might go a long way.
Cheers for the links and video nonetheless. Elbows and forearms already felt better tonight.

Transform

Liam Henners257 wrote: »

Foam rolling for the triceps is fine.
Works for me.
But that bit of rolling your arms on a bar?
Bit manky rubbing your sweaty forearms all over a bar, especially if the bar isnt your own



Works for others.

jasus man just use a towel or make sure you have a long sleve top on its not that bad.

Overall no one really knows whats going to work for certain for the OP as none of us can see him face to face and help so combination will possibly work best.

Transform

dartstothesea wrote: »

Totally off topic here but, Transform, the echo / reverb of the rooms you're talking in in lots of your videos seems to make it really hard to hear whatever you're saying. At least listening out of laptop speakers with my ****e ears, anyway. Just FYI, like. A little mic or something on you might go a long way.
Cheers for the links and video nonetheless. Elbows and forearms already felt better tonight.

cheers man and thats quite an old video and all my most recent ones use a much better camera and sound is fine. This might help give you an idea and covers foam rolling which would also help if you get a ball in on those shoudlers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S1ZNaWGgas

If there are trigger points, scar tissue and muscle quality that need improvement NO amount of exercises will help improve that condition thats why getting hands on therapy from a physical therapist or physio will help or the poor mans version is rolling as shown above. This is not my opinion its the opinion of the therapists i work with all the time for myself and my clients.