Can't get under the bar
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Forum Name: Training
Forum Discription: This forum is for discussion about training for the Scottish Heavy Events.
URL: http://www.nasgaweb.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15853
Printed Date: 3/26/26 at 2:23pm
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Topic: Can't get under the bar
Posted By: Duncan McCallum
Subject: Can't get under the bar
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 4:01pm
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So, I've been having this issue for awhile, as I am sure many of y'all have...hoping to get some insight. I've had to change my squatting up a bit because of recent knee injuries, and now I am more or less limited to half-squats or mini-squats or whatever you want to call them. Nothing to parallel. Boo hiss. It sucks, but it's all I can do right now...maybe in the future this will change up a bit. Here's my issue: I am having a very difficult time loading the bar across my back properly because, well, it hurts my shoulders? It's pain, not injury, so I work around it. But I've often wondered "Do other folks have this same issue?" Is this some silly flexibility thing, and if so, what EXACTLY did y'all do to get around it? Thanks! ------------- The man in the arena. |
Replies:
Posted By: Ryan Stewart
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 4:22pm
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Squeeze your shoulder blades together and use those big traps as a cushion son! ------------- John Gallagher- "MASS MOVES MASS" |
Posted By: Mike Beech
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 5:11pm
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http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=212&pid=10" rel="nofollow -
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=212&pid=10
------------- http://www.txceltics.org" rel="nofollow - Texas Celtic Athletic Association http://www.throwbros.com" rel="nofollow - Throw Bros. - Aaron vs. Mike |
Posted By: Duncan McCallum
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 5:41pm
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Beech...good looking out. Stewtant...whatever. Don't make me pose you down on this forum. ------------- The man in the arena. |
Posted By: C. Smith
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 6:13pm
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You're doing it wrong. ------------- |
Posted By: Andy Vincent
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 6:16pm
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Sounds like a shoulder mobility issue. I get a lot of mileage out of doing dislocates, but YMMV. There's plenty of good mobility exercises out there, so fire up the internets and get your learn on. Or, buy a Buffalo Bar or Buffalo Bar knock off. ------------- |
Posted By: Srokus
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 8:12pm
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Either get a different bar buffalo, cambered, spider, etc. or add straps to the bar as handles for a poor man's safety squat bar. ------------- The competitor to be feared is not the one who worries about others, but the one who goes on making their business better at all times... www.thestrengthagenda.com |
Posted By: Duncan McCallum
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 9:19pm
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Word. The discomfort goes away after a few sets, but at the beginning it is awfulsauce. ------------- The man in the arena. |
Posted By: KiltBill
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 9:27pm
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Davedraper.com Top squat. This is an adapter for lifters with mobility issues, turns any regular bar into a shoulder friendly squat bar. ------------- Remember Kay Cummings, Father of the Highland Games in the Southeast and my friend. Lets Go Run With The Big Dogs! |
Posted By: Sean
Date Posted: 12/15/12 at 10:05pm
| Dunc, you got an actual 10-15 minute warmup routine in your lifting life? |
Posted By: C. Smith
Date Posted: 12/16/12 at 9:55am
This seems to further the mobility guesses. Have you tried modifying hand placement (close grip vs. wide grip, etc?) ------------- |
Duncan McCallum wrote:Posted By: Silverback
Date Posted: 12/16/12 at 10:00am
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Have had this for 10 years since they cut my delt, yep, it hurts bad the first couple of sets. I do shoulder mobility and cuff and all that, still hurts. Price paid is all I figure. Play through.
------------- Mule Sportkilt AST Sport Supplements |
Posted By: brandell
Date Posted: 12/16/12 at 11:55am
| Bill is spot on, that or a safety squat bar. |
Posted By: C. Smith
Date Posted: 12/16/12 at 1:11pm
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Seems to me that addressing the issue, as opposed to just switching bars like people are advocating, would be the best course of action. ------------- |
Posted By: Duncan McCallum
Date Posted: 12/16/12 at 1:38pm
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I agree. I've tried switching grips. Bringing the hands in close (relative) is kinda painful. To alleviate that, I push my elbows back, which in turn makes it easy for me to roll forward and dump the weight. Wide grip is not a big deal, but I never get that upwards push with the arms I've read about (somewhere) I will ask my PT tomorrow. ------------- The man in the arena. |
Posted By: john gallagher
Date Posted: 12/16/12 at 4:05pm
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Something that hasn't been mentioned that happened to me. I had the same type of thing happen to me over the years. Started with the knee issues that turned out to be advanced arthritis and the destruction of the cartilage in my knees. I can squat almost to hamstrings to parallel but any lower, I get bone on bone and the knees swell. So I really didn't do much squatting from about 2002 and later. I decided to try some squatting a few years ago and noticed that I had no shoulder flexibility and it was very painful to hold the bar in a back squat. I simply chalked it up to mobility issues. Well long story short, found out my shoulders have about as much arthritis as my knees. Just about all out of cartilage on the rear portion of both shoulders. This is why I began noticing an increasing lack of range of motion when I threw the hammers and any lifting overhead and back squatting. You may also want to find a good ortho and have that checked out too. The pain from the shoulder arthritis is horrible. I can live with the knees but the shoulders have been much harder to deal with in the last 3 years. At least go check it and rule it out. I never really even thought much about developing shoulder arthritis until it was too late to change things. Just my experience with similar symptoms. ------------- MSUM Throws Coach 4 NCAA National Champions 50 NCAA All-Americans 2001 & 2002 World Stone Put Champion |
Posted By: PaulEvans
Date Posted: 12/16/12 at 4:06pm
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You can try gripping the bar different ways, e.g., thumbless or thumb wrapped but pinky under the bar. I usually stretch out my t-spine on the foam roller, then do a bunch of band pullaparts, and stretch my shoulders and pecs with bands (static) and pvc dislocations (dynamic).
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Posted By: Jim Glover
Date Posted: 12/18/12 at 7:36am
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Paul beat me to it. A powerlifter friend recommended middle finger on the farthest rings and thumbless grip. Pushing up into the bar is noob stuff. You don't need it if you squeeze your shoulder blade together and create a proper shelf for the bar. I'd try a lower bar position. I use the same low bar position for both oly and power style squats. Granted I don't squat anywhere near your maxes so take this with a grain of salt.
------------- "A single one of us can defeat your whole army. If you do not believe it, you may try, only please order your army to stop shooting with firearms." - Mameluke Chieftain Kurtbay |
Posted By: Barge
Date Posted: 12/19/12 at 9:31am
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I have the same issue but it's gotten better over the last year or so. Chest tightness and shoulder tightness are the things that inhibit me but I've never really been able to get under the bar like "normal" people. I hold it thumbless and really the bar ends up just kind of resting on my palms/fingers. I don't really "hold" the bar at all. I haven't actually "held" onto a squat bar in 10+ years. |
Posted By: Duncan McCallum
Date Posted: 12/19/12 at 10:16am
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Been doing a lot of stretching and stuff trying to get looser before I start. Thanks so much for the input y'all! ------------- The man in the arena. |
Posted By: jsully
Date Posted: 12/19/12 at 10:55am
this is big imo. I can't completely hold onto a bar either. I've been squatting thumbless since I was 18 or 19 y/o. It's just not "comfortable" for me any other way. Hell I don't even "hold" onto the bar on front squats, just my first two finger tips on the bar. My lifting partner on the other hand, keeps his hands much closer to his body than I do and wraps his thumbs around and then squats a shitload more than me. lol
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Posted By: Silverback
Date Posted: 12/20/12 at 8:33am
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Wing span is a factor
------------- Mule Sportkilt AST Sport Supplements |
Posted By: john gallagher
Date Posted: 12/20/12 at 6:15pm
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Another opinion to the title: "Can't get it up." Oops I mean: "Can't get under the bar".....THEN DON'T! Do front squat, overhead squats, yoke bar or safety bar squats, bulgarian split squats, high box step-ups with a yoke bar or safety squat bar or holding dumbbells, do lunges, etc. LOTS of things to do that accomplish the same thing. Stop being sold that this is a powerlifting sport. With throwing, there are many ways to 'skin the cat' and throw far. ------------- MSUM Throws Coach 4 NCAA National Champions 50 NCAA All-Americans 2001 & 2002 World Stone Put Champion |
Posted By: brandell
Date Posted: 12/21/12 at 6:53am
Amen, and amen.
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Posted By: Sammy68123
Date Posted: 12/21/12 at 7:33am
I doubt that a person who has trouble getting under the bar on his/her back would be able to do overhead squats. Both types of squats need similar shoulder and thoracic mobility. Heck, I have trouble with any overhead squats heavier than a stick but can get under a bar for back squats just fine. ------------- Teresa Merrick Bellevue, NE |
Posted By: Duncan McCallum
Date Posted: 12/21/12 at 8:23am
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I can do OH squats. I've got squats on the list today so we'll see. Maybe some vid. DEF a topknot. Again, thanks for all the advice y'all. I'm reading ALL of it. ------------- The man in the arena. |