I have been tinkering with the style of squat in the starting strength book and DVD. I am following all the cues, chest up head down, hands not gripping the bar but resting on it. I am hitting depth and feeling fine. Only problem is I can not take the immense wrist and shoulder pain I get from it.
High bar aggravated my patella, I go so low my ass touches my heels. I get knee pain even squatting light this way but its easy to do and when i warm up extensively the pain is only a small ache in the patella right blow the knee.
Low bar allows me to go to parallel or a few inches below but I don’t feel forced to go so my arse touches my ankles like I do going high bar.
I would like to start training low bar because I feel my hamstrings engaged more and I don’t get knee pain but I am having real problems squatting despite doing tonnes of reps trying to perfect my technique and watching the starting strength DVD over and over.
Really starting to piss me off.
Have you tried to widen your grip? Or you might be setting up with your bar to low.
Wrist wraps will help take the pressure off your wrists and may help to put your shoulder in a better position. I would also suggest trying to widen your grip assuming you have enough delt to hold the bar in that position of course
[quote]Paradise Lost wrote:
I have been tinkering with the style of squat in the starting strength book and DVD. I am following all the cues, chest up head down, hands not gripping the bar but resting on it. I am hitting depth and feeling fine. Only problem is I can not take the immense wrist and shoulder pain I get from it.
High bar aggravated my patella, I go so low my ass touches my heels. I get knee pain even squatting light this way but its easy to do and when i warm up extensively the pain is only a small ache in the patella right blow the knee.
Low bar allows me to go to parallel or a few inches below but I don’t feel forced to go so my arse touches my ankles like I do going high bar.
I would like to start training low bar because I feel my hamstrings engaged more and I don’t get knee pain but I am having real problems squatting despite doing tonnes of reps trying to perfect my technique and watching the starting strength DVD over and over.
Really starting to piss me off.[/quote]
No offense to Rip but maybe try learning from a few other places so you can find what works for you. Such as EliteFTS: http://train.elitefts.com/instructional/so-you-think-you-can-squat-parts-1-5/
Get a video of you squatting and that will allow people to pin point some issues a bit more.
I could not low bar without my wrist wraps, when I was young I tried to squat without them for years, thinking my wrists would get stronger.
I have small wrists it was never going to happen, had severe wrist aches for as long as I lifted
don’t try and be a martyr like me, use what you can get.
also agree - Rip is good, but there is more than one way to dead or squat
I like elbow sleeves for this too.
I had the same exact issues. Switching from high bar to SS style low bar squats. Pain was intolerable (would also get bad forearm and bicep tendonitis).
My solution was:
- widen grip
- use full grip + wrist wraps
- keep back tight to maintain shelf for the bar
+1 for finding what works for you. Rippetoe and starting strength is fantastic but their technique for the lifts is not the only way.