Hi guys hope this is the right place to post this… I’m getting back into lifting and have a question related to barbell squats.
The problem is that when trying to do barbell back squats my left shoulder automatically dips slightly lower than my right shoulder when i’m trying to stabilize the weight onto my back and of course this makes the bar tilt very slightly and messes up form.
Its almost as if i cant keep my left elbow raised high enough and in towards my spine enough in order to hunch my back up and support the bar evenly on the left side.
[photo]24984[/photo]
Ive also noticed that with maximum shoulder extensions i can go to a full 90 degree angle with my right arm and keep it there easily with a light weight in my hand but again with using the left side i find it very hard to get 90 degrees and to hold my arm there for any small length of time takes a lot more effort.
[photo]24983[/photo]
Any ideas what could be causing this?
Weak posterior delts?, Weak traps? Something mechanical maybe? ect…
Have you tried using a high-bar position? If the bar is resting on top of your upper traps, it would seem that your shoulder probem should not be an issue.
Does anyone else think that the photo looks a little weird (not the Ripptoe one)?? Possible photoshopped??
If its mean to be like that, then I apologise in advance.
Mate, I cant get either of my arms parallel to the floor unless I bend over. I still seem to squat just fine. I think you might be over reacting just a little bit.
aeyogi:- My back isnt too big at moment so if my left side isnt as contracted and pushed up and back as much as my right arm then the bar doesnt sit firmly and slightly tilts.
Not really sure what the big deal is but yes the 2nd pic is photoshopped, i used it as an example, moved the arm around a bit and used the paintbrush tool to cover up the big cut out mark that was left to make it less noticable.
Now the flexibility thing isnt really the issue here, the problem is that theres a difference between the right arm and the left arm, if i can put my right arm in that position easily but cant with the left that to me suggests either flexibility, mechniacal or muscular problem to the effected arm.
I just wanted to know really what muscles are activated with the arm in that position and whether or not it can be corrected to help me hold the bar in place better for squats.
[quote]lolwut wrote:
aeyogi:- My back isnt too big at moment so if my left side isnt as contracted and pushed up and back as much as my right arm then the bar doesnt sit firmly and slightly tilts.
Not really sure what the big deal is but yes the 2nd pic is photoshopped, i used it as an example, moved the arm around a bit and used the paintbrush tool to cover up the big cut out mark that was left to make it less noticable.
Now the flexibility thing isnt really the issue here, the problem is that theres a difference between the right arm and the left arm, if i can put my right arm in that position easily but cant with the left that to me suggests either flexibility, mechniacal or muscular problem to the effected arm.
I just wanted to know really what muscles are activated with the arm in that position and whether or not it can be corrected to help me hold the bar in place better for squats.
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Have you had a physical therapist or chiropractor look at it? Beyond your squat form it would seem that you should get that straightened out.
only thing i have to add is that i definitely cant get to a 90 degree backwards angle on either arm, especially not while holding a light weight. both are at about 55-60 to vertical, and i dont have particularly immobile shoulders.
[quote]lolwut wrote:
aeyogi:- My back isnt too big at moment so if my left side isnt as contracted and pushed up and back as much as my right arm then the bar doesnt sit firmly and slightly tilts.
Not really sure what the big deal is but yes the 2nd pic is photoshopped, i used it as an example, moved the arm around a bit and used the paintbrush tool to cover up the big cut out mark that was left to make it less noticable.
Now the flexibility thing isnt really the issue here, the problem is that theres a difference between the right arm and the left arm, if i can put my right arm in that position easily but cant with the left that to me suggests either flexibility, mechniacal or muscular problem to the effected arm.
I just wanted to know really what muscles are activated with the arm in that position and whether or not it can be corrected to help me hold the bar in place better for squats.
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Go to a Physio or Chiro mate! There are too many posiblities with the shoulder, and no way around it if you can’t tell us a diagnosis at least. For your right shoulder to be able to move parallel to the ground there’s have to be imbalances somewhere. I’d probably say that left shoulder is the normal one, and you need to get your right looked at.
Thanks for the replies guys i think i’ve figured it out now.
What i didn’t say at the beginning is that ive had abnormal movement in my shoulder for a while, the abnormal movement is that when pushing with a weight in the left arm the shoulder blade tilts anteriorly and rotates downwards almost as if my pec minor is very strong and the opposite muscles that should hold my scapula, ie serratus anterior and lower traps are stretched and too weak to hold it so the shoulder kinda rotates forward and the anterior border of the scapula sticks out a little.
I went to a surgeon to get it checked and got referred to physio for weak lower traps, the physio guy said it wasnt weak lower traps but that its most likely an abnormal muscle firing pattern so he gave me some exercises to do.
Ive also noticed that at a resting position the scapula is again also very very slightly anteriorly tipped and rotated downwards so i’d imagine that the resting position of the scapula is whats causing me not to be able to balance the bar properly because of causing instability, muscle balance issues ect when raising my arm backwards to hold the bar in place
Now the psyhio guy just gave me very basic back exercises to do, pulldowns, rows ect so i was kinda doubting its effectiveness to treat my specific problem hence this post to try and find more causes but ive just been googling about multidirectional & voluntry instability of the shoulder and it seems to be what im experiencing.
I think through training ive gradually lost sensation in my left serratus anterior and my external rotators have gotten weak which has led me to the position im in now, my plan is to strengthen the rotator cuff and work on making sure my serratus anterior, lats, rhomboids and traps are firing properly during movements, gradually build them up again and see if it fixes my scapula’s resting position and hopefully the ability to balance a bar on my back evenly.
[photo]25105[/photo]
Rast, yeah from memory i think riptoe says to keep elbows as high as possible to keep the upper back nice and tight.
Im suprised you guys can’t manage to keep your arms that high though, dips/bench dips must be a nightmare for you? lol.
[quote]lolwut wrote:
Im suprised you guys can’t manage to keep your arms that high though, dips/bench dips must be a nightmare for you? lol.[/quote]
Not really, its the amount of active flexibilty/mobility thats surprising in your case. When an outside force (gravity) acts upon us in exercises such as dips/bench dips we can passively get to a position where our humerous is parallel to the ground.