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Struggling with Squats

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ravenmiss
ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
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I've been doing SL for a few months now, making small progress with the weight (I am very new to any exercise). I discovered that my form for squats was very poor, I wasn't getting really anywhere near parallel and just couldn't feel any benefit in my legs/glutes. I also noticed a lot that my upper arms hurt a LOT when holding the bar.

So to get form right I've been doing wall squats, box squats and goblet squats with a 5kg/11lb weight. I have now got my form damn good and my bf spots for me from all angles and says it's great. I can also feel the right muscles being worked.

But...get a bar on my back and I just lose it, my upper arms hurt, I lurch forward, I can't get down very far.

Any ideas what's going on?

I'm 34yo, 230lb, 5ft6.

Replies

  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    How heavy is the bar? Have you tried just using a broom stick or something to get the feel of a bar in your back down?
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
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    All the variations you are doing are comparable to the position of a front squat. When you do a back squat, you will be leaning a bit more forward and depth is reduced due to the hip angle. This is normal.

    Bar placement has a big impact on depth.

    Low bar :: high bar :: front squat
    squatfig2.jpg

    As for the bar causing pain, you can try activating the trap muscles on the back by squeezing your shoulder blades together. This gives a cushioned "shelf" for the bar to sit on. If you can't manage that yet, look for a bar pad to provide some cushion.

    You may want to try the box squats with the bar if you are not doing that yet. This will help you figure out balance and keeping the core tight while you lift back out of the hole.
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
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    How heavy is the bar? Have you tried just using a broom stick or something to get the feel of a bar in your back down?

    It's just our 5kg baby bar.

    Thanks jstout, I think I'm going to get the bf to video me so I can have a look for myself. I put the bar fairly high on my back as that feels comfy for me, it's not the bar hurting me as such but I get horrible pain in my upper/outer arm for some reason, I try stretches beforehand and it doesn't help but will try the shoulder blade thing and possibly a lower position for the bar and keep practising.

    I think he's worried I'm leaning forward too much but those pics show a fair amount of leaning is ok!
  • girlie100
    girlie100 Posts: 646 Member
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    place your grip wider on the bar, if you have the bar high up in the high bar position try thumbs under and over and play with elbow position. With high bar the elbows should be more under the bar. Also remember the hands are on the bar just to support the position, don't tightly grip the bar.
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
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    Sounds like a shoulder mobility issue to me, esp if your arms are hurting. Number one try not wrapping your thumb around the bar and see if that changes anything. You're not supposed to be "holding" the bar with your hands, just pressing it against your back to keep it in place, if that makes sense?

    Also, maybe this could help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYBxvTMKZ8Q

    Can you squat down with just your bodyweight but your arms up in the air and kept straight?
  • LadyDeadlift
    LadyDeadlift Posts: 136 Member
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    I get horrible pain in my upper/outer arm for some reason, I try stretches beforehand and it doesn't help but will try the shoulder blade thing and possibly a lower position for the bar and keep practising.

    On the SL website - somewhere Mehdi talks about a stretch he calls shoulder dislocator -- it's NOT a dislocation of your shoulder! You basically hold a broom stick with your hands placed pretty wide apart, keep your arms straight and stretch them from in front of you to behind your back.

    Wait a sec. Lemme find the link.....

    <intermission....>

    Boop! Ok, I'm back. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33P5AI27eiU

    I super duper love this stretch before any workout. Consider trying this to help address the upper arm pain?

    Cheers!
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
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    Oh wow thanks everyone so much for all the advice!!

    I normally would put it into practise tomorrow but I'm having to tweak my lifting days as I've got a full day being tattooed tomorrow on my upper arm so it's going to need a bit of a rest.

    I will take all you have said onboard and report back :)
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
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    Sounds like a shoulder mobility issue to me, esp if your arms are hurting. Number one try not wrapping your thumb around the bar and see if that changes anything. You're not supposed to be "holding" the bar with your hands, just pressing it against your back to keep it in place, if that makes sense?

    Also, maybe this could help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYBxvTMKZ8Q

    Can you squat down with just your bodyweight but your arms up in the air and kept straight?

    Those stretches are amazing, I did most of them today (I don't have a band to do those ones) and they have really helped. Bf was with me to focus on form and it all seems to be going good, just need to really focus and it will come in time.

    Also managed a 55kg/121lb deadlift today so I'm happy :)

    Thank you all so much for the advice ^_^

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