Squat bar is starting to bruise/hurt my shoulders - tips?

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  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    bumping to creep on OP
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    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
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    bumping to creep on OP

    136501004294551_zpsd54f0a53.gif

    (never thought I'd get to use this twice in one day)
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    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
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  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Also of note, I do low bar squats. I've never tried that manta thing but it looks cool! Does it work on low bar squats?

    Sorry - - manta can't be used with low-bar; the bar has to be up on top of your traps, not down on the scapulas.

    Hm ok. Is there any reason to do high bar vs low bar squats? I've just always done low bar.

    Personal preference really. Low bar feels off to me so I do high bar.
  • fittiephd
    fittiephd Posts: 608 Member
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    bumping to creep on OP

    you kill me <3 hahaha
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Before changing programs I would play around with grip and bar positioning.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    I would kind of like to see a picture of how/where you hold the bar.
  • fittiephd
    fittiephd Posts: 608 Member
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    I also had this problem! I fixed it by narrowing my grip and lowering the bar. Someone posted a helpful photo to the thread I posted. Let me see if I can find it. One sec...

    Ah! Found it.

    Scroll down to the guy with the upper arm tattoo and really red face. My back is much more boney than his is though, so the bar didn't sit quite as comfortably looking as his. But it worked!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/936717-upper-back-pain-from-squatting-with-bar

    Thanks for this! I'm pretty sure that I'm doing all of these things already, the weight does not sit on my hands at all, they just keep it from rolling. I think when I bruised my arms I had the bar slightly too low or had my arms in the wrong place, bc the bruises are really on my arms not my shoulders. That must have just been a bad day. Maybe once the bruises heal it won't hurt so much.

    *sigh*

    If anyone has any recommendations on lifting programs that are more advanced than stronglifts ( a good next step) I'd be really appreciative!!!! I'm leaning towards a 4 x per week one big lift on each day (squats, deads, bench, ohp) and then accessory lifts to hopefully get my other lifts better.
    thanks!
  • fittiephd
    fittiephd Posts: 608 Member
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    I would kind of like to see a picture of how/where you hold the bar.

    Hmmm I don't have a bar or a picture... I could demonstrate with like a broom... Let me get on that for yah.
  • fittiephd
    fittiephd Posts: 608 Member
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    Before changing programs I would play around with grip and bar positioning.

    Yeah I've been doing that for a while already though. And as someone else pointed out on here, around the weight I'm at is where I should start going for 3x5 instead of 5x5 I think. And I was planning on switching programs within a month anyways.

    I'm gonna rest til my shoulder feels better then continue with SL until I design a new program.
  • msfitmom_3
    msfitmom_3 Posts: 45 Member
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    I have the SAME problem too! I have very boney shoulders and the tops of both of my shoulders are so bruised from the weighted body bar I use for squats and toning. I have no idea how to stop that from happening...
  • likeschocolate
    likeschocolate Posts: 368 Member
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    The padded wrap on the bar has helped me (as has switching to a low bar squat and adjusting form based on recommendations @ http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/852401-proper-form-and-technique-sources / the stronglifts site ).

    But i'm weaksauce & new. So ...

    Edit: Rip on Bar position (note: it's about 18-19mins)
  • kimberly728
    kimberly728 Posts: 124
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    bump... need to be able to read this later... im still deciding between low/high bar... i dont feel super confident doing either right now, but im new to this.
  • Reinventing_Me
    Reinventing_Me Posts: 1,053 Member
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    I also had this problem! I fixed it by narrowing my grip and lowering the bar. Someone posted a helpful photo to the thread I posted. Let me see if I can find it. One sec...

    Ah! Found it.

    Scroll down to the guy with the upper arm tattoo and really red face. My back is much more boney than his is though, so the bar didn't sit quite as comfortably looking as his. But it worked!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/936717-upper-back-pain-from-squatting-with-bar

    Thanks for providing the link! I have herniated C4-7 disks in my neck and was always worried that the bar being so close to that area would exacerbate the problem. As a result, I started doing front squats. I'll try lowering the bar to see how that feels.
  • mikejholmes
    mikejholmes Posts: 291 Member
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    FWIW, Stronglifts recommends low bar to get your arms more into the workout.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Before changing programs I would play around with grip and bar positioning.

    Yeah I've been doing that for a while already though. And as someone else pointed out on here, around the weight I'm at is where I should start going for 3x5 instead of 5x5 I think. And I was planning on switching programs within a month anyways.

    I'm gonna rest til my shoulder feels better then continue with SL until I design a new program.

    Makes sense to drop to 3 x 5. To be honest, you may just want to think about doing back squats 2 x a week and trying something like front or hack squats 1 x a week - give your shoulders a rest but still pretty much stick with the program.
  • fittiephd
    fittiephd Posts: 608 Member
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    Alright all, here's some images of me demonstrating about where I put the bar. It's a little diff because it's a broom.... but I tried to do it exactly like I normally do. Putting my arm back in that position is what hurts my shoulder.

    P1020178_zpse49c0db4.jpg
    P1020172_zps124c56be.jpg
    P1020170_zps4c63b1a6.jpg

    sorry the last one is blurry.

    Hope this helps.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Bar position looks good. Grip looks a little wide possibly. If you bring your grip in, you should be able to create a better shelf that will keep the bar off your shoulders a bit. Of you could try high bar.
  • likeschocolate
    likeschocolate Posts: 368 Member
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    Bar position looks good. Grip looks a little wide possibly. If you bring your grip in, you should be able to create a better shelf that will keep the bar off your shoulders a bit. Of you could try high bar.

    Take a look at the Rip video (linked in earlier post) it concurs with what Sara is saying @ arms being a bit wide.
    Edit: copying link over:


    What narrowing grip does (apparently, just quoting Rip): is it provides more of a packed muscle padding for the bar (as they squeeze in to support it).

    Also: picture #2 seems about the right height, picture #3 may have it sliding a little too low.

    There's another video where he recommends your feet being in a line under hips, facing outwards (i.e., not perhaps as wide as picture #1 would appear), though that should probably not affect shoulder pain i suppose.

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