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    Squat Pain

    Posts: 176 Member
    edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
    I've just started lifting recently and I'm really just working on form right now and making sure I understand everything (not worrying about how much weight yet), but after working on my squats I have a bruise under my neck at the top of my spine and it hurts there quite a bit (where I have been resting the bar). I'm just wondering if this is normal or if I'm doing something wrong with my form so I can correct it if so.

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    • Posts: 3,358 Member
      Post a form video.

      You could be placing the bar wrong.
    • Posts: 176 Member
      I'm not sure how to post a video on the threads, but I have one I could send to someone's email if they are willing to help
    • Posts: 10 Member
      If you think it's from the bar, try using one of the cylindrical pads that wraps around it so that the bar doesn't press directly on your neck.
    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      I think you are doing high bar, incorrectly. Are your traps squeezed, and bar placed on traps?
    • Posts: 750 Member
      could always try dumb bell squats..
    • Posts: 518 Member
      The bar should never rest on your spine. You have to pull your shoulder blades together to create a shelf for the bar to rest on. If you are doing a high-bar squat, the bar will rest on your traps. If you are doing a low-bar squat, the bar will rest on your rear delts.

      high-bar-vs-low-bar-on-back.jpg
    • Posts: 176 Member
      Here are some stills from the video56pxkugy6zrd.jpg
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      84srlqq7btw3.jpg
    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      hncary wrote: »
      I'm not sure how to post a video on the threads, but I have one I could send to someone's email if they are willing to help

      Oh you have one! Good. Do you have it uploaded on vimeo or anything?
    • Posts: 3,358 Member
      hncary wrote: »
      I'm not sure how to post a video on the threads, but I have one I could send to someone's email if they are willing to help

      Post the video on YouTube. Then post the YouTube video link here.

    • Posts: 176 Member
      melishhha wrote: »
      If you think it's from the bar, try using one of the cylindrical pads that wraps around it so that the bar doesn't press directly on your neck.

      I will look and see if we have those in my gym. Thanks for the suggestion
    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      hncary wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      I will look and see if we have those in my gym. Thanks for the suggestion

      But get a form check before you go throwing one on. If the bar is too high and/or not sitting on your traps, you're going to want to start with fixing that regardless.
    • Posts: 176 Member
      arditarose wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      But get a form check before you go throwing one on. If the bar is too high and/or not sitting on your traps, you're going to want to start with fixing that regardless.

      I definitely agree. I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right, but I go to the gym at night and there's never anyone there to help. Can you tell from the pictures if the bar is in the correct spot? Not sure if the video will really show anymore than the pictures already do, but I can try uploading it if needed.
    • Posts: 902 Member
      Seems fine to me but your hair is sort of in the way. Make sure the bar doesn't roll forward onto your neck.
    • Posts: 176 Member
      walterc7 wrote: »
      The bar should never rest on your spine. You have to pull your shoulder blades together to create a shelf for the bar to rest on. If you are doing a high-bar squat, the bar will rest on your traps. If you are doing a low-bar squat, the bar will rest on your rear delts.

      high-bar-vs-low-bar-on-back.jpg

      Thank you. This definitely helps for a visual. I'm thinking it may have been a bit too low judging from the pictures I posted above, but I'm going to use this as a reference the next time I go to the gym to see.
    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      hncary wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      I definitely agree. I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right, but I go to the gym at night and there's never anyone there to help. Can you tell from the pictures if the bar is in the correct spot? Not sure if the video will really show anymore than the pictures already do, but I can try uploading it if needed.

      No, I can't tell unfortunately. Just really try to squeeze your traps together and make that little shelf for the bar to sit on.
    • Posts: 176 Member
      uconnwinsnc1 wrote: »
      Seems fine to me but your hair is sort of in the way. Make sure the bar doesn't roll forward onto your neck.

      Thank you. It wasn't on my neck- it was resting just below it. I didn't have any pain while doing the squats only in the next couple days after and I have a bruise. It doesn't hurt unless I touch it- the only reason I even knew it was there was because I went to try to do squats a few days later and felt the pain when the bar touched it. I wasn't sure if it was just going to take some getting used to or if it was abnormal.
    • Posts: 176 Member
      arditarose wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      No, I can't tell unfortunately. Just really try to squeeze your traps together and make that little shelf for the bar to sit on.

      I will work on that. Thank you everyone for the help
    • Posts: 902 Member
      If the pain is just on the skin then you're fine. It happens when you rest weight on a part of the body that isn't used to it. As long as there is no bone or muscle pain you aren't in any risk.

      There are pads they make you can put on the bar if you want to do that.
    • Posts: 176 Member
      uconnwinsnc1 wrote: »
      If the pain is just on the skin then you're fine. It happens when you rest weight on a part of the body that isn't used to it. As long as there is no bone or muscle pain you aren't in any risk.

      There are pads they make you can put on the bar if you want to do that.

      Thanks. It was just the skin that was sensitive so that sounds like good news. I'll make sure to check everyone's suggestions just to ensure I'm doing it right, but hopefully its just from my body not being used to the weight being there like you said.
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    • Posts: 176 Member
      Big_Nothing wrote: »
      Looks like you are doing a high bar squat. Position the bar high on your back, not your neck, right at the bottom of your traps. Use as narrow a grip as you feel comfortable with. Squeeze your upper back muscles together, like you're trying to squish a grape between your should blades. This should eliminate any pain in your neck and keep you from having to use a bar pad.

      Thank you. I don't think I was squeezing my back muscles enough after reading everyone's recommendations so hopefully that will fix the problem.
    • Posts: 1,298 Member
      Honestly, I had a little bit of soreness on my neck when I first started lifting, even though I held the bar in the correct position. I think it's something your body adjusts to (like cycling and butt pain) as long as you have good form.
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