New To Lifting - Squats are not what they seem!

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JenniferLynWhatx
JenniferLynWhatx Posts: 141 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started mixing strength training into my life back on the 11th and I'm a little in love.

Today I ventured into the "serious" section of the gym and attempted to do squats... Except it was so uncomfortable for me to have my arms slightly behind my head holding the bar, that I only made it through 3 baby squats before having to stop. It hurt my shoulders, my wrists, and my back where the bar was resting. So uncomfortable!!

So... Tips for getting past that initial discomfort, increasing flexibility...things like that.

And....Go!
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Replies

  • mgalsf12
    mgalsf12 Posts: 350 Member
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    Hire a personal trainer for a short time to be sure that your form is correct.
  • JenniferLynWhatx
    JenniferLynWhatx Posts: 141 Member
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    I had an experienced lifter showing me what to do... I just couldn't get past how uncomfortable it was to have my arms that way and to have the bar sitting on my back
  • gabbiil
    gabbiil Posts: 11 Member
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    As above hiring a personal trainer for a session or two would be ideal..
    Some gyms have a foam piece that fits around the bar - or you could even wrap a small towel around the bar. Really concentrate or retracting your shoulders back and maybe try a few stretches to increase chest flexibility (I find ones that use a wall to stretch works best for me)
    It will get easier with time
  • Bluwaves1
    Bluwaves1 Posts: 191 Member
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    I learned how to do squats playing high school and college football, so I always had plenty of people around me to make sure my form was correct. Basically they are uncomfortable and suck. It is what it is. the benefits are noticeable for sure if you do them for 3 months you will look great in a pair of jeans!

    I would find a lifting partner who can watch your form, someone who has experience lifting. of course if you have the money hire a trainer. Also they can show you other leg exercises that all work together to improve your legs. once you learn the basics you can work out on your own.

    stretch before doing legs seems to help me, of course some people don't think you need to stretch, but I spend 20 minutes a day stretching... oh and use a towel over your shoulders. If you have massive shoulder and neck muscles the bar would rest on the muscle..
  • jacklifts
    jacklifts Posts: 396 Member
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    Try front squats
  • Smallc10
    Smallc10 Posts: 554 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Well from my experience, experienced lifters are not usually the best at form checking... I actually have maybe seen 3 people ever do squats with good form at my gym and usually the worst offenders were people who were showing or being shown how to lift by their 'friends.' Just something to think about.

    The bar is tough to get use to. I don't recommend using the pad because it destabilizes. Make sure you are resting it far enough back, not up on your neck because that's when it gets really painful - and pulling your shoulder's back so you have the 'shelf' to put the bar on. I usually get under and sort of rock the bar in to place. Helps me a lot! As a women I don't have as large of a place to put the bar ;)

    Also make sure your arms are far enough out, and you aren't holding the bar with your thumbs (gripped like you would a screwdriver) That's not correct and it puts a lot of strain on your wrists! Stretching will help as well. I usually lie on the ground after a good work out and work on rolling my shoulders back.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    Personally i wouldn't start with back squats (barbell squats), partly for the reasons you mentioned. I'd start with goblet squats / front squats, or dumbbell squats (1 or 2 dumbbells held between knees). They're more natural, functional movements that are self-correcting.

    If you insist on doing back squats due to FOMO, try this stretch right before, to improve your shoulder flexibility:
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=bO224K6mS2c
  • JenniferLynWhatx
    JenniferLynWhatx Posts: 141 Member
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    You guys are great. Thank you so much.
    Trainers are out of my budget for the moment...but I'm happy to try everything else!
  • davebisers
    davebisers Posts: 1 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Great job on trying squat, they'll become addictive. Check out this video from Chris Duffin, one of the best squatters in the world who does a great job with the cues for the squat, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibH_B0ZGvrU.

    Also, look at exercises to improve your thorasic spine mobility to help with the discomfort of having your arms behind your head, many people having spine mobility problems from sitting too much, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-improve-thoracic-spine-mobility/#axzz3xr9rVl4k. I also second not using a pad. Have fun!!! Oh yeah, check out a copy of Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength if you can.
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    When I started and was trying to get my arms used to the whole idea I used a small piece of PVC pipe or a broomstick. I was going to try to type out instructions but I just don't think I can do it and make sense. :smile:

    Here's a link to a video I found that shows what I did. It helped a lot but my husband couldn't use the stick at all initially so we used the elastic workout bands for him until he was looser.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4c95kosHes
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Can you do upper body exercises with the bar? If not, it could be the upper body and core strength (or lack of it to be more accurate) stopping you, so try dumbbell squats. For a guy, the barbell might not be too much to begin with, but for a woman just beginning (assuming this is the standard olympic bar) it might be too much and hard to properly handle because of shoulders and arms, even if legs could handle more weight.
  • jmattmacd79
    jmattmacd79 Posts: 8 Member
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    Get the squat part of your squat right first, you can do some barless box squats at home with a kettle bell, then a broom handle then an empty bar. IE introduce one component at a time - squat, then arms, then weight.
  • Morgaen73
    Morgaen73 Posts: 2,817 Member
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    jmattmacd79 wrote: »
    Get the squat part of your squat right first, you can do some barless box squats at home with a kettle bell, then a broom handle then an empty bar. IE introduce one component at a time - squat, then arms, then weight.

    ^This

    I had the same thing when I started squatting. Eventually you will get used to it as you become more flexible.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    Try starting with dumbbells.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Personally i wouldn't start with back squats (barbell squats), partly for the reasons you mentioned. I'd start with goblet squats / front squats, or dumbbell squats (1 or 2 dumbbells held between knees). They're more natural, functional movements that are self-correcting.

    If you insist on doing back squats due to FOMO, try this stretch right before, to improve your shoulder flexibility:
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=bO224K6mS2c

    Yes, try the goblet squat, great way to learn. Also, does the OP have shoulder/upper body mobility issues that prevent holding a bar on the shoulders?
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    edited January 2016
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    JenniferLynWhatx wrote: »
    I just started mixing strength training into my life back on the 11th and I'm a little in love.

    Today I ventured into the "serious" section of the gym and attempted to do squats... Except it was so uncomfortable for me to have my arms slightly behind my head holding the bar, that I only made it through 3 baby squats before having to stop. It hurt my shoulders, my wrists, and my back where the bar was resting. So uncomfortable!!

    So... Tips for getting past that initial discomfort, increasing flexibility...things like that.

    And....Go!

    Move your arms further out along the bar. Narrow grip for maximum back tightness works for those of us with great flexibility - it can cause stuff like bicep tendon tenderness for the rest (you'll likely feel this in the front delt).

    If you understand why some trainers advocate a narrow grip on the bar - it's for maximum lat, trap, etc engagement. It is possible, however, to get the same degree of upper back engagement by "bending the bar" and imagining bringing the elbows towards the lats whilst maintaining a wider grip.

    If you're low-barring it, then good upper back activation will naturally lead to the bar resting on the rear-delts. If you're high-barring it, then the same applies to your traps. If you get this bit right and it still feels a bit "uncomfortable" on your back then you just need to put some big girl pants on. Hurting in the shoulder or wrists, however, is a tell-tale sign that you are not braced properly, are forcing your shoulders into a position they can't assume and are supporting the weight of the bar on your wrists rather than on your back/traps/delts* (*delete as appropriate)

    You need to work out what gives you the best squat dynamics given your anthropomorphy and mobility. Mobility can be worked upon, activation techniques can be employed to give you more stability, but at the end of the day you have to find the best squat style for your limb proportions.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Personally i wouldn't start with back squats (barbell squats), partly for the reasons you mentioned. I'd start with goblet squats / front squats, or dumbbell squats (1 or 2 dumbbells held between knees). They're more natural, functional movements that are self-correcting.

    If you insist on doing back squats due to FOMO, try this stretch right before, to improve your shoulder flexibility:
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=bO224K6mS2c

    Yes, try the goblet squat, great way to learn. Also, does the OP have shoulder/upper body mobility issues that prevent holding a bar on the shoulders?

    I, too, would start with goblet squats. You may also want to start with dumbbell front squats but you may find yourself able to squat lower with goblets. You could do your goblet squats and then try to practice with a broomstick or other lightweight substitute for a bar.
  • awnurmarc
    awnurmarc Posts: 125 Member
    edited January 2016
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    For what it's worth I had your problem at first with both the back squat (Low bar) and front squat. In both cases, starting with the empty bar and just working on doing them gradually gave me more flexibility. At first, my hands were so wide on the back squat that when I racked the bar, I had to lift my hands to avoid getting them smashed. But gradually I got tighter and it became more natural. (when I first front squatted I put only two fingers of each hand on the bar; now I can almost get all four fingers and part of my palm on the bar)

    Search YouTube for Rippetoe and squat. That will at least let you know if your volunteer helpers know what their doing. Lots of people prefer high bar squats, but there's still plenty of other cues the relevant both kinds. I see countless young strong lifters doing squats with their knees bending inward and their heels barely touching the floor. You don't want people who have that habit teaching you form.
  • FitGirl0123
    FitGirl0123 Posts: 1,273 Member
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    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Personally i wouldn't start with back squats (barbell squats), partly for the reasons you mentioned. I'd start with goblet squats / front squats, or dumbbell squats (1 or 2 dumbbells held between knees). They're more natural, functional movements that are self-correcting.

    If you insist on doing back squats due to FOMO, try this stretch right before, to improve your shoulder flexibility:
    https://youtube.com/watch?v=bO224K6mS2c

    This. I never recommend beginners to start with barbel squats. Get good and comfortable with the movement with less weight before venturing into the barbel squat.
  • tmorton03
    tmorton03 Posts: 22 Member
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    I would do squats on your own first and get used to the motion. I do squats at home frequently and my two-year old daughter joins me. I do some type of squats every time I go to the gym because my legs, as in most women, are my problem areas.

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