First time with the barbell!

meganmoore112 · April 2016

I've been lifting weights since the beginning of February, but I had been sticking to kettlebells, dumbbells, and some machines until yesterday. I finally got a trainer to teach me the basic barbell lifts that you use for Strong Lifts 5x5 (except for bench press, we'll get that next time).

Today my upper back (shoulder blades) are super sore. More so than anything else! I do feel it in my legs. I didn't go very heavy on either. Started with just the bar for squats and then added 10 pound plates for a couple of sets. Also I have a nice bruise on the top of my knee. I guess I hit it while doing deadlifts.

Is it normal to get the shoulder blade soreness from squats? The barbell was harder to hold than I anticipated. I'm guessing I'll get better as I get more experience.

LazSommer · April 2016

What? No...your dead lifts should be controlled to the point where you're not dropping the bar down hard enough to bruise your knee. I've never had my shoulders hurt after squats. You sound like you're too tense or something. Try a different trainer.

meganmoore112 · April 2016

I didn't drop the bar. Just accidentally hit my knee on one rep because of poor form. I did okay on the rest. I can't be perfect the very first time I try an exercise!

I can ask another trainer next time I go in to help with my form. I probably was too tense for sure.

mamasmaltz3 · April 2016

Anytime you do new movements you'll find yourself sore in areas that you may have been missing. My upper back/lats get more sore from deadlifting than squatting. Unless you are talking about being sore where the bar rested? As far as hitting your knee it can happen, and you'll get the hang of the movement, and get those knees out the way with practice. You might consider videoing your lifts so you can see your form for yourself and get a better understanding of what your trainer is seeing.

Good for you for stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new. You're going to love barbell training.

distinctlybeautiful · April 2016

I used to get sore from the barbell too, but then I found my sweet spot. I'm not sure exactly what they're called, but there are two places on your shoulders to hold the bar.. one is lower and one higher. I'm pretty sure the lower one hurt my shoulders and now I use the higher one. I might be remembering this a bit wrong, but I'd suggest looking it up. I'm remembering a video on how to bail out of a squat, and the guy showed two different ways based on where you rest the bar.

ShodanPrime · April 2016

geogirl0626 wrote: »

I've been lifting weights since the beginning of February, but I had been sticking to kettlebells, dumbbells, and some machines until yesterday. I finally got a trainer to teach me the basic barbell lifts that you use for Strong Lifts 5x5 (except for bench press, we'll get that next time).

Today my upper back (shoulder blades) are super sore. More so than anything else! I do feel it in my legs. I didn't go very heavy on either. Started with just the bar for squats and then added 10 pound plates for a couple of sets. Also I have a nice bruise on the top of my knee. I guess I hit it while doing deadlifts.

Is it normal to get the shoulder blade soreness from squats? The barbell was harder to hold than I anticipated. I'm guessing I'll get better as I get more experience.

Barbell training can be difficult for a newbie due to a lack of proper body control and never being in the positions before.

I've been lifting for a long while and can get sore shoulders from squats if I don't stretch right, or go near or over my max.

Deadlifts can rip you up something proper too, if you yolo it. Spend some practice time hitting the positions right and stretching, and you'll be fine. First time I pulled 500, I got a huge bruise on my thigh and pulled a shoulder out of place. It happens.

wilsoncl6 · April 2016

Sounds like bar positioning and/or bar control. You're using your back muscles and shoulder muscles to stabilize the bar on back squats and if you haven't used those muscles in a long time, you might be a little sore. It's more likely you're sore in your upper back and shoulders from the deadlifts from tensing your muscles as you lifted. If it goes away in short order I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just work on your form.

tincanonastring · April 2016

SL5x5 is designed to start with low weights (empty bars) for beginners and to only add 5 pounds per session to most of the lifts. You might have just overdone it by adding some plates to your squat sets.

quiksylver296 · April 2016

wilsoncl6 wrote: »

Sounds like bar positioning and/or bar control. You're using your back muscles and shoulder muscles to stabilize the bar on back squats and if you haven't used those muscles in a long time, you might be a little sore. It's more likely you're sore in your upper back and shoulders from the deadlifts from tensing your muscles as you lifted. If it goes away in short order I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just work on your form.

I agree with this.

shor0814 · April 2016

geogirl0626 wrote: »

I've been lifting weights since the beginning of February, but I had been sticking to kettlebells, dumbbells, and some machines until yesterday. I finally got a trainer to teach me the basic barbell lifts that you use for Strong Lifts 5x5 (except for bench press, we'll get that next time).

Today my upper back (shoulder blades) are super sore. More so than anything else! I do feel it in my legs. I didn't go very heavy on either. Started with just the bar for squats and then added 10 pound plates for a couple of sets. Also I have a nice bruise on the top of my knee. I guess I hit it while doing deadlifts.

Is it normal to get the shoulder blade soreness from squats? The barbell was harder to hold than I anticipated. I'm guessing I'll get better as I get more experience.

I see where you didn't bench but no mention of overhead press pressed rows. Are those next time too?

Deadlifts can make the shoulders and traps sore, think about which body parts are holding the bar.

Squats will also do it until you get used to the position, especially low bar, it is almost unnatural.

The real fun begins when your *kitten* is too sore to sit but your legs are too sore to stand.

kuftae · April 2016

I still have to stretch my shoulders and chest out before i do low-bar squats. You'll get used to it. Mark Ripptoe has a good video on bar position as it leaves nothing to interpretation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tyOLvArw0

hill8570 · April 2016

geogirl0626 wrote: »

I've been lifting weights since the beginning of February, but I had been sticking to kettlebells, dumbbells, and some machines until yesterday. I finally got a trainer to teach me the basic barbell lifts that you use for Strong Lifts 5x5 (except for bench press, we'll get that next time).

Today my upper back (shoulder blades) are super sore. More so than anything else! I do feel it in my legs. I didn't go very heavy on either. Started with just the bar for squats and then added 10 pound plates for a couple of sets. Also I have a nice bruise on the top of my knee. I guess I hit it while doing deadlifts.

Is it normal to get the shoulder blade soreness from squats? The barbell was harder to hold than I anticipated. I'm guessing I'll get better as I get more experience.

It's normal to have bruising across the back when first learning back-squatting. If you don't have a lot of muscle back there to start off with, it'll be worse since you're basically mashing the skin between the bar and the bone. You adapt pretty quickly -- generally a week or two at most (and once you get some back development, you've got even more padding / shelf back there to work with).

As for the deadlift, you probably started the knee bend on the way down before the bar was past your knees (very common). That always results in bouncing the bar off of your knees on the way down.

meganmoore112 · April 2016

Thanks for the advice all! I've been watching more videos and reading about form. I'll get better! Next session, I'll be learning the other basic lifts (rows, ohp, bench).

lorrpb · April 2016

Way to go! Don't assume you need a new trainer. Just tell the current one about your soreness & ask if your form could contribute to it.

ShodanPrime · April 2016

shor0814 wrote: »

geogirl0626 wrote: »

I've been lifting weights since the beginning of February, but I had been sticking to kettlebells, dumbbells, and some machines until yesterday. I finally got a trainer to teach me the basic barbell lifts that you use for Strong Lifts 5x5 (except for bench press, we'll get that next time).

Today my upper back (shoulder blades) are super sore. More so than anything else! I do feel it in my legs. I didn't go very heavy on either. Started with just the bar for squats and then added 10 pound plates for a couple of sets. Also I have a nice bruise on the top of my knee. I guess I hit it while doing deadlifts.

Is it normal to get the shoulder blade soreness from squats? The barbell was harder to hold than I anticipated. I'm guessing I'll get better as I get more experience.

I see where you didn't bench but no mention of overhead press pressed rows. Are those next time too?

Deadlifts can make the shoulders and traps sore, think about which body parts are holding the bar.

Squats will also do it until you get used to the position, especially low bar, it is almost unnatural.

The real fun begins when your *kitten* is too sore to sit but your legs are too sore to stand.

What is:
"overhead press pressed rows"

How do you perform an overhead row?

First time with the barbell!

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