Chris Olson

I am approximately 13 weeks out from a meet. My question is regarding squat programming.

Back story: when I back squat I get really bad pain in the shoulders that radiates down through my biceps to my elbows. It isn't an injury. It feels like terrible inflammation that ruins me. I have been using the Safety Squat Bar (SSB) for a little over a year now which I have not experienced any pain in the shoulders so it has allowed me to squat. I would have quit if I had to endure that pain. This pain is something I have experienced for a long time when back squatting. I have tried bar placement, mobility, stretching and so many other things to try and help with the pain. The only thing really is using the SSB.

My question is regarding how to train for the meet. I use a simple percentage based program when each week I am progressing upward. So, I start light and work up to heavy sets the last few weeks. This has worked great for me in the past. Should I use the SSB up until the end of the program, or would you incorporate the back squat the last few weeks and just suck it up. I know either is not ideal, but I don't think I can deal with the pain for the next 13 weeks. I do think I could possibly deal with the pain the last few weeks. The problem is that my other lifts suffer with that pain.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Mark Rippetoe

You need a diagnosis of this pain. It may very well be that you shouldn't compete in the meet.

Satch12879

Show us your squat; your grip may be the issue.

Bawitdabarbell

Hi Chris, I was in your exact same situation (still am somewhat) - competitive powerlifter, shoulder pain when squatting, could only squat consistently with the SSB, etc...

As Mark and Satch said, you need a diagnosis, and to post a form check.

To give some feedback to your programming question: for me, I squat about 10% less with the SSB than with a power bar/squat bar and I would program accordingly. When I would prep for meets using the SSB, I would do all my volume work with the SSB, and then around 4-6 weeks out from the meet, I would take top singles with a buffalo bar, and 2-3 weeks out from the week I would take singles with the power bar/squat bar. I would still do all my backdown sets with the SSB. I found that (again, for me), I was able to tolerate a few weeks of singles with a straight bar.

Also, one thing that seemed to help, and I have no idea why, is wearing tight wrist wraps during any straight bar squatting. It may be placebo, I really don't know, but I found I had less shoulder pain when squatting with wrist wraps.

Best of luck with your meet!

PhillyMike

Enjoy the read, it's a spooky ride ahead...

I recently was asked to interview for a strength and conditioning position working with a local physical therapist coaching hockey players. Why a physical therapist attracts that type of business from teams/coaches is a conundrum already but I figured I'd check it out.

The conversation started fine, we spoke about my previous experiences working with athletes and my education/certs. She asked me how I felt about the industry as a whole and I was honest. It stinks all over. I mentioned not once encountering anyone who has failed a crossfit cert, how the NSCA's "Journal of S&C Research" is cranking out embarrassing articles such as "what creates more abdominal muscle contraction: Single hand or two-hand kettlebell swings," or that 99% of my former exercise science classmates I wouldn't let train anyone I know.

She sat and agreed with me and then told me about the push in the PT realm: "To hopefully some day have a licensing program for personal trainers that the physical therapy community would have their hand in and it would hopefully include needing a bachelors in exercise science to be a personal trainer."

I told her that is a terrible plan, I trust my own clients I have coached over the years over anyone now adays with their exercise science degree. If they could actually get that to work Rippetoe would be considered unqualified to train people. Wtf? I sat through her telling me about how to train hockey players while never once mentioning anything to do with strength training but mostly interval training on a fucking turf field(lol), about her own career as a recreational running athlete, and how she trains a lot with TRX suspension stuff.

Spooky stuff, and she wants to dictate how we train people.

Lastly I wanted to say that I have learned absolutely nothing over the last 3 years from the NSCA but find myself reading everything Rip/SS posts on here or the facebook page and can say I learn something probably every single time. I don't know when but I plan to put my name behind the SSC cert because just from the stuff you publish alone I feel like I owe you something and would love to drop the NSCA because the more serious coaches who leave the NSCA, the better.

Mark Rippetoe

Exactly. And this is precisely why the State Licensure issue is such a fucking big deal. She knows absolutely nothing about getting anybody strong, but she wants to tell us how we should be allowed to do it.