Clavicle Pain in Low Bar Squat Position

[Jake_Kim]

Hello,

Age: 27
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 175

I was squatting the other day and at the top of my last rep of my set of 5 I heard a crackling sound and felt a tugging sensation near my left clavicle. It didn't hurt at all, and I was able to move on and do all my sets of overhead press, but it was very unsettling. I have no pain when doing anything but when I go to low bar squat it feels like my left clavicle has a bunch of pressure on it. It is tolerable until I get to three plates at which point it still doesn't hurt but the pressure feels so great that I am concerned I will snap something. I squatted 435 x 5 x 3 when it happened video link posted below if you want to see the set it happened on. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

Squat: 435 x 5 x 3 - YouTube

[Mark Rippetoe]

Nothing about these squats would indicate a problem. How do deadlifts feel?

[Jake_Kim]

No issues with deadlifts. The only time I feel the pressure is when in the low bar squat position. I can feel the pressure in the clavicle with the empty bar but it only feels dangerous at 315 and above.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Narrow your grip and see what happens.

[Jake_Kim]

Just tried it with 135 and the clavicle cracked again still didn't hurt but the pressure is still there. Thank you for the advice guess I will just have to wait and see.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Well, I have no idea what it could be.

[Jake_Kim]

Thank you for taking the time to reply I appreciate it.

[Frank_B]

I will occasionally get a pop in my right clavicle during warmups. Usually, it’s just a pop with no effect and almost always happens at 225. Sometimes it’s a pop with a relieving feeling, and about once every two months, it’ll pop, get tight like I tweaked something, and then my neck will be tight for a few days. I’ve learned that about 8-10 hours after it tightens up, I can usually grab my SCM muscle with my fingers and massage it from the insertion point, up to about my Adam’s Apple and I’ll feel temporarily loose again in my neck. I can also rub just below the clavicle and feel tenderness in my upper pec area.

I actually believe it happens more frequently when I press/bench heavy the day prior. I think my upper pecs get tight and the weight on the bar is just stretching tight tissues out. My right side just so happens to be particularly vulnerable to this. I haven’t actively sought to figure out how to prevent it as sometimes just adding even more weight to the bar is also a fix.

I’d be curious what your bench and/or press looked like?

[Jake_Kim]

I will note that after trying what Mark said I had another click/cracking sound in my clavicle area, and nothing seemed to really change. However today I had front squats and for every set of front squats I did from the empty bar to my working weight I put the bar in the low bar squat position before front squatting the weight and the pressure I was feeling has diminished dramatically.

Videos of my bench and press below. I don't know if this is relevant, but benching kills my left bicep. When I reach the bottom position of each rep, like an inch away from my chest, my bicep just flares with pain and then when I go to press its like it gives out a bit. I don't know what that's about I can bench mostly pain free with a grip width of pinkies on the ring, but I wanted to try the starting strength way of forearms vertical in the bottom position.

Bench Press: Bench Press: 265 x 5 x 3 - YouTube

Overhead Press: Overhead Press: 165 x 5 x 3 - YouTube

[Frank_B]

I will note that after trying what Mark said I had another click/cracking sound in my clavicle area, and nothing seemed to really change. However today I had front squats and for every set of front squats I did from the empty bar to my working weight I put the bar in the low bar squat position before front squatting the weight and the pressure I was feeling has diminished dramatically.

Videos of my bench and press below. I don't know if this is relevant, but benching kills my left bicep. When I reach the bottom position of each rep, like an inch away from my chest, my bicep just flares with pain and then when I go to press its like it gives out a bit. I don't know what that's about I can bench mostly pain free with a grip width of pinkies on the ring, but I wanted to try the starting strength way of forearms vertical in the bottom position.

Bench Press: Bench Press: 265 x 5 x 3 - YouTube

Overhead Press: Overhead Press: 165 x 5 x 3 - YouTube

Sorry for the delayed response. I missed that you’d update this. On the bench, I can’t really see your left side at all. On the press, I feel like your elbows are a little flared in the bottom and that when yo