Low bar squatting — pain in left biceps

[Chefkoch81]

So after weeks and months of teaching myself a what feels now like a proper squat, one of the final realisations was that I might have had the bar still not low enough on my back. My shoulder mobility is not very good, but after going what I believe to a correct low bar the squat now feels excellent. Finally breaking through the 110kg barrier that I hit with my bad technique before.

However, while the squat now feels right, I got a problem with my left biceps. More specifically I got a pain in the lower half of the left biceps during squatting, which was interfering with bench and press right after squatting. I managed it with putting the elbows down as much as possible, as I did pull them up before. So that helped to the point where I can complete the workout, but it still hurts during the workout and I would like to get rid of that pain.

Any recommendations how to go about that?

[Satch12879]

Show us your squat. It’s your grip.

[Chefkoch81]

here you go

Shared album - T vG - Google Photos

[Mark Rippetoe]

Standard deal, grip too wide, elbows too high.

[Chefkoch81]

Thanks rip, that might cause the biceps pain?

I’ll try open my chest more so I get the arms closer and elbows more down. Not happy with my mobility, would you recommend exercises for that?

[Maybach]

The bar should be resting in the heel of your hand. You shouldn't have to press your hands into the bar.

[Chefkoch81]

Im not trying to press my hands into the bar, but with my shoulder/ chest mobility there is a lot of tension on the arms if I try to keep the wrists straight

[Mark Rippetoe]

Im not trying to press my hands into the bar, but with my shoulder/ chest mobility there is a lot of tension on the arms if I try to keep the wrists straight

Gosh, that's terrible. Tension is just terrible.

[Maybach]

You have to be pressing your hands into the bar, because based on the position of your hands there is nothing supporting the bar from underneath. You are using torque around the elbow and shoulder joints, not compression along the forearm, to support the bar.

[Chefkoch81]

@Maybach - following the Blue book Figure 2-18, I assumed I should not support the weight from underneath at all as all of the weight should be on the back. So I try do that. The hands press themselves into the bar, as I can barely get my arms into that position with a low bar position.