Arm pain due to shoulder asymmetry during squat

[m s]

Hi Mark,

My shoulders are assymmetric and it causes the bar to be tilted on my press and bench, and pain on the squat since my left arm supports more of the weight. This pain started off as just bicep tendonitis -- pain right where the tendon attaches on the forearm. However, lately, my entire left forearm hurts. It feels okay during a set, but right after it hurts. Today it got to the point where I had to sit-down and grab my arm and wait for the worst of the pain to pass. 30min lately it didn't feel that bad anymore. I was on the 3rd set of the TM volume day. I've already widenend my left hand to try and take some of the load off.

Here is the 3rd set at 202.5kg: YouTube

Looking at my squat from this angle for the first time it looks like my lowerbody is shifted and I have knee valgus going on too.

Do you have any suggestions for the arm? And should I deload to fix the valgus? I'm 1.5 weeks from a 500lbsx5 sq on my intensity day and was planning to do a deload after that anyway.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Let's try something different: narrow your grip about 3 fingers and lower your elbows. It may be that your forearms don't like the shoulder extension.

[m s]

Let's try something different: narrow your grip about 3 fingers and lower your elbows. It may be that your forearms don't like the shoulder extension.

Thanks for the suggestion, coach. I tried it out on my intensity day but it didn't go so well. The narrower grip placed the bar higher on my back, so I couldn't lean over as far, or use hip drive without it feeling like the bar would fall forward and kill me, so I bailed!: YouTube

My arm still hurt, but it wasn't as bad. I'll keep working on it and try to get the bar lower on my back.

[Satch12879]

Yeah, you’re really not leaning over at all. What I don’t get is why a narrower grip would produce a bar location higher on your back.

[Christopher Button]

I've had the same problem for years, both in terms of the asymmetry you exhibit, and the resulting biceps tendonitis in both the proximal and distal tendons. Although not perfectly solved, the only way I can manage relief is with bent wrists and wrapped-thumb grip. I stubbornly attempted to force the neutral position you use in the video (which may in fact work for you, I don't know) for many years, and was at times unable to train productively due to the pain. I hope you find a solution soon.

[m s]

Yeah, you’re really not leaning over at all. What I don’t get is why a narrower grip would produce a bar location higher on your back.

Because there is a greater shoulder flexibility demand the narrower you go. My shoulders weren't flexible enough, and I couldn't get them back enough to lower the bar.