Another squat grip question!

Hello, having the classic elbow pain after squats. Anterior. Currently doing the chin up protocol which fixed it before.

Obviously I need to fix my grip. On every question or forum post I see that most people who went to the seminar had Rip move their hands in about 6 inches to fix their grip. If I get my hands in closer my index finger loses contact with the bar as soon as I unrack it. I saw in one of Rips videos that the correct grip has the first pad of the index finger in contact with the bar. Both the wide grip with all four fingers on the bar and the narrower grip where the index finger comes off seem to cause the pain.

Do I just need to stretch out more before i squat and on my days off? I’ve started doing the low bar stretch while I’m doing my chins.

I have very long arms (height 5’10 with a 6’3 arm span) and disproportionately long forearms relative to my upper arms. I also recently had scaphoid surgery which means my right wrist is much less mobile.

The low bar stretch will be useful in the long run, yes. Have you tried this adjustment yet: https://twitter.com/ss_strength/stat...462017?lang=en?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hayden-William Courtland

Have you tried this adjustment yet: https://twitter.com/ss_strength/stat...462017?lang=en?

---

I have tried the adjustment yes. This is usually when index finger pops off the bar.

I’m going to go and see Carl in London once the gyms open. Would still appreciate some ideas until then

Might be a good idea to post a video to see the big picture of your setup and rep initiations.

Chase had me try thumbs around grip for low bar squat and it worked a trick to alleviate some of the discomfort while I worked on mobility. After a month or so of an awful pec & lat foam rolling session every single morning and a few sports massages, I was able to bring my thumb back to a "correct" low bar squat hold pain free.
I also like to hop on the rowdf for a few minutes before squatting, I find it loosens everything up. For whatever reason the Horn stretch didn't work much for me.

I also found out (after an in person SSC session) I was setting the bar too low on my back, unnecessarily increasing the difficulty level. I now try to smash the bar up and in, underneath the spine of my scapula, before unracking. That also helps me get my muscles tight so the weight isn't held in my hands.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hayden-William Courtland

Might be a good idea to post a video to see the big picture of your setup and rep initiations.

---

Here you go. Had to turn my rack round cos I got that dumb cross bar at the bottom, hopefully this angle is ok.

137.5/303 x5 - YouTube

FYI I was reviewing my pre-surgery training video when I squatted 150/330 for 5 pain free and the only noticeable difference is that I’m wearing this bargrip tshirt...so I chucked it on today and low and behold no pain....I know this is not a long term solution though.

If the bar grip shirt actually solves the problem, then most likely the issue was the bar sliding down your back in the reps and your arms adjusting to keep it up. Make sure you have tightness in your setup with shoulder blades pulled back a bit and no upper back rounding. Ideally we want the elbows up only a touch and pinned close to your sides. The more stable the initial bar placement is, the easier this will be. Minor bar slipping can usually be handled by just chalking your back.

Thanks Hayden. How did my set look other than that?

Pretty good. Depth is a bit inconsistent. I would turn your toes out a touch more and make sure knees are tracking out over them. Also make sure you are looking at a point low on the wall the entire time and get your knees moving forward right away at the start of the rep.