Forearm Squat Agony - Grip Form Check [PIC]

[Wouldnot]

Form errors keep kicking my butt. The weight gets heavier and they show themselves.

Last few squat sessions have caused forearm agony. Cancels the rest of the workout making it too painful for press or bench.

I watched a Rippetoe bar position video and realized the bar tends to creep down my back on a heavy set. I put my hands in closer to try and fix the issue and slightly moved the bar higher up. A bit less pain today but still enough to kill the bench workout.

Today the pain was mainly on the top of the forearm, previously on the top and bottom. Mostly pain on the meaty parts of the muscles closer to the elbow.

Here's a pic of my grip. Any ideas of what's going on?

[Toasterleavings]

The curse of the golfer's/tennis elbow. Often the left one. google 'site: startingstrength.com elbow' for the litany of shared pain.


Your grip looks to be the palm & pinkies thumbless grip on the bar that's often suggested as standard, and your wrists aren't extended - nothing horrible there.


Ibuprofen, working around it, volume curls & chins, wider grip, dropping elbows a bit - these all come up as treatments/rehab solutions - but their effectiveness person to person seem to be wildly variable. As Andy Baker said in one thread (http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=29634) :"I've never been able to solve this riddle. Usually just high doses of ibuprofen and trying to work with different grips, etc. ". Some folks go to a thumbs around grip, with/without wrist wraps. Haven't tried that myself yet. 5 days of the vitamin I protocol worked, then it came straight back.

[afatgoat]

Can't see anything glaring wrong. Have you tried pointing your elbows more towards the floor? Does it go away if you widen your grip ?

[Toasterleavings]

Can't see anything glaring wrong. Have you tried pointing your elbows more towards the floor? Does it go away if you widen your grip ?

OT - but congrats on your 666th post above. Seems fitting given your goatly nature.

[Wouldnot]

Wider grip hurt more.

If I put my elbows down then I'm going to have more trouble with the bar sliding down the back.

[afatgoat]

A little shoulder mobility work might be up your alley.
Chris Duffins video helped quite a bit for me, give it a glance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hbyl5Neoio

[Stephen Vajda]

If its golfer's elbow try icing it (RICE) -which I'm doing as I type this. Apparently its caused by bending your wrists when you lift which puts stress on the area inside the elbow so stretching is good, too. My favorite is lying on stomach with arms extended under my legs with palms facing down then lift your legs. Believe it or not, you'll feel the stretch.

[jusmoren]

Make sure you are not pushing the bar down out of the hole. Using the grip you have let me focus on squeezing the bar rather than pushing it down. Also try high rep chins.

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Here's what I think. First lets see a video of your squat from behind so we can see what your elbows are doing throughout the movement. Then, lets go from there.

[Wouldnot]

Those Chris Duffins videos have some good stuff. Thanks. I can understand putting the elbows down now and engaging the lats.

Powerlifting looks so simple on the surface. I always surprised when I get near my PRs and something creeps up. The challenges make it interesting.

I'll make a video next time.