Low Bar Squat Bar Position: Can I push the palm of the wrist against the bar hard?

[iamnotarobotter]

Greetings,

In "The Squat - Bar Position with Mark Rippetoe" video you state that "...what we are trying to do is raise the elbows up and jack the bar forward by putting pressure on the base of the palm." Does this mean that we can actively push using the base of the palm against the bar in a horizontal fashion against our back? Or will that lead to elbow tendinitis? Can we also squeeze the bar with our hands or is that likely to cause elbow tendinitis? Not necessarily supporting any weight with our hands but just squeezing to keep tight.

Thanks

[Mark Rippetoe]

Squat Grip Correction | Mark Rippetoe

[iamnotarobotter]

I watched the video but I don't know if it answers my question. I understand the bar should be on the lower part of the palm but should we be pushing against the bar with it? When I meant squeeze the bar, I meant squeezing it with the fingers since the thumb is around the bar.

[Scaldrew]

Pushing against the bar isn't really a helpful cue for upper back tightness, so I wouldn't advise you do that. Instead, focus on, you guessed it, upper back tightness. Elbows up, tight against the lats, chest up and forward. These are all more helpful to think about than "push the bar with your hands". Hands are in contact, but don't do much. If you get a "sick forearm pump" from squatting, you're probably going about the "grip" the wrong way.

[iamnotarobotter]

Pushing against the bar isn't really a helpful cue for upper back tightness, so I wouldn't advise you do that. Instead, focus on, you guessed it, upper back tightness. Elbows up, tight against the lats, chest up and forward. These are all more helpful to think about than "push the bar with your hands". Hands are in contact, but don't do much. If you get a "sick forearm pump" from squatting, you're probably going about the "grip" the wrong way.

Makes sense. I am just paranoid about wrecking my elbows. Thanks.

[Tom Campitelli]

Makes sense. I am just paranoid about wrecking my elbows. Thanks.

Yeah, don't try to push down on the bar, or try to "bend" it around your back. Doing so can cause the problems you seek to avoid.

[Scaldrew]

If you're paranoid, know that the most important variable I've found is position of the bar on the back. If it's too low, your elbows will know.

Width is the second most important variable. I squatted in a different gym the penultimate workout of January last year, my first true run of the Novice LP, and inadvertently narrowed my grip by a hand's width. I didn't realise it until 6 months later, so my squat LP went down the toilet and my squat has only been "up there" for about several months. Find a grip that works, narrow a finger, maybe half, every time, try the stretch Coach Horn showed you, and see how far you can go. It's ok to not have the hands immediately outside of your shoulders.

Third is tightness. Don't overdo the "elbows up" cue; the cue is most important for those that drop their elbows, not for those who raise them already. It's good to keep the elbows in mind when you're 3 reps in and starting to drop elbows, but not at the start if your elbows are already raised. Raising them even more will cause your shoulders to over-extend, big ow ow for shoulders and elbows and they'll definitely know when you're doing that. Additional tightness is achieved through a conscious squeezing of the upper back: erectors (chest up, slightly forward helps raise the chest up more), lats, rear delts (lumbar during the lift, but that doesn't contribute to a good grip necessarily), and the tiny muscles in between that I don't even know about will contract, too.

Get comfortable in the uncomfortable. Done right, the squat grip can feel very uncomfortable because it's tight and because you're not holding the weight with your hands. It's not going to feel like a deadlift, secured in the palms of your hands near the digits. It's a completely unique feeling and "grip". Film yourself setting up and lifting and look at your wrists and elbows because they tell the whole tale.

If you're still paranoid, there's lots of resources out there on this topic. Look/ask me for those or get a "cooch". (Is that how you spell that?)

[iamnotarobotter]

Yeah, don't try to push down on the bar, or try to "bend" it around your back. Doing so can cause the problems you seek to avoid.

Ah, this must have contributed to my misunderstanding. Commonly, I've heard that you are trying to "bend" it around your back. Thanks again.

If you're paranoid, know that the most important variable I've found is position of the bar on the back. If it's too low, your elbows will know.

Width is the second most important variable. I squatted in a different gym the penultimate workout of January last year, my first true run of the Novice LP, and inadvertently narrowed my grip by a hand's width. I didn't realise it until 6 months later, so my squat LP went down the toilet and my squat has only been "up there" for about several months. Find a grip that works, narrow a finger, maybe half, every time, try the stretch Coach Horn showed you, and see how far you can go. It's ok to not have the hands immediately outside of your shoulders.

Third is tightness. Don't overdo the "elbows up" cue; the cue is most important for those that drop their elbows, not for those who raise them already. It's good to keep the elbows in mind when you're 3 reps in and starting to drop elbows, but not at the start if your elbows are already raised. Raising them even more will cause your shoulders to over-extend, big ow ow for shoulders and elbows and they'll definitely know when you're doing that. Additional tightness is achieved through a conscious squeezing of the upper back: erectors (chest up, slightly forward helps raise the chest up more), lats, rear delts (lumbar during the lift, but that doesn't contribute to a good grip necessarily), and the tiny muscles in between that I don't even know about will contract, too.

Get comfortable in the uncomfortable. Done right, the squat grip can feel very uncomfortable because it's tight and because you're not holding the weight with your hands. It's not going to feel like a deadlift, secured in the palms of your hands near the digits. It's a completely unique feeling and "grip". Film yourself setting up and lifting and look at your wrists and elbows because they tell the whole tale.

If you're still paranoid, there's lots of resources out there on this topic. Look/ask me for those or get a "cooch". (Is that how you spell that?)

I'll remember to not overdo the "elbows up" cue. I believe that this was also mentioned in the video.