Dafuq is up with my elbows?

[Mike C]

I've recently noticed that during my squats my elbows are angled at a nearly 90 degree angle from my back. When I spotted this, I checked some video of other squatters and the bar placement video, and it seems that most people have no more than a 45 degree angle.

Is this a non-issue? Is this an issue of not pulling my chest up enough? Do most people have to actively put their elbows down? That sounds weird to me, because I thought most people's elbows naturally point down and they have to force them up (I don't have to do this, that's the natural position they go to).


30 sec in

On a perhaps related issue, my posterior shoulders have been getting pretty sore. There are about a dozen plus squat/shoulder threads, but none seem to get at the actual mechanism by which the shoulders are getting sore. I would assume the stretch to get the back tight would affect the anterior deltoids, not posterior. What causes posterior deltoid soreness, and are these two issue likely related for me?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Due to your clever choice of video angle, I cannot see your grip width very well. I assume it is too wide. You're having to hold the bar up with shoulder extension instead of normal forearm/upper arm "jamming".

[Mike C]

I'm a thumb length outside the end of the knurl on both sides. I'll take a pic and repost.

[Sqwt]

I did the exact same thing for a while, and it made a case of anterior shoulder pain worse. I don't have the book in front of me, but check out the chapter on bar grip in SSBBT3. I found that I started setting up for the squat with my elbows already elevated, like you do. The trick is to narrow your grip a little and start with elbows down and lift the chest simultaneously with the elbows to lock the bar in place. This way your elbows can't come that high. Your mileage may vary.

[Aslin]

You might be thinking 'elbows up', because from what I see you seem to be trying to flare your elbows up and outwards. This leads to pain.

This maneuver I'm trying to allude to is much like when people externally rotate (flare) the elbows during bad bench press form. The same sort of stress is placed on the shoulder from what I've gathered.

The cue I use that might help would be to squeeze your shoulder blades together and try to make the tip of your elbows touch each other behind you when you're setting up under the bar.

[Mike C]

Moved my grip in a hand width. That seems to have forced the elbows down. Pics to come once I get to a computer

[Mike C]

bar.jpgbar2.jpg

Here's before and after in case anyone is interested.

Thumbs were on the rings before, and then I moved them in one hand width, so now the pinky is on the ring marker. Big difference in elbow position.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Looks much better to me.

[Aslin]

That is so much better. The soreness may still persist while the shoulders recover.