Bicep Tendonitis - Grip width when I squat

[builtbyrowan]

I'm getting a bit confused from different member's suggestions on the topic of grip width when you squat.. I'm experiencing horrible pain in my biceps when I get tired when I squat and I want to solve this. Some say open your grip up which will take tension off the arms and resolve the problem..but opening your grip loosens my back which causes more instability which leads to the problem anyway? Wouldn't narrowing the grip and keeping the back more firm be a better solution? I guess it all depends on how what the actual injury is but I'm just wondering what people think is best for bicep/cuff tendonitis?

[veryhrm]

I'm confused by your post.
What's actually hurting your biceps or some tendons ?
Where geographically do you feel the pain?
How does "more instability" lead to "the problem [horrible pain in the biceps] anyway"? Yes, instability is a serious problem but it's a different problem.

Hmm... unless by instability you mean that the bar is slipping off of your back and that you are therefore holding the weight in your hands.

[builtbyrowan]

It's certainly not muscular soreness..it's a achy pain in my biceps and it's definitely the tendons. My question is that a lot of ppl experience painful elbows/biceps/shoulders from squatting and a lot of ppl recommend opening the grip up because it's less hard on the arms..but the problem generally is that the back isn't doing as good of a job to hold the weight so the arms take it..and results in what I have. So I would think generally you'd be better off actually bring the grip in, which will help tighten up the back which will then take some weight off the arms.

[veryhrm]

well, as you've noticed holding any appreciable fraction of the weight with your arms just breaks everything. no matter how narrow or wide your grip is the weight has to be supported by your back. This means that your torso has to be leaning a little forward even at the top of the squat. That in concert with keeping your elbows back provides a somewhat horizontal surface for the bar to rest.

For me right now, once i shove myself under the bar correctly, the bar tries to roll down my back a little so the surface isn't totally flat, but my hands are just preventing that rolling not holding the bar up. oh also what kind of shirt are you wearing? i switched to a normal cotton tshirt and seems to be grippier than fancy exercise shirts i was wearing previously (though it means i now have sweaty cloth clinging to me during DLs and PCs which is a negative)

[Edit: just read the other thread and then some others of your threads and had some more thoughts:
1) hadn't realized that you're squatting in the 400s and are about to go to a meet. i'm nowhere near there (doing 3x5 at 270 ) so umm yeah have no experience where you are

2) Still... let me ask: Are you holding the bar w/ a straight wrist and the heel of he hand thumb-over grip? If you have SS 2nd ed lying around , in terms of my hands my grip looks something like the girl on p23 or maybe half way between that and the guy on p22. Basically the thumb and index finger are barely involved. It gets "exciting" (that is i become afraid the bar might start rolling down) when my hands start sweating and it hurts my elbows some but there's no bicep involvement at all. There's practically no way i could take the weight on my arms because it would just slip off my back first (or i'd have to bend my wrist to catch it).

3) the "heh heh... isn't that cute... BUT IT'S WRONG!" line was not "Ren and Stimpy" but actually "two stupid dogs" so i removed it from the top ... because i WAS WRONG (and also because you are way stronger than me :-) )
]

[builtbyrowan]

Thanks for your input, my wrists are in the same position as taught in the book. A member named Carnimvor made a very good point about arm strength and that it needs to keep up as your squat goes up. I did some direct arm work for the first time in a long time and already pain is relieved! There's a lot of fantastic information on this site. But I do agree with you that as long as the weight sits properly on the back it doesn't really matter where the hell your hands are unless you can't stay tight throughout the movement.
Thanks again for your input, I appreciate it.

[djv]

Can you share with us what kind of arm work has helped you relieve the pain?

[builtbyrowan]

DJV, I did some barbell curls and some tricep extensions with a rope, and streching pecs and biceps between sets. I did some extra reps with the extensions because I figured by shortening my triceps it'd force my biceps to lengthen and get some extra blood flow. However, the pain did return pretty bad the next week so this isn't a short term solution..bottom line keep your arms strong and do your extra assistance work after you're done your sq's, dl's, and pressing movements. I think my 425lb SQ for 5 x 5 is heavy enough that any technical fuck up my arms are gonna get killed so I'm at a point that I'm gonna try my SSB for my volume squats, do some extra arm work and use a regular bar just for recovery sessions and high intensity.

[nino241]

think I have the same problem,yet, my thumbs seem to be at the right place, could it be my head?I have caught myself that at some reps my head try's to go up, it's normally at the bottom of the squat,and I correct it.I have heard some that this could be the reason for my pain...

[bamzi]

+1 to the "armwork" solution for this squat related tendonitis. Rip has suggested chin ups, it works so well for me that I now do 3 sets to failure at the end of every workout. From what I understand, the eccentric part of the chin up "re-damages" the fibres in the tendons yet allows them to re-align correctly when they heal. Which could be bullshit, but it works for me...

[nino241]

have used some pull ups it hurts like hell in the ecc phase, next time will try chin's,maybe it will help