You don't seem to be very flexible. To feel the "shelf" you have to have enough elbow flexion to bunch up your posterior delts. This may be the best position you can produce.
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Can't find the low bar position
I know you've heard this a million times before... I scoured the depths of the search function and have peered closely at a hundred videos (and read SS), but for the love of god I can't figure it out. The nearest I can get is this which is really just the bar resting on my shoulders because my arms are near enough horizontal.
Apparently there should be some kind of 'muscle shelf' where the bar will stop... I can't find such a thing. Any help whatsoever would be great, as I just want to get on with some actual squatting.
TMPHBITEU
You don't seem to be very flexible. To feel the "shelf" you have to have enough elbow flexion to bunch up your posterior delts. This may be the best position you can produce.
Member
I'm in the same boat. 2 workouts ago I was more flexible than usual and it felt like I really had the "shelf" for the first time. My tendinitis didn't flare up nearly as bad as usual and pressing wasn't the excruciating experience it has been. Then yesterday the flexibility was gone and the shelf had been demolished and the tendinitis had reared its ugly head even though it was a light day for squat. By the time I was done benching I wanted to rip out my biceps and adjoining tendons to make the pain stop. It's my own fault as I have been lax in mobility work for the joint.
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FWIW, I normally start out by placing my hands on the bar, getting under, and stretching through and up until the bar is roughly where my rear delts meet my triceps. Then I press back on the bar and lower myself until the bar fits into a natural "groove". So basically, I find it by moving the bar up until I reach it, not down. That's how I was first able to find it, anyway.
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That is pretty much exactly my hand position in the low bar squat. I broke my arm when I was 6, so I have a 12 deg deficit in my left elbow that keeps me from keeping my elbows in tight.
Member
I'm in the exact same boat as well. Can't find that shelf for the life of me, beginning case of left elbow tendinitis, etc. Inspired by the quote I just spent 30m googling for shoulder mobility exercises, but it didn't seem the exercises would address the low bar back squat / shelf problem. Have you found any mobility exercises that work (for you) Matt? I'd be really interested.Originally Posted by Matt275
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Okay, thanks. I'm just glad to have some way of working to fix it - I hate not knowing exactly what the problem is. I'll get to work on dislocates and suchlike.
Member
Don't overlook placing your hands uneven on the bar. I have less scapular flexibility on one side than the other, so one hand is closer to me when I have my shoulders tight. Placing my hands uneven on the bar allows both shoulders to be as tight as possible while staying centered on the bar. Also, there's plenty of things you can do to improve scapular mobility, so start working on that as well.
Member
I usually start my warmups with hands in the position of the OPs photos. Each warmup set I bring them in a little bit more which allows for a gradual stretch. By my work sets they are nice and close.
Member
When I started out with squatting I struggled with the low bar position until I began diligently performing pass-throughs, a.k.a. shoulder dislocations, with a broomstick. Start with a wide enough grip to be comfortable and bring your grip in closer as you're able.
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