Poor Squat grip - need help

[TruFloridaGator]

24 yo, 5' 7", 156 currently(was 134 in January)

Started lifting for the first time in January(no real lifting history) with SS & have had a ton of success with the program. However, I've always had poor grip/wrist positioning with my squat due to a serious lack of flexibility to the point where I had to have my wrists almost perpendicular to the floor(pointing up) for good low bar position.

Based on everything I've read in SS, I should of expected this to improve some throughout the process and didn't have much improvement over the first month, so I started incorporating shoulder dislocations & pec stretching to try and allow myself to bring my hands farther back behind me so I could get a proper grip per SS. This has helped some, but still not to the point where I can get a grip that isn't straining my wrists now that my weight is getting really heavy.

I have read that a "vicious" massage or ART(Active Release Technique) are good options for flexibility improvement, but wanted to see what other suggestions were out there or if there is just the possibility that I may be out of luck & be forced into HB position. I'd really love to stay with low bar since I love it & prefer it to HB in my limited experience.

[JT in MD]

How wide is your grip? And do you take a good grip before getting under the bar.. or do you get under and grip at the same time?

I use a slightly wide grip and I also, before getting under the bar, wrap my hands around the bar so that the top of my hand is parallel with the ground. When I get under the bar from this position, my wrists are perfectly straight.

Not sure if this will help...

[TruFloridaGator]

How wide is your grip? And do you take a good grip before getting under the bar.. or do you get under and grip at the same time?

I use a slightly wide grip and I also, before getting under the bar, wrap my hands around the bar so that the top of my hand is parallel with the ground. When I get under the bar from this position, my wrists are perfectly straight.

Not sure if this will help...

Grip width has gone to about my index finger on the rings, in my attempt to get my wrists fixed. Used to be much narrower.

I take a proper grip before getting under the bar with the top of my hand more or less parallel to the ground with straight wrists. However, when I go to get under the bar, I cannot get back to low bar position while maintaining this grip without my wrists starting to bend and being pushed back.

[homerj742]

I had a similar issue. I Did a lot of stretching and shoulder dislocates. Got my middle finger to the rings on the bar.

I finally went to a massage therapist, and that pretty much took care of it. It's unbelievable, that doctors get paid crazy $$$ wouldn't be able to resolve this problem for me. But 1-2 hours with a good, certified, massage therapist was like magic.

It felt like two obstructions behind my shoulders were removed. Now my pinkies are inside the rings.

I plan on getting a massage about once a month now.

[TruFloridaGator]

I had a similar issue. I Did a lot of stretching and shoulder dislocates. Got my middle finger to the rings on the bar.

I finally went to a massage therapist, and that pretty much took care of it. It's unbelievable, that doctors get paid crazy $$$ wouldn't be able to resolve this problem for me. But 1-2 hours with a good, certified, massage therapist was like magic.

It felt like two obstructions behind my shoulders were removed. Now my pinkies are inside the rings.

I plan on getting a massage about once a month now.

I actually got one today but can't tell if there is any improvement yet. She worked on my shoulders a ton & said I had a lot of tightness & "knots", but didn't get good feedback from here, so I think I'll probably see someone else.

How soon did you see the results & what should I may asking/saying to the therapist to ensure I'm getting what I want out of the massage.

[tallison]

Just hoping I can encourage HomerJ742 to share more -- or anyone else with experience. I had pretty much given up on getting my wrists straight and elbows up. I thought maybe it was just an anthropometry issue -- I think I've got freakishly long arms -- and I think much of it is from the elbow down. Maybe I just can't get the suggested grip?

So, when I read that massage had made a big difference, I was encouraged. But we've got to know more detail about the massage -- was it anything in particular? Did you just get lucky with a random therapist?

Anybody else with this problem and/or suggested solution?

[JT in MD]

Maybe it was the happy ending that helped.

[OITW]

I have orangutang arms, but have never had much problem with grip width. Ring fingers on the bar rings. Frankly, index finger on the rings isn't bad, especially if you have shorter arms.

[Tom Campitelli]

Maybe it was the happy ending that helped.

Ha!