Left wrist pain after squat work sets

[PowderMonkey]

Hi Mark,

vitals:
male, 29 years old, about 200lb
minor exercise at school, no real training of any substance until this year. I've never really been overweight, the most I weighed before beginning Starting Strength was 175lb.

I've been getting a pain in my left wrist after doing the work sets for squat. It isn't there during the warmup sets, and it's inhibiting press and bench press.

I started doing starting strength about 4 or 5 months, but then got hit hard by the flu and had to reset. Form was not great on most lifts, and I had to work on getting it right for a while due to very poor flexibility that is now somewhat improved. Diet and sleep were also extremely subpar.

So far, I've been going about 6 weeks. I haven't missed any reps on anything. Last session, the pain in my wrist did interfere with bench. I managed to get 5 reps of the first work set (bench), but then 3 and 2 reps on subsequent sets, due to the wrist pain.

I've taken a video of the work sets from 3 different angles to try and figure out what is causing the pain.

The very last clip is how I used to hold the bar the first time I ran Stating Strength. I did not get the wrist pain at all during the first run, however various people have told me to set the bar lower on my back and widen my grip, so the work sets are (obviously) how I am holding the bar now.

Any advice on what is causing it and how it can be prevented are very welcome.
Scratch that, any advice at all that you are willing to provide is extremely welcome. I know you put a lot of time and work into this and I really value your input.


YouTube video (total runtime 2:16)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5x_zqy7pCk

[Mark Rippetoe]

You finally get around to actually showing me the left wrist in your video, at about 1:20. Can you not see the difference in the two wrists at this point?

[PowderMonkey]

I think my left wrist is coming under the bar

But I have been lifting for less than a year, and next you your level of knowledge, my speculation isn't exactly worth very much, which is why I put the question to you in the first place

What may seem obvious to you is obvious to you because you've been doing this for decades.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Your left wrist is coming under the bar, as you can see. But is that enough to hurt it? I don't know, because you didn't show me but one useful angle in your three angle video. You have to be more careful than this when you post videos if you want me to look at them.

[PowderMonkey]

My next session is tomorrow. I will focus on getting my left arm to mirror what my right arm is doing

In the interest of providing a useful video, what angle would be ideal to diagnose what is going on. In order to save time, would it be more helpful to post the 3 sets as separate videos?

[Roland Conde]

Forgive me if this is off topic.

Why are you squatting without shoes, with weights under your feet??

[Mark Rippetoe]

Three different angles where your wrist is not covered by either the plates or the uprights would be helpful. Can you not see the blockage either?

[Aslin]

You're doing this weird wiggle with your ass to the right on the way up after the bounce.This probably off-balances the weight which in turn hurts your wrist. Also, your left knee is caving in on every rep.

[JM3]

looks like your left wrist is hyperextended a good bit.