Moving from high bar to low bar squats

[Matthew Spicka]

I've been doing high bar squats thinking they were low bar squats for 3.5 months and thanks to one of your SS coaches I have now been corrected and am attempting to do low bar squats. My issue is the mobility in my shoulders to hold the bar correctly. I am only on my second week working on my shoulder mobility to be able to low bar squat. The pain is beyond excruciating. I am working on it even on the days I don't squat.

To my question... because the pain is so high I wonder if I am helping or hurting myself. Is this something that will be good for my shoulders? I am an avid stretcher and this pain is over the top. I tough enough to keep at it if as long as I know it will be beneficial m or than just to get into a low bar squat. Looking for videos online has not produced any acceptable results.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Low Bar Position Stretch | Paul Horn

Could you find us a picture of what you previously considered the high-bar position to be?

[SquatPressPull]

664731482236711816870826152898o.jpg

[Matthew Spicka]

highbar squat - Google Search

After proof reading my own post, it appears I am missing skillz to post coherently. Where is the edit button? I hope the post get my point across.

[timelinex]

I had this pain and just now (6 months later) I am getting flexible enough to get into the position easily and usually without pain. For a few months, the only way I could get into the position would be by doing the "low bar stretch" Rip linked to, before squatting. Tough through it. My shoulders hurt for a long time. Not sure if it's the most efficient way or not, but I know the shoulder pain is gone by now and I can get into the squat position.

I found doing the "shoulder dislocation drill" every day helped with the pain and maybe increased mobility (I bought a thin 10ft pvc pipe and cut it down). The stretch helping mobility might have been just a placebo and just doing squats 3x a week got me to being able to do it with less pain. But it definitely helped with the soreness right then and there. YMMV

[Matthew Spicka]

I had this pain and just now (6 months later) I am getting flexible enough to get into the position easily and usually without pain. For a few months, the only way I could get into the position would be by doing the "low bar stretch" Rip linked to, before squatting. Tough through it. My shoulders hurt for a long time. Not sure if it's the most efficient way or not, but I know the shoulder pain is gone by now and I can get into the squat position.

I found doing the "shoulder dislocation drill" every day helped with the pain and maybe increased mobility (I bought a thin 10ft pvc pipe and cut it down). The stretch helping mobility might have been just a placebo and just doing squats 3x a week got me to being able to do it with less pain. But it definitely helped with the soreness right then and there. YMMV

I appricaiat the help. I've been doing the same stretches twice a day. I just dislocated my knee today so I'll have plenty of time to stretch while my knee heals. I have a bad MCL from a snowboarding accident and I was being stupid today and hurt it.

I've always been concerned if my bad MCL would be in issue squaring but it has not been so far. I should really get it fixed so.e day, but it never hurts unless I do something stupid like fall off a skateboard awkwardly.