How wide a grip on Lowbar?

[Bahadur]

Out of curiousity, was wondering how wide a grip some of you take on the low bar?

As I've mentioned before I have very poor shoulder flexibility, despite stretching, shoulder dislocates, etc. I've been told my forearms are unusually long as well. Due to these factors, I've taken a very wide grip on the low-bar, Essentially my hands are pushed up against the collars.
This wide-grip does feel better (marginally) but obviously I have to flex my delts hard to maintain a shelf for the bar.

Was wondering if anyone else grips the bar this wide? My weights are low; wondering if I will have a problem later on as things get heavier.

[Carnivroar]

I do close grip, thumbless. Anything else feels really uncomfortable/unstable.

[hbriem]

I use the closest grip I can that doesn't hurt my shoulders, which happens to be exactly the same grip as on a bench press. My little fingers are maybe an inch inside the rings on a PL bar, two inches inside on an Olympic bar.

[DV]

I have the same issues as you. Longish forearms, shitty flexibility etc. Doing some warmup for my shoulders (i.e. dynamic stretching such as shoulder "dislocates") helps, and I still grip quite wide. Remember thumbs above bar.

I got some very painful elbow tendinitis that I was battling for months, before I realized I had to widen my grip in order not to support the bar with my hands. Since then I've been on easy street.

Basically: Work on flexibility in order to get as close a grip as possible. But dont be scared to grip wide, especially in the beginning. Elbow tendinitis is a bitch.

[Bahadur]

I have the same issues as you. Longish forearms, shitty flexibility etc. Doing some warmup for my shoulders (i.e. dynamic stretching such as shoulder "dislocates") helps, and I still grip quite wide. Remember thumbs above bar.

I got some very painful elbow tendinitis that I was battling for months, before I realized I had to widen my grip in order not to support the bar with my hands. Since then I've been on easy street.

Basically: Work on flexibility in order to get as close a grip as possible. But dont be scared to grip wide, especially in the beginning. Elbow tendinitis is a bitch.

You're telling me. I've now got some elbow tendinitis issues from the carry position that's flared up the past week or two. Its weird, if make sure the thumbs are over the bar.

Anyone have thoughts on 'unconventional' things to do to improve the shoulder flexibility? I've done the dislocates and they helped a little. Thinking about getting some PVC piping down at Home Depot and just hold it across my back while watching TV, hanging out at home, taking a dump, etc.

All in all, the low bar squat is a pain, and makes me dread training. Between the hamstrings being tight, knee pain, low back pain from rounding and so forth, its frustrating. I've been working on my form for a year now (!) and its very slowly, incrementally getting slightly kinda better. Who knows, maybe in 3 more years I'll have the form down. Lucky for me I'm a stubborn son-of-a-bitch.

[hatmanii]

I grip thumbs over with the inside edge of my palm at the power rings. I've got both wide and inflexible shoulders.

-Hat

[Ian Kovtunovich]

You're telling me. I've now got some elbow tendinitis issues from the carry position that's flared up the past week or two. Its weird, if make sure the thumbs are over the bar.

Anyone have thoughts on 'unconventional' things to do to improve the shoulder flexibility? I've done the dislocates and they helped a little. Thinking about getting some PVC piping down at Home Depot and just hold it across my back while watching TV, hanging out at home, taking a dump, etc.

All in all, the low bar squat is a pain, and makes me dread training. Between the hamstrings being tight, knee pain, low back pain from rounding and so forth, its frustrating. I've been working on my form for a year now (!) and its very slowly, incrementally getting slightly kinda better. Who knows, maybe in 3 more years I'll have the form down. Lucky for me I'm a stubborn son-of-a-bitch.

Your stretch-with-PVC-while-hanging-out idea seems good, although maybe a broomstick would be better, since PVC would be flexible and might not get enough stretch going for you. By the way, I went through quite a lengthy process getting my wide shoulders and long arms to adapt to the low bar position. I used to have to have my hands out at the collars also. I found that just unracking the bar and holding the position for a bit was good. I'd do that, re-rack it, shake my arms out, then get back into position and try to go a little narrower. I found that really focusing on squeezing my shoulder blades together, as well as thinking about touching my elbows together when getting into position, really helped. I did find, though, that after trying to get really narrow, that it reached the point of diminishing returns, or rather passed it, and I got some mean elbow pain, and didn't really feel like the support for the bar was any better. Better to not have half your attention tied up with maintaining hand and arm position when trying to squat. I eventually settled into a position where my thumbs are just on the gap in the knurling (I have an Oly bar; dunno if the gap is wider or narrower than power). I still have to start my first couple warmup sets with my hands out at the uprights, and slowly work them in, though, but it works.

[Bahadur]

Great minds think alike Ian. The rack and re-rack of the bar (without squatting, just holding it) is actually my part of my very lengthy pre-squat warm-up, right there with the 15-20 minutes of stretching, air squats and leg-swings.
When I first getting under it, I actually have to hold the bar OUTSIDE the collars; eventually, after a couple of 'reps' hold bringing it in, I am able to get them on the inside of the collars. Nice to know that you don't feel like its any less stable past a certain point. I'm still at the stage where my brain is constantly processing a thousand things during the squat, including a very conscious and continuous noting of where the fuck my hands and elbows are. Here's to hoping it becomes rote fairly soon.