Elbow Problem Squat Form Check @ 385#

[Itchysoles]

Bearded Canadian Female, 31yo, LP in last 12 weeks BW: 180-205#, squat ~275#-385#


You can see below that I'm coming out of heavy squats just a little crooked, head cocked to left and left elbow maybe higher. Left elbow has been hurting for a while, it was unbearable until I got wrists to mostly straighten out and stretched enough to get grip a little narrower -- continuing to try to do that, but it's still bad enough after most PR 3x5s that it's seriously hindering my other lifts and continues to ache almost 24/7. Have mostly avoided ibuprofen.

Anything else you see here that could be causing my left elbow problem?

Image from 2nd set and video of 3rd set below.

[Jeff Illingworth]

Are these intentionally not low bar squats? If they're supposed to be low bar, there are several things that need to change. Regardless, though, you are not tight enough and you have insufficient thoracic extension.

[timelinex]

Anyone else notice the behemoth in the right mirror during the middle of the video? haha

I will let someone more knowledge answer your question, however I noticed you are doing what looks like a "high bar squat in a low bar position". Thats what I use to do before one of the SSC coaches here point it out. Basically, you aren't bending over enough. I would wait and see what others on here say about this, but I think this will cause issues like lack of hip drive in your squat.

[Mia Inman]

I'm a little confused. Is it your left elbow or your right elbow that's the problem? You mention both.

Also, where is the pain, on the inside or outside of your elbow?

Thanks.

[Itchysoles]

I'm a little confused.

Me too, lulz. Left elbow, the acute pain in on inside of left elbow, fatigue throughout the left arm after squats.

not tight enough and you have insufficient thoracic extension.

"tight", meaning push my shoulder blades back as much as possible, get grip in narrower? The grip thing slowly getting narrower over last couple months.

"high bar squat in a low bar position".[...] Basically, you aren't bending over enough.

ya, probably. I've assumed that it will just take time to stretch into true low bar position at which point bending over more will be the consequence of remaining balanced over mid-foot. Is just pushing as low as I can without pain each set the wrong way of going about that?


thanks, y'alls

[Mia Inman]

I'm not seeing any wrist flexion in your elbow when you squat. Perhaps you're trying to lift the bar with your hands as you lead with your chest (instead of hip drive?)

You may also have some lingering tendinitis from your squats with bent wrists. I had the same issue a while ago. Pain on the inside of my elbow, and it was due to slight wrist flexion. Had trouble gripping anything after a squat session. Once I diagnosed the problem, and squatted with straight wrists, and haven't had a problem since. However, the pain did take a few weeks to subside completely. You might want to think about ibuprofen and its ilk as you recover.

Check out the following two articles to also help with elbow pain and thoracic tightness.

Preventing Elbow Pain in the Squat | Nick Delgadillo

Identifying and Correcting Thoracic Spinal Flexion in the Squat | Bill Hannon

Lastly, I've generally had clients squat with low-bar form, even if their grip wasn't ideal. We start wide if need be, then work in over time. Use the Paul Horn stretch if you can every session.

Good luck!

[Itchysoles]

Thanks a lot, Mia. I will try to implement a couple of those suggestions.

Use the Paul Horn stretch if you can every session

From the way Horn describes it, it sounds like I should have stretched further into LBBS in 12 weeks than I am at. I haven't been doing it exactly like he shows.

For other's ref, here's the Paul Horn vid on LBBS stretch: Low Bar Position Stretch | Paul Horn

And Bill Hannon says I should stick my boobs out because my upper back is a bsfm. Will give it a try. I definitely look something like the wrong picture in that article.

[Itchysoles]

Weird idea. Potentially stoopid idea. What if I just front squat for a couple weeks and do the low bar position stretch between each set until my elbow pain goes away?

Maybe the pain itself is making my stretching ineffective, and the 3x squat frequency is not allowing me to ever fully heal and continue stretching lower into low bar position?

[Greg Ruhl]

From the way Horn describes it, it sounds like I should have stretched further into LBBS in 12 weeks than I am at. I haven't been doing it exactly like he shows.

A few things on the stretch:
- while I need to stretch during warm ups, I find that I progress the stretch the best *after* I work out (fully warmed up and can push it).
- I kept screwing up my elbows because I thought I wasn't supporting the weight with my arms.

[Greg Ruhl]

I bent my wrists to take pressure off the arms while I healed (and keep a tight shelf for the bar). I used wrist wraps during that time to help support the wrists.