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I did SS for some time.
I got the same elbow pain (left elbow)
Rip does say elbows up, and he is right..
what you are doing wrong is you have your hands too FAR apart.
bring them in so your pinky is on the INSIDE of the ring
also, don't try to hold the bar with your fingers.
when your hands are closer in, and you get the bar right on to the bottom of your traps / across the back of your rear delts, it will be all nice and tight and all you do with your hands is have them on top of the bar.. with elbows up, and hands close together and back tight, the bar stays put.
Other than that yo uare doing a few other things wrong (according to RIP)
you have no hip drive.
you're not keeping your upper back tight.
your knees are caving in.
I also think you are taking too long from the time you unrack to the time you do your first rep.
too many steps and moving around etc.
Something for you to note.
of all the SS trainers on that forum, there is about 5 that can squat 140kg+ for reps (or singles for that matter)
Most of them have moved on to Texas method or 5-3-1 etc.
For you, anything will probably work for a while.
if you want to keep doing low bar, then make the changes I suggested regarding hands and so forth and it should rid the pain (I ice packed my elbow for 30 minutes after training as well for the first week of pain)
Good luck
I got the same elbow pain (left elbow)
Rip does say elbows up, and he is right..
what you are doing wrong is you have your hands too FAR apart.
bring them in so your pinky is on the INSIDE of the ring
also, don't try to hold the bar with your fingers.
when your hands are closer in, and you get the bar right on to the bottom of your traps / across the back of your rear delts, it will be all nice and tight and all you do with your hands is have them on top of the bar.. with elbows up, and hands close together and back tight, the bar stays put.
Other than that yo uare doing a few other things wrong (according to RIP)
you have no hip drive.
you're not keeping your upper back tight.
your knees are caving in.
I also think you are taking too long from the time you unrack to the time you do your first rep.
too many steps and moving around etc.
Something for you to note.
of all the SS trainers on that forum, there is about 5 that can squat 140kg+ for reps (or singles for that matter)
Most of them have moved on to Texas method or 5-3-1 etc.
For you, anything will probably work for a while.
if you want to keep doing low bar, then make the changes I suggested regarding hands and so forth and it should rid the pain (I ice packed my elbow for 30 minutes after training as well for the first week of pain)
Good luck
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Ok tried to keep my elbows lower on low bar squats today but that made the bar feel like it was slipping off my back and I kind of failed at 90kg.
Then I tried some high bar squats, I did 3x5 at 70kg. ATG squats really feel different. Anyway, my elbows still hurt after squats so pressing sucked, but that would be because my elbows are already hurt.
Should I take the rest of the week off to let them heal?
Then I tried some high bar squats, I did 3x5 at 70kg. ATG squats really feel different. Anyway, my elbows still hurt after squats so pressing sucked, but that would be because my elbows are already hurt.
Should I take the rest of the week off to let them heal?
sorry I mislead you there..
during squats, I have my pinkies on the inside of the rings... should give you an idea how close I get my hands.
bring them as close as you can to get a tight platform across your back.
hip drive - I'm not going to try an explain that with words over the web.
find youtube clips of RIP teaching it over and over.
or read his book, or watch his DVD.
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Um... looking at my video I think I look more like B. I think that's because I'm doing a low bar squat so my torso is less upright.
Why have I chosen that bar position? Because I was doing starting strength and that's how Mark Rippetoe teaches to do them... well not exactly, but that's what I was going for.
Kyle Aaron
Active member
Let's set the egos aside for a moment, there's a difference between what people achieve following a programme from a book, and what they achieve with in-person coaching. Let's not pretend there's only one competent coach in the world.
Let's assume the guy wants to stick with a low-bar squat, and help him sort it out.
What really concerns me is your back. Notice that as you come out of the hole, your hips rise up while your shoulders stay at the same level. As a result, the bar drifts forward past the middle of your foot towards your toes. This makes you have to do a good morning out of the squat, takes the lift away from your glutes, hams and quads, and to your lower back.
The knees caving in are part of this.
Drop the weight by 20-30kg. From the hole, concentrate on keeping your knees out, driving up with the hips, but keeping that back angle the same rather than letting yourself drop. This will bring in your glutes and hams more, and once you get used to it, your squat will actually be stronger, you will be able to lift more than now. Just ask Danco, he had the same issues.
Let's assume the guy wants to stick with a low-bar squat, and help him sort it out.
Your elbows look fine, I'd have to see in person, though. In general, the further back the elbows and the closer in the hands, assuming straight wrists, the tighter it'll all be. You'll be restricted by individual flexibility and so on, though. Take that week off, rest and ice, then experiment a bit at low weights and try to find a comfortable grip.
What really concerns me is your back. Notice that as you come out of the hole, your hips rise up while your shoulders stay at the same level. As a result, the bar drifts forward past the middle of your foot towards your toes. This makes you have to do a good morning out of the squat, takes the lift away from your glutes, hams and quads, and to your lower back.
The knees caving in are part of this.
Drop the weight by 20-30kg. From the hole, concentrate on keeping your knees out, driving up with the hips, but keeping that back angle the same rather than letting yourself drop. This will bring in your glutes and hams more, and once you get used to it, your squat will actually be stronger, you will be able to lift more than now. Just ask Danco, he had the same issues.
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Very good advice, take it. Just because rippetoe suggests low bar does not mean it is right for everyone. How tall are you?
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