Squatting Problem

Coopie · May 25, 2005

Check this out guys... About 5 years ago I switched from free-standing squats to Smith machine squats due to an annoying knee pain. The switch, believe it or not, actually improved my knees (no more pain) and gave me some additional growth. So, I love doing Smith squats - I don't do them every leg workout (alternate them w. leg presses), but I love 'em anyhow.

So, this week I load up two 45 plates on each side of the Smith to perform my warm up set and I cannot get my arms back enough to place the bar properly. It's like, all of a sudden, my shoulders do not have enough range of motion to accomodate the bar behind my neck. I swear - I tried for a solid 10 minutes to get into position only to give up and walk over to the squat rack.

I never stretch and my overall range of motion is not that great. Can all these years of lifting without ever stretching finally be catching up with me? Today - just for fun - I tried to get into Smith squat position again. Same problem, I can't do it.

Any thoughts would be appreciated! Also, on the rare instances that I do get a massage, the therapist always comments to me that I am too "tight". After my massage session she stretches me out very thoroughly and it feels great. Should I be doing this more regularly?

massmonster32 · May 25, 2005

My shoulders hurt every squat session for the first 2 sets and still hurt my hands after that. I do stretch though but helps a little.MM

RedMeat · May 25, 2005

TRY Front SQUATS as an alternative

Try Front squats as an alternative like during the summer, start light and move up slowly in weight. It will take the pressure off your knees and back and center the weight to your quads where it is needed. My outer quads are much wider and cut since I alternate these for back squats. In the cooler months I perform back squats to bring the weight back on and thicken up my legs as a whole.

Sekim · May 25, 2005

Work on your flexability. Although most resistance training (except isometrics)
works you through full range of motion and thus INCREASES your flexability, some of us have to do stretching also.

1badboy · May 25, 2005

DC's "How to Cure Shoulder Problems"

I've been using this movement that Doggcrap recommends and I think it's helping my shoulder pain when squatting. Here's link to the thread, and DC's original post in case the link doesn't work:

http://www.intensemuscle.com/showthread.php?t=6997&highlight=shoulder+stretch

How to cure shoulder problems (Trust me this will do it 90% of the time)

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With a large towel or broomstick I want you to hold it with straight arms for the entire time of what i describe in the following movement--a large "rolled up like a rope" beach towel works good but honestly a longer broomstick (without the bristles) works best in my opinion. Start out with it with a really wide grip (with straight arms) in front of you (on your quads) and with straight arms bring it up and overhead and then down and back to the middle of your back--STRAIGHT ARMS ALL THE WAY--this is going to be very difficult and hard the first couple times out and then will be "old hat" with time----and its going to be painful in a stretching pump kind of way---i want 50 reps each time you do this--one repetition is from in front of your face (all with straight arms) to up overhead and back, and then down all the way to the middle of your back and then back up overhead to in front of your face again (again all with straight arms)--the important part of the movement is the area overhead that is really tight--do all of this carefully/slowly---dont just whip it over and back---if your hand is slipping off the broomstick even with the widest grip, or you cant bring your arms over straight and the start bending on you, you have some serious shoulder inflexibility and need to work this hard and get up to speed (or you could just need a longer broomstick too)--again do all of these revolutions controlled and carefully--push into the stretch as you go along toward the 50 revolutions, your chest will be pushing outward and your shoulders rolling back--your shoulders are going to blow up with so much blood its going to be incredibly painfull pumpwise--Do this once a day at nite as many times a week as you can---sometimes I have people do it every single day---but every time you do it try to move your grip inward (thats the key)----its going to be very hard to do but try your best to move your grip inward for the next 2-4 weeks and your range of motion with shoulders will increase dramatically and any impingement and the majority of other problems should be gone in 2 weeks--also try to move your grip in as you are doing the 50 revolutions--start off with a stretching but relatively easy 10 to warm up some, then try to move your grip in even by a centimeter if you can for the next 20 revolutions and then at 30 try to move the grip in another centimeter--really try to push what you can do stretchwise once your warmed up here--trust me this sounds easy but your going to be muttering "fuck you dante" after you get to your 25th revolution--Ive cured too many shoulder problems with this simple movement now its pretty ridiculous, and this and a menthol rub applied liberally daily and before sleep has cured alot of shoulder/bicepital tendonitis in trainees ---Heres a pic attached to this post so you can get an idea (thanks to a trainee of mine who cured his shoulders with this)--but remember the broomstick goes overhead and all the way back to the middle of the back (he just drew the start of the movement when you begin)

Mr_Magoo · May 25, 2005

Sekim said:
Work on your flexability. Although most resistance training (except isometrics)
works you through full range of motion and thus INCREASES your flexability, some of us have to do stretching also.

yea but you can become too well stretched in one area and if the antagonist in not stretched it gets tight and you get problems that way

big_byrd52 · May 26, 2005

i get that problem too. it takes 2-3 sets to get loose enough to get it in the right spot. i just start with the bar really high on my traps and it loosens up. doing some light pulldowns before hand helps loosen me up also.

Paul Bunyan · May 26, 2005

I use an 8ft. long squat bar to help with that problem. I still have a hard time getting under that.

PB

Big A · May 26, 2005

I've always stretched after every set of every workout.
I can do anything I choose to and I never have found my size to interfere with any movements in anything - I can dance and not look like a stump, get into tight spots, play any sport, etc. Massage therapists always comment on my flexibility.