How to stretch your shoulders for the low-bar back squat (UPDATED)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 มี.ค. 2020
- In this video, we'll teach you three simple stretches you can use to dramatically improve your shoulder flexibility and eliminate the pain and discomfort commonly associated with the low-bar back squat.
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That Rippetoe cut out is haunting AF
at first I legith thought it's him lmao
They should sell those on Starting Strength.
his name is rippletits
I just thought it was a random guy watching lol
I kept watching it to see if it would move
Rip isn't even dead and he's already haunting gyms!!
This helped so much! I've struggled with squats for years trying highbar as I was never able to get into a comfortable lowbar position. After trying what you suggested I was able to get a proper lowbar position and the mechanics felt so much better for me. I finally feel like I am balanced and stable and can transfer all of my force into the bar (almost like a leg press). I've kind of hated squats for a long time with no progression but I'm excited again!
Thanks!
Happy to hear that!
this really helped a ton
hugely helpful thanks man
Literally the only thing that has worked in getting anywhere close to getting into the correct low bar position. Thank you!
Glad to hear it!
Same. There are so many videos with these wild shoulder mobility stretches, but at the end of the day just lunging under the bar has gotten me more mobility than anything else.
Thanks, I’ll try these next time I warm up 👊🏼
Very helpful tips. Much appreciated!
Yes! Get it Paul!
Thank you needed this
Great video. I will definitely try this, thanks 😊
Thank you ❤
Thank you so much!!
These are great mobility drills Paul! My favorites are the rubber band one and the bar stretch.
Will deff try these!! Got such bad pain in my forearms!! Probably due to hands being to far out creating to much moment arm..
Great stretch! you could also put a broomstick in a doorway to do this at home too!
I haven't been able to get under a bar pain free in over a year because of a BJJ injury. This simple exercise got me into the perfect position pain free after about 10minutes. Thanks for sharing.
Rip looking like Michael Myers stalking his victim in the background
Thank you for making this video -- it's exactly what I was hoping to find!
You're welcome!
Thanks
Thank you very much!!
You're welcome!
Someone's hanging in the background like Pennywise🤭
But very good video👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
from a distance that looks like Rip....
Every gym needs a lifesize cardboard cut out Rip'. Love it!!
great advice!
Thanks for watching!
I'm going to try that stretch with the bar. Usually takes me several warm up sets to get the bar in the right position without pain.
I've been doing the dislocates daily for years but it hasn't helped at all for my hand position in the squat.
Thank you a million times
🫡
I broke my right shoulder as a kid and it has never been the same since. I will definitely try these out. I tried my best to do barbell squats today and they were so hard, I had so much pain in my right shoulder that I couldn't finish my last set. I have a lot of mobility work to do before I can get comfortable with barbell squats, specifically my hips, ankles, and shoulders.
Give it some time. I've had three shoulder surgeries and a number of clients with broken shoulders. We were all able to squat using this stretch. Keep me posted. 💪🏻
Hi Paul
So glad I came across your video I suffere with this an will definitely try this once again many thanks
Hope it helps!
Good vid
The shoulder dislocations w a band and hanging a band on a chin bar and doing the stretch...hold the band in one hand behind your back like getting handcuffed position for timed sets, works really well before squat sessions.
Huh?
This was really helpful. Ive always has issues with shoulder mobility in particular the left shoulder, it hurts especially when re-racking the weights. That position behind the head is such a foreign stance that feels uncomfortable, hopefully by introducing regular stretches I can open up the shoulders and increase mobility.
Stick with it. Go slow. You'll get there eventually.
I used to be able to squat then I had a frozen shoulder and other shoulder injuries that limited my shoulder mobility. Now I can't reach back to even attempt a squat. I'd have to try this, hopefully it helps getting flexible shoulder mobility. 🤙
Just be patient and persistent.
Been doing this for a month several times a day and I can finally squat high bar without discomfort. Gonna continue this until I can squat low bar again! 💪
That's awesome news. Keep going and thanks for watching! 👊🏻
Thanks man. Recently joined a gym and never realised how little motion I had in my shoulders. My first squats were a horrible experience. Hopefully, this video will help my progress.
Did it work?
@@mayssm The stretching and mobility? Yes, it really did work. However, squats are not for me. Caused way too many other problems. Definitely a workout for the dedicated and experienced.
@@grrinc Yeah, I've done highbar squats froever and decided to try out front bar and low bar, but damned if I can get my wrists/shoulders to rotate like that. Not even remotely close atm.
last saturday i squated and it felt like i almost dislocated my right shoulder. ive only been squating for less than a month
You should do more vids, very good explanations and demonstrations.
alibabazs That’s the plan. We have a few more already filmed. Stay tuned. Thanks for the support!
@@HORNSTRENGTH if you have insta you should post a short clip summary from this vid as well and ofcourse "link in bio". Then if Starting Strength insta repost it, more traffic and people helped. :)
@ Already done!
Hey Paul, your advices are pretty good, but if someone has problems with shoulder mobility, this one won't be able to put the wooden stick straight overhead on his shoulders. He has to do it like me, from the side. Greetings from Germany 😉
Very useful for the problems I've been having. I am killing my stupid elbows and biceps doing Squats every other workout.
Thank you! If you're getting tendonitis, make sure you're using the thumbs-around grip. That usually fixes the issue right away.
www.reddit.com/r/hornstrength/comments/18c2ez6/thumbs/
th-cam.com/video/Ik17Kb-cnoE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ERlexuK0cseCgCk7
2:37 the sensor he’s talking about is the golgi tendon organ.
💯
Paul, Great video and very helpful. I am wondering why Rip is in the background just standing there? Just curious.
He likes to watch.
Great video, followed the advice, tried to get into the stretch position but can't even get my head under the bar let alone my shoulders!
I've had guys like you. It takes awhile. But spend 5 minutes every day and you'll make progress. I promise.
@@HORNSTRENGTH thanks for the reply. I will carry on. Third day now and just about getting half way down the back of my head.
I’m in the exact same situation you were in. Were you able to get to the low bar position? If so, how long did it take, and what was your daily routine?
Wow. Excited to try this when I work out next time. I have never been able to squat with straight wrists, and trying this the bar stops at the bottom of my neck, but I can feel it stretch a lot in my pecs. I have been doing shoulder related stretches for a while to try and get myself into a proper squat position, but I guess my pecs are the real problem.
correction, it's my shoulders as well
Let me know how it goes. I've never had a client that couldn't get there with this stretch (except for two that had destroyed their shoulders in skiing accidents).
Also, FWIW, I switched to squatting with my thumbs around the bar and bent wrists a few years ago. It takes about three sessions to get used to the pressure on the wrist, but it prevents the biceps tendonitis that is extremely common with the thumbs-on-top grip.
Thank you for sharing! So helpful. Can you share what you do with people while you are working on their mobility, if they completely cannot assume a low bar squat position yet? Do you high bar squat? Also, what frequency would you recommend stretching at?
Sure. We have them use this stretch at the start of every session for about 5 minutes. Then, the do the best they can during their sets. That might mean a hybrid of high bar and low bar. Also, using a thumbs-around grip can make it easier to hold since the wrists are allowed to bend.
@@paulmhorn thanks! Do you have them do the other stretches at home, or is 3 days a week enough?
@@ellen4936 As often as you can, but yeah 3 days is good plus the broomstick stretch at home.
I'm just 10 days post subacromial decompression surgery and manipulation under anaesthetic....I still can't get under a squat bar....I'm seeing the surgeon and physio on Monday and will ask about this exercise!
If you just had surgery, it will probably be a little while before you regain your range of motion. I didn't even attempt this stretch until I was at least 30-60 days post-op. I doubt your doc will be familiar with this stretch. You can ask, but I'd defer to him on the timeline. After all, he did the repair, and I'm just some dude on TH-cam. 😂 Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
Good tip. I usually try this on the first two warmup sets. Fucking Rip in the background.
Hey Paul
i feel like this helped me finally get into a somewhat proper low bar position. However now I'm having issues with an uneven bar where one side dips lower than the other, losing my straight wrists mid set, and pain in the elbow area after heavier sets.
Do you use wrists wraps? Also don’t forget other variations to reduce overuse
Fix lat flexibility
Can you give any info on the band you’re using? Is it just one of the thinnest bands you’d use, for say, an assisted pull-up? Any details you could give would be helpful because I’ll have to buy something for this. Thank you! 🖖🏼
Just some basic resistance bands from Amazon: amzn.to/3oBFuut
Man...Thanks...I got there in two weeks...
Awesome!!!
Hi Paul. Is the pain meant to felt from the shoulder joints? I feel it the most in my joints?
Indeed. It's a shoulder stretch.
What do you recommend for individuals that have previously dislocated their shoulder and have tight shoulders as a result? Stick to high bar?
We try this stretch. It often works. But if not, we will high-bar or use a safety squat bar.
I've been struggling to identify the source of my pain. I have no problem getting into the low bar position, but after a set I have sharp pain in my left scapula, no pain in my elbows or delts. I haven't been able to find any sources that address what I'm experiencing, do you have any potential solutions?
Hard to say without seeing your form. It's possible you're putting the bar too low (very common). You could also be putting it ON actual spine of the scapula on the left side and mashing the bar into the bone. If your grip is too wide, the posterior deltoids don't "bunch up" enough to create bed of muscle that lifts bar off scapulae. I'm just guessing, however. I'd really have to see it.
stupid question, but would this also help High Bar squats, i get elbow pain when i take a moderately narrow grip? i think its because of weak external rotators.
It'll help with general shoulder flexibility, but most people don't have flexibility issues with the high-bar position. My guess is that the elbow pain is stemming from another form error.
I have dislocated my right shoulder a few months back and the mobility of my right shoulder makes it hard for me to do either high or low bar squat. I can do the band exercise but the bar one puts a lot of stress on my traps and neck as they tighten a lot when I try to put the bar behind my neck. Is that normal and should I just keep doing that? I miss the feeling of heavy squats... 😢
If getting under the bar didn't make things tighten up or cause any discomfort, you wouldn't need to stretch. That's the point. It's not supposed to feel good. But pushing into the discomfort for 3-4 seconds, relaxing, and then pushing in a little deeper is the best method I've found for improving shoulder flexibility. That being said, I have no idea what kind of pain you're experiencing, given your previous shoulder injury. You have to decide if using this stretch is appropriate and safe.
Thanks, I have bad rotator cuffs hopin this’ll help a little
I'd also make sure you do some dead hanging from a chin-up bar before every workout. Just a few min. If I try to get right under the bar without stretching out my shoulders, they get real angry. Good luck! Hope it helps.
@@HORNSTRENGTH would that be with a supine grip or a prone grip? Thanks
@@alexanderbrown8498 Both. I usually do three to four 20-30 second hangs with both a prone and supine grip before every workout. Simple, but it works.
@@HORNSTRENGTH thank you, I appreciate it! I can't even get close to achieving the low bar position yet but I'm desperate to, I'm going to try the stuff in this video and the dead hangs
@@alexanderbrown8498 Feel free to shoot me a video of you trying the stretch. I might be able to give you some pointers.
With the underbar stretching exercise, am I meant to bring my hands a little closer every time I successfully complete the exercise?
No, you just push in deeper. Once you can get the bar on your back in the correct position with the initial grip width, you can start your squat warmup progression with the empty barbell. THAT is where you'll start narrowing your grip over the course of your warmup sets.
Please help me with front squats
I hate front squats. God bless you for doing them!
I’m a mess. Shoulders are rounded forward with horrible mobility. With a broom stick I can barely get it behind my head. The furthest I can go is the curve of my neck. Can’t even get it down to my shoulders. 20 years ago I could low bar squat. Now I can’t even do a back squat. I have ALOT of work to do.
QUESTION: Is it correct to say that with the bar placed below the spine of the scapulae, the "platform" the bar is sitting on is just bunched up muscle?
That is correct. The the bar sits on a shelf of muscle. This is why skinny dudes hate the low bar squat-they don't YET have enough muscle to keep the bar from rubbing on the bone.
@@HORNSTRENGTH, wow, thank you for such a prompt response. I'm doing the Starting Strength NLP alone, so I wanted to be _positive_ I had that right. And yes, I'm that skinny dude. And yes, it's super uncomfortable. That's what led me to your awesome video. Hopefully, increased flexibility will increase muscle bunching and provide a bit more padding, as I wait for muscle size to increase. Thanks again!
@@xyzct Happy to help! If you want some more detailed programming/nutrition guidance, check out my book: amzn.to/3PfcTpi
And feel free to post a video of your squat for an upcoming Form-Check Friday so I can take a look: th-cam.com/video/EWxDDeCqzOs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=dBwVCmwZOyfr7dXt
Where do you get a stiff thick band like that?
look up "resistance bands". you could also use a broomstick / pvc pipe for that exercise which is what i do. eg th-cam.com/video/lMuNdnkY7po/w-d-xo.html
How many seconds should the broomstick Stretch at home last(outside of workouts)? How many sets? Is It ok to do It Daily?
Totally fine to do it daily. Don't overthink it. Just spend a few minutes per day. Hold the stretch for 3-4 seconds. Relax. Stretch again.
@@HORNSTRENGTH thank you very much
Would this stretch be appropriate for someone recovering from rotator cuff tear?
Are we talking post-op?
@@HORNSTRENGTH sorry should have clarified. Just 8 weeks of physical therapy for minor tear. I cannot for the life of me get under the bar without quite a bit of pain.
@@cookie0925 Unfortunately, telling you what to do would be irresponsible in this situation. I don't want to give you advice that makes things worse. Generally speaking, you should let pain be the guide. The stretch should feel uncomfortable but not painful (like touching your toes to stretch your hamstrings; It's not pleasant, but it's not alarming pain). If you decide to try it, start with a very wide grip and go SLOWLY. You might also experiment with using a thumbs-around grip when squatting. The bent wrists give you a little more flexibility in the shoulders. But, to cover my ass, you should follow your doctor's advice.
Holy balls now i see it
The cardboard cutout of Rip is hilarious!
I have no idea what you're talking about. 😉
Good god this hurts so good
I've gotten injured several times just trying to get the bar on. Honestly thinking of giving up on squatting it's not worth the injuries. I've done this stretch before and keep getting hurt. It's been months.
If this stretch is actually causing harm, you're pushing too hard. You're looking for the edge of the pain-a little discomfort. Don't get so aggressive you tear your shoulder up. Be patient. It takes time. But even if you never get there, don't give up on squatting. You can high-bar or use a safety squat bar.
@@HORNSTRENGTH I not putting much pressure into it. I had muscle spasms from doing it. I spent a week recovering then tried again just to have the same results. I've worked on this for months and these methods failed.
@@HORNSTRENGTH I can't high bar or low bar squat and safety bars aren't an option at my gym.
@@HORNSTRENGTH My range is so limited the bar rest on the back of my head it doesn't even get to my neck or beyond
@@centipedekid9824 I'd have to see what's happening. If you want to post a link to a video I can take a look. I know this is frustrating.
Where should my feet be located during that low bar stretch?
Good question. I like to put one foot forward (under my head) and one back. That allows me to push off the back foot and force myself deeper under the bar.
Since a bad fall last year I have a SLAP tear on both shoulders. After months of physio I tried to return to weightlifting but couldn't get under the bar like I used to. Do you think this would work for me?
I've had three shoulder surgeries (two of them for SLAP tears). I used this stretch to get my range of motion back. So, it worked for me. But to cover my ass, please remember that I'm not a medical professional, and you should check with your surgeon/physio first. If you do end up trying it, I hope it helps!
@@HORNSTRENGTH Thank you so much for the reply! My surgeon told me the chance of regaining mobility/function was very high & surgery should be a last resort. One physio thought otherwise, but he was very keen to get 12 months guaranteed rehab work after double surgery, so I got a 2nd opinion!! The 2nd physio also advised against surgery. I'd been avoiding shoulder dislocations but tried again after watching your vid, & I can't even do 1 with the widest grip on my broomstick. All these months I've been thinking it's my wrists limiting bar position!! I will definitely try your stretches :) I hope your surgeries were successful & you're healthy now 🙂
@@j3nnaa The SLAP tear repairs were no big deal, and I was back to lifting weights pain-free in about 90 days. My shoulders were better than ever until I had an accident and separated my AC joint. That was a much more extensive surgery, and I've had ongoing pain and arthritis ever since. But, I'm learning how to deal with it.
There are mixed views on labrum surgeries. I tried everything possible to avoid the first surgery, but nothing worked. After wasting over a year trying to train around the pain, I finally saw a surgeon who told me, "Physical therapy is the band-aid; surgery is the fix." My understanding is that there is very little blood flow to the labrum tissue, so it will not heal on its own. They literally have to scrape the area to make it bleed so the tissue can regenerate. Fortunately, the procedure worked, and I was pain-free until I tore my OTHER labrum. This time, I went to the surgeon right away and had it fixed so I could get back to training ASAP. That also fixed the problem.
More recently, I've read some interesting studies about the effectiveness and necessity of the surgery, like this one: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28495804/
It's quite possible that simply taking 3 months off-like I did to recover from surgery-would have resolved the pain. I'll never know.
It's ultimately your call. But, if you've been dealing with the pain for a long time, and it's not getting any better, I would consider just getting it fixed so you can get back to training productively. An added benefit is there are likely a number of other issues going on inside your shoulder, and once the surgeon gets in there and looks around, he can fix those, too. When I woke up in the recovery room, my ortho told me, "Man, it was a mess in there. I fixed the labrum, shaved off a few bone spurs, and tightened up your biceps tendon. You should be good to go now."
If you've never had a procedure like this, it can be a scary thought, but it's really not a big deal at all. You're asleep. And when you wake up, you'll have a 24-hour nerve block so you can't feel anything in your arm for the first day. You'll be home on the couch watching TV, feeling totally normal. Around 4-5 AM, the block will wear off, and you'll start to feel it, but if you take the Vicodin as prescribed, it's not that bad. I made the mistake of THINKING I was all good after two days and started weaning off the meds. BIG MISTAKE. A wave of pain came roaring in, and I had to sit with it until the Vicodin kicked in. The second time, I stuck with the Vicodin for four days (even though I didn't feel like I needed it) and then just managed the pain with ibuprofen. By the end of the first week, you'll be out of the woods.
Hope this helps. Best of luck!
@@HORNSTRENGTH Thank you again for the info. It's nice to hear the opinions of someone who has experienced these things. I had read about repair surgery before I went to the consultation, and initially I would have done it.. but the surgeon told me he didn't plan to repair the tear. He said the results don't last long enough, so he detaches the bicep at the labrum and then drills an insert into the arm bone. The bicep is cut shorter and attached to the insert (tenodesis?). It also would have been open surgery instead of keyhole.
To be honest I got scared when I heard all that! I guess you didn't have your biceps reattached with an insert? It's interesting to hear that you got good results with the surgery. I have been contemplating whether I should get a second opinion from another surgeon. I did read a few studies at the time and there was some evidence that tenodesis was more successful than repair for getting back into sport.
Thank you for the link- I'm very surprised at the results! I plan to find another physio who is knowledgeable about weightlifting, and see what they say. I can function well with day to day tasks, the problems start when I get under a bar again! My 2nd physio helped a lot but didn't understand why my workout routine was based on progressive overload.
@@j3nnaa If you want a second opinion from someone who is not only an expert but also a dedicated lifter and coach, I can't recommend Will Morris highly enough. I consult with Will for all of my personal injuries and send my clients to him when their issues are "above my pay grade." The value he delivers far exceeds the cost of the consult. FWIW, I don't get anything from recommending him (except happy clients). calendly.com/morrisstrengthandrehab/initial-consultation-horn-strength?month=2023-10
I'm watching these videos because I think a wrong squat grip is giving me medial elbow pain (I can't keep a neutral wrist yet and I do my best with my sets of 5, some wrist flexion always occurs). Has anyone experienced the same and, after fixing the grip, solved the problem?
Also, I couldn't find a SS coach here in Europe, if someone reading this could get me in touch with a coach working in a European country that would be awesome.
Hi Michele! It's a very common issue. So common, in fact, I made another video about dealing with elbow pain: th-cam.com/video/Ik17Kb-cnoE/w-d-xo.html
Also, we have two SS coaches in the UK and one in Belgium. coaching.startingstrength.com/
@@HORNSTRENGTH It was a super useful video and things are getting better. I managed to fix my form but I need to work on my mobility a little bit more because of another issue that arised (probably as a consequence of a "tighter" squat form). I get this light, but weird, numbness in my left upper arm. It's not painful nor uncomfortable but it's there. My guess is that I still need to get more flexible and see where things go from there.
Thanks again!
The cutout should have a sound chip that shouts "hiyup drahve" whenever someone passes by....
I think the cutout should say, “You want the answer? Buy my book! It’s in the book!” Lol
Have you ever experience anyone have shoulder pain in the low bar position from a neck issue?
Sure. If there's an underlying issue, that needs to be addressed so that training can continue.
But isn’t it like static stretching we’re if you hold it long enough your muscle will relax?
I didn't know Ryan Reynolds have brother.
Is that a stuffed Rippetoe in the background? 🤣
I don't know what you're talking about. 🤫
Look out! Coach Rip is behind you! Creepy.
is that spidy-fit demo-ing that stretch?!?1
This shit is plaguing me and ruining my training. Hopefully this video works.
It always works. You just have to stick with it. It can take a few weeks if you're really tight. Be patient. Push in a little deeper each time. Start with a wide grip and bring your hands closer over time. Remember, the KEY is the brief break in between stretches. If you just try to shove yourself in deeper and deeper, it won't work. Push. Relax. Push. Relax. Goodspeed!
The NPC in the background is glitched
Is he? Or is he waiting for the perfect moment to attack? We don't know.
bruh who tf is that guy in the background hes just staring into my soul wtf
I don't see anyone.😏
Rip's looking a bit thinner.
Rip? No idea what you're talking about. 😏
So basically, rub some dirt on it.
That creepy dude watching you...
When he said something about "To much intensity, and to much volume" I stopped listing. If that's what you are worried about join a pilates course.
can't ANYONE deliver a speech without flaming their arms and hands about???
That would look a TON less natural, you potato. I don't wanna watch some dude with noodle arms talking. Talk about weird.
@@straightpipedriceburner2036 Take a Midol, Frances.
@@Alexander-dt8sk fight me about it
flaming theirs arms??