Front squat wrist pain

Yael Grauer · 07-10-2006, 11:23 AM

Last time I did front squats my wrists were killing me the next day. What am I doing wrong?

Please answer today if you can because I want to do today's WOD after I get off work at 22:30.

Thanks!

Yael

Erik Preston · 07-10-2006, 11:52 AM

Yael, probably just a lack of flexibility. I had the same problem when starting to O-lift. My coach had me start with 3 rounds of 20 second each stretches of my wrist:

Step up to a wall, and hold either palm facing upwards, arms fully extended. Then place your fingertips against the wall, and gently hold a stretch with your wrist hyperextended for 20 seconds...Do this for 3 rounds...

The other thing is to try and not actually hold the bar in the rack position during the front squat, rather, you would want to let the bar roll into your clavicle area, and push your elbows out, allowing the bar to come onto your fingertips.

Here's a good link in the message boards--you might want to message Lincoln at CF Sedona--loads of useful coaching there...

http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/22/17956.html

Carrie Klumpar · 07-10-2006, 11:56 AM

Probably what you're doing is holding the bar too much in your hands, with too tight a grip on it, not letting it rest across your deltoids, and not getting your elbows up high enough. The backs of your upper arms should be parallel with the floor, your hands open, and the bar resting on your deltoids and in your fingers (which will be just outside your shoulders).

See also http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/22/26155.html.

Lincoln Brigham · 07-10-2006, 12:18 PM

Some more pictures and a video:
http://crossfitsedona.typepad.com/./...adadrienne.jpg

http://crossfitsedona.typepad.com/./...eadlincoln.jpg

http://crossfitsedona.com/index_files/image1178.jpg

Adrienne setting a new pr. for the front squat, with the help of her new "DROP AND GIVE ME 20" camo workout shirt:

(Note: normally the lifter faces the squat rack and backs out. For the purposes of the video we had her facing the camera.)

Yael Grauer · 07-10-2006, 12:46 PM

It's just that I was barely holding onto the bar at all, so I don't think my grip was too tight...

Thanks for all the pics and links though, I'll look at these more closely during my break.

Matt Gagliardi · 07-10-2006, 03:52 PM

As Carrie wrote (and you should see her do Oly stuff...she's a total stud), make sure the bar is actually resting on your delts, just your fingetips should be guiding the bar.

I used to get wrist pain when I first started with the clean grip despite pretty good flexibility, I discovered that adjusting the width of my grip helped a lot.

Yael Grauer · 07-10-2006, 04:45 PM

Will do. But I'm pretty sure that's how I did it last time. At least, I felt like I was choking the whole time. And I used the lightest weight I could find to get the form down... Will try it again.

Yael Grauer · 07-10-2006, 04:46 PM

P.S. Lincoln--I can't get that video to open for some reason...

Lincoln Brigham · 07-11-2006, 12:33 AM

You've got to save it locally and rename the extension to .mov

Kevin Anderson · 07-11-2006, 08:07 AM

I like to put a bit of Nicoflex on my wrists and lightly wrap them when I am doing anything with a clean grip. My wrists are not very flexible and the comfort is probably mental but who cares.

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07-10-2006, 11:23 AM	#1
Yael Grauer Member Profile: Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 871	Last time I did front squats my wrists were killing me the next day. What am I doing wrong? Please answer today if you can because I want to do today's WOD after I get off work at 22:30. Thanks! Yael

07-10-2006, 11:52 AM	#2
Erik Preston Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: San Marcos CA Posts: 142	Yael, probably just a lack of flexibility. I had the same problem when starting to O-lift. My coach had me start with 3 rounds of 20 second each stretches of my wrist: Step up to a wall, and hold either palm facing upwards, arms fully extended. Then place your fingertips against the wall, and gently hold a stretch with your wrist hyperextended for 20 seconds...Do this for 3 rounds... The other thing is to try and not actually hold the bar in the rack position during the front squat, rather, you would want to let the bar roll into your clavicle area, and push your elbows out, allowing the bar to come onto your fingertips. Here's a good link in the message boards--you might want to message Lincoln at CF Sedona--loads of useful coaching there... http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/22/17956.html

07-10-2006, 11:56 AM	#3
Carrie Klumpar Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Seattle/Redmond WA Posts: 461	Probably what you're doing is holding the bar too much in your hands, with too tight a grip on it, not letting it rest across your deltoids, and not getting your elbows up high enough. The backs of your upper arms should be parallel with the floor, your hands open, and the bar resting on your deltoids and in your fingers (which will be just outside your shoulders). See also http://www.crossfit.com/discus/messages/22/26155.html.

07-10-2006, 12:46 PM	#5
Yael Grauer Member Profile: Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 871	It's just that I was barely holding onto the bar at all, so I don't think my grip was too tight... Thanks for all the pics and links though, I'll look at these more closely during my break.

07-10-2006, 03:52 PM	#6
Matt Gagliardi Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 946	As Carrie wrote (and you should see her do Oly stuff...she's a total stud), make sure the bar is actually resting on your delts, just your fingetips should be guiding the bar. I used to get wrist pain when I first started with the clean grip despite pretty good flexibility, I discovered that adjusting the width of my grip helped a lot.

07-10-2006, 04:45 PM	#7
Yael Grauer Member Profile: Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 871	Will do. But I'm pretty sure that's how I did it last time. At least, I felt like I was choking the whole time. And I used the lightest weight I could find to get the form down... Will try it again.

07-10-2006, 04:46 PM	#8
Yael Grauer Member Profile: Join Date: May 2006 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 871	P.S. Lincoln--I can't get that video to open for some reason...

07-11-2006, 12:33 AM	#9
Lincoln Brigham Member Profile: Join Date: May 2003 Location: Kirkland WA Posts: 3,987	You've got to save it locally and rename the extension to .mov

07-11-2006, 08:07 AM	#10
Kevin Anderson Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 180	I like to put a bit of Nicoflex on my wrists and lightly wrap them when I am doing anything with a clean grip. My wrists are not very flexible and the comfort is probably mental but who cares.