elbow and hip/leg pan killing my squat

Pain & Rehab Forum [Moderated]
1

Hi all,

So I haven’t been able to squat properly since December 2018 because of pain.
Background:
Starting training May 2018 did LP for 6 months and did low bar squat throughout.
Started the bridge V1 in November and started getting elbow pain about 2 weeks in.

I tried to manage it by doing low bar twice a week and high bar/leg press once a week which kind of worked in that I could still squat but was always in some pain.
It continued to get worse however and when I finished the bridge and moved on to the bridge V3 and swapped to high bar.

High bar was fine for 2 weeks and then I started getting pain on my right leg/hip joint on the inside of my leg.
In 2-3 weeks I couldn’t squat anymore and just did leg press which was mostly pain free.

Now even when I deadlift get pain although not very much and not enough that I can’t DL.
After training DL/Squat lifting my right knee up is painful. Even walking is sore for a while after.

I know I was lifting too close to my limit during the bridge V1. I wasn’t used to RPE and thought I could lift more than I could.

When I low bar squat my elbows tend to point parallel to the ground. I’ve tried to fix it but just can’t figure out how. It feels like the bar will slip down.

Sorry for the essay and thanks for all the great content!

2

Hi Paulk,

As you alluded to, you may have overshot the loads your were using with RPE. Overall it sounds like these issues can be managed with some adjustments to loading. Try reducing the loads you’re using with the squat and deadlift (think sets of 10-15) and utilize a 3-0-3 tempo (3s on the way down, 3s on the way up), which will further reduce load. Work up to a top set at RPE 8 or so, limiting the total number of sets to 6 (includes all warmups). Gradually work your way back up with tolerable levels of symptoms (meaning they don’t increase drastically during the session or 24 hours afterward to the point where you’re unable to perform activities of daily living). If they do that’s ok. This simply means you weren’t able to tolerate the dose of training on that day, and a reduction in load is likely indicated.

If you decide to reintroduce low bar, maybe try modifying grip width/wrist position and see if you can find a position that’s more comfortable to train with.

If these issues persist and you would like more specific guidance, you can set up a consultation with Dr. Miles or Dr. Ray here: Contact Us | Barbell Medicine

Hope that helps,
Charlie

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