Upper Trap Pain

Bigger Stronger Leaner Beginners
1

I am striding my way through SS, in Week 6 of it, which is a pretty cool, gone past my power clean (can rep it for 3x5), bench max (was 67.5kg now benching 70x3x5). Although my deadlift and press are going a bit slower but I am not to fussed about the latter seeing as Rippetoe does suggest that press development is slower.

Anyway the major concern at the moment is my squat. I am repping at my previous max now. I am following Rippetoe’s advice about the bar position for the squat however I am getting a really painful feeling (8/10, dull, upper trap region) when putting the bar on my back. It started on Fri Week 4 so I front squatted heavy for the same load responce during Week 5 (added 10kg/25lbs in one week which was sweet). I went back to back squatting on Monday and it was fine. But on Wednesday it flared again, so front squatted some more.

It normally gets painful when I go under the bar to lift off and their a bit of slip as I derack the bar. My hand are positioned just over the marks for legal benchpress.

Has anyone had this problem?

I have good enough technique to front squat heavy with a solid core from rowing, but I would prefer to oly squat.

2

When you say you prefer to Olympic squat, that suggests to me that the bar placement is low. Correct?

If it is that painful, it might be pressing on a nerve. Then again, I’m not a doctor.

Keep doing front squats since they don’t hurt or place the bar along the traps instead.

3

Yeah hitting low placement

I checked out the placement in the mirror at the gym to make sure. I was intially putting the bar here ( http://www.fitstep.com/fitness-equipment-reviews/graphics/manta-ray.jpg )(pic only for position) but I was find that on the working sets I was just crumpling because I am quite tall (6"2).

4

My first thought is to bring your hands in.

I’m with TheDude thinking it’s pressing on a nerve. Pulling the arms in (to slightly wider than clean grip) should create a better shelf of muscle to hold the bar, as well as better sheilding that nerve ending.

And it’ll make your squat more stable (it did mine). Legal bench width is really wide.

5

Fixedish

Ambitiously put 120kg on the bar and did so beauties.

6

what did you do differently?

7

In a nut shell. Bar placement is now about 0.5 inch from the top of my shoulders downwards.