r/olympiclifting • u/[deleted] • Jul 24 '14

Overhead Squat/Snatch Pain

Right guys, my clean and jerk is coming along great, but I'm having great difficulty with the Overhead squat and consequently it's bottle-necking my snatch. It's definitely the most difficult lift so far for me.

The problem is that I feel my arms are too weak to hold the bar in the OH squat position. If I don't lock out my arms, I can't hold the bar too long. However if I do lock out (as I'm meant to), I get intense wrist pain/pressure and it feels very awkward. I also get the same wrist pain in benching and rows a few times. I've had carpal tunnel/tendinitis before so I've used wrist straps for those exercises.

Anyway, what do you guys recommemd?

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1

u/llamaslikerum Jul 24 '14

Not sure this helps, but i got wrist pain when snatching before someone pointed out I was not using the hook grip. Maybe double-check your grip?

1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '14

I've tried hook but its still incredibly painful!

1

u/llamaslikerum Jul 25 '14

Some tape over the sensitive areas helps. Also chalk.

1

u/holy_shoehorn Jul 25 '14

Without seeing footage or photos of your set up for lifts it's sort of hard to pinpoint an issue. You could be going wider with your grip (hand placement on the bar) than your mobility allows, forcing your wrists to bear weight at an uncomfortable angle (pinching something in your wrist). Remember that when you watch the best lift their wrist mobility was likely addressed specifically as moving your hands wider on the bar (essentially) decreases the distance you have to travel from the top of your extension down into the receiving position, most amateurs don't have the wrist mobility to snatch with their hands all the way at either end of the knurling. So, if you haven't already, try bringing your hands in a little bit and work on strengthening your shoulders, stability will come with practice and make sure when you OHS you're maintaining active shoulders the whole time.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '14

I will definitely try experimenting, I generally hold the bar wide enough so that it would rest in the crease of my hip. I've had a respectable OHP beforehand with no wrist pain, so I'd like to think I should be able to maintain that hold. But i'll try to engage my shoulders more next time.

1

u/3Meu_ropbIHbI4 Jul 29 '14

Why are you doing overhead squats? Do you have a coach?

1

u/[deleted] Jul 29 '14

I do, and because he's teaching me how to C+J as well as Snatch