squat
Q&A: Neck and Head Pain During Barbell Squats
The previous workout when performing squats I was close to failure when i started to get a intense pain in my neck and the back of my head ( I had this again last night during squats). My training partner believes my head and neck position is too far back causing me to tense my upper back and neck very hard on the eccentric part of the squat causing pain where the neck tendons attach to the skull. Has any of your clients had this problem? What do you recommend?
Hyperextending the neck is a common fault during barbell squats and may be a large part of the reason you are feeling the pain in your neck. As you descend and the hip angle decreases, if you continue to look straight ahead your neck will extend significantly by the time you reach the bottom position. The head and neck should remain in a neutral position relative to the body throughout the exercise. The chin should be just slightly down. Imagine you are holding a tennis ball between your chin and sternum, and maintain that position.
The bar may also be positioned too high. During barbell squats, the bar should be positioned just over the spines of the scapulae, on the lower traps and rear delts, and not higher on the traps on the back of the neck. When the bar is placed high on the traps, it tends to place a lot of pressure on the spinous processes of the seventh cervical or first thoracic vertabrae, which can cause serious damage over time. While the higher bar position may place more of the load on the quadriceps, since a lower bar position will allow a greater load to be used overall, in the long run it should result in better overall thigh development.
In short, keep your head in a neutral position, the bar on the lower part of the traps/back of the rear deltoids just above the spines of the scapulae, and you should no longer feel any pain in your neck during squats.
Rack Mod: Attachment Point for Chain, Bands, Rope, Etc.
You can easily add attachment points to many squat or power racks for chains, bands, gymnastic rings and numerous other devices by swapping heavy duty eye bolts for the regular bolts. Additional attachment points can be placed anywhere else on the rack by drilling new holes if you have the appropriate tools. More on this later…
Before swapping out bolts, you’ll need to know the diameter and length you’ll need. Most home and commercial equipment uses 3/8 and 1/2 inch hex bolts. The bolt size is not the same as the head size. A 3/8 inch bolt will have a 9/16 inch head, and a 1/2 inch bolt will have a 3/4 inch head. Check the head size using your socket or wrench and write it down.
Remove the bolt and measure the distance from the bottom of the head to the end. Write this down. Or, take the bolt with you to the hardware store and compare directly. Let anyone else that might use the rack know you’ve removed the bolt before you go.
When selecting eye bolts, check the packaging for the safe working load. The stainless steel bolts will typically have the highest, although zinc plated steel will usually be more than strong enough for most uses. The eye bolts I purchased will handle up to 540 pounds, and the spring clips up to 400. The packaging will usually contain some warning about not using the product for support of human weight or athletic equipment, but this is just there to cover their ass - a properly secured 3/8 or larger steel eye bolt is more than strong enough to safely support you and then some. If you’re over 400 pounds I doubt you’re going to be doing any body weight rows or ring dips any way. Use common sense. If you ever notice any kind of wear or damage to a bolt or spring clip, replace it. Hardware is much cheaper than an emergency room visit for a concussion or broken bone. › Continue reading