barbell frustration

J

jharris35

Cathlete
Okay so I got my new barbell and put it together, then I put 35lbs on it like Cathe uses in B&G I lifted it over my head but I don't know how to rest it.

It feels like it hurts my neck and strains my wrists. What do I do to aleviate these pains? Is it that I'm just not that strong? Before I bought the BB I used 10lb db's in each hand and rested them on my shoulders. Sometimes I would try 15's but I think this is what put the strain on my lower back and then I have doms in that area for days and it is painful(it's fine when your moving but to get up from a seated or lying postion would be painful).

Any pointers on how to use my new toy, and not hurt myself?

On a happy note I just won GS both upperbody tapes on ebay form 45.00+ shipping. :)

Thanks a bunch.

Jenn;-)
 
You mention that you used to use 2 -10 lb db's which total 20 lbs and sometimes 2 -15lb db which totals 30 lbs. Your body may not be quite ready for the 35 lbs. Also do you know the weight of the barbell by itself with no weights? I know the one Cathe uses is 5lbs. When I bought mine I loaded up my bar and it felt too heavy. I took everything off and weighted the bar by itself and mine is a 14 lb bar.

Good luck with the new barbell. Once youget used to it you will love it. I did pad my bar with some foam because even though I don't rest the bar on my neck, my neck bones would gt bumped when I raised the bar.

Jean
 
I used to get numb in my arms and hands when I put the barbell on my shoulders. I bought a curl bar instead. Seems to have done the trick. Also, when I use a regular barbell now, only at the gym, it does not bother me. At home, I use only the curl bar.
 
Pipe insulation is the way to go! It is like syrofoam, comes in lengths and you can cut as many as you want.. my DH had the idea when I also was getting pains from the bar on my shoulders.. just cut a slit in it and it fits right over the bar.. works like a dream and is real cheap!

p.s just like another poster said, weigh the bar by itself.. in one of the older barbell sets I have, the bar weighs 22 pounds, and another one ways 13..

Deb
 
I used to use a towel and rest it on my back but then I caved and bought a BB pad and it's sooooo much better.

I'm still trying to figure out how to reduce the wrist strain/pain, though....

Allison
 
You've gotten some good advice.
I just want to add that one thing I noticed in your post that wasn't addressed yet is that it strains your wrists, making me think that maybe you are holding it with your wrists bent, perhaps because of a lack of flexibility in the front shoulder area, that make it impossible for you to bring your elbows back far enough to keep the wrists straight. That lack of flexibility would also make it difficult to hold the bar on the upper traps where it should be rather than on the neck. You may want to work on stretching your chest and front delts to improve flexibility in that area. Also, play with the width of the hold on the bar: sometimes holding it out a bit wider can help.

You also mentioned that you usually hold dumbbells on your shoulders do to leg work. I personally find this painful (boney shoulders?) and hold the db not on top of the shoulders, but against the front of the shoulders, like at the top of a hammer curl, taken to the extreme. You might want to try this with your 15 pounders at some point, but...

Having pain in the lower back (which sounds more like muscle strain to me than DOMS) after trying to use 15# weights suggests to me that this may be too heavy for you to use with good form right now. You may be arching your back to try to hold the weights, and be unable to keep your core firm to support the back. Be aware of this. If that is the case, then a 35# barbell is also probably too heavy for you at this point.

Also, as others have mentioned, the 35# weight Cathe uses includes the weight of the bar. And you DON'T have to use even that much, just because Cathe does.
 
I second the other advice previously provided and would add - lighten the weight up quite a bit until you get used to how the bar works/feels - until you find a comfortable placement for it, etc. Most bars weigh about 10-15 pounds by themselves, with no weights added. Use just the bar once or twice, then increase the weights as you get used to the feel, gain the necessary flexibility in your shoulders, etc. I frequently still just use dumbbells held at my sides, because for the longer duration exercises, I just don't find the barbell comfortable - and my barbell is padded.
 
Thank you for all of the suggestions.

I believe the bar itself weighs 4lbs. I will lighten and see if that helps. I guess the 35lbs is to heavy and I will go lighter and work myself up. I will also try a towel until I can get a pad or some of the pipe fitting. It will just take some practice.

Jenn
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top