North Coast Miller
Level 9 Valued Member
Have been experiencing more pinched nerve symptoms of late associated with overhead pressing and snatch. I have always internally rotated at the bottom of the swing/snatch (thumb pointed back) and normally have more of a neutral/pronated attitude at the top - hand is flat, thumb points directly to the side.
I've begun doing my snatches with more movement, internal rotation at the bottom to an outward rotation at the moment of transition both up and down, to more of an internal rotation at the top. I've noticed when the arm is internally rotated as much at the top of the lift as at the bottom, several things happen.
First, the joint has more potential movement. When the arm is internally rotated only enough to place the palm at horizontal, it still locks out front to back when the arm is directly overhead. If you internally rotate a bit more the arm can pass all the way through, at the top it isn't bottomed out.
I've also noticed that with static holds I experience fewer pinched nerve symptoms - tingling numbness in index and ring finger, slight pain between shoulder blades.
There is less overall rotation of the handle in the grip, so less trauma to the palm over time - though this is balanced out somewhat by the KB brushing the back of the forearm when it comes to rest - tugs the arm hairs and slides on the skin.
It feels like there is overall somewhat more lateral muscle activation across the upper back/rear delts, similar to the Arnold shoulder press. The lift feels more challenging at a given weight tho not notably so.
It becomes a little harder to fully lock out the arm as the elbow begins to point backward.
Anyway, food for thought. Doing them like this and converting some of my other static holds to be slightly more internally rotated has helped tone down the pinched nerve symptoms associated with overhead lifts. Have only been doing them this way for a couple of weeks, am not sure if this is a keeper. YMMV.
I've begun doing my snatches with more movement, internal rotation at the bottom to an outward rotation at the moment of transition both up and down, to more of an internal rotation at the top. I've noticed when the arm is internally rotated as much at the top of the lift as at the bottom, several things happen.
First, the joint has more potential movement. When the arm is internally rotated only enough to place the palm at horizontal, it still locks out front to back when the arm is directly overhead. If you internally rotate a bit more the arm can pass all the way through, at the top it isn't bottomed out.
I've also noticed that with static holds I experience fewer pinched nerve symptoms - tingling numbness in index and ring finger, slight pain between shoulder blades.
There is less overall rotation of the handle in the grip, so less trauma to the palm over time - though this is balanced out somewhat by the KB brushing the back of the forearm when it comes to rest - tugs the arm hairs and slides on the skin.
It feels like there is overall somewhat more lateral muscle activation across the upper back/rear delts, similar to the Arnold shoulder press. The lift feels more challenging at a given weight tho not notably so.
It becomes a little harder to fully lock out the arm as the elbow begins to point backward.
Anyway, food for thought. Doing them like this and converting some of my other static holds to be slightly more internally rotated has helped tone down the pinched nerve symptoms associated with overhead lifts. Have only been doing them this way for a couple of weeks, am not sure if this is a keeper. YMMV.
