[honesty]

So, I'm in my 2nd week of doing weights, and I'm having problems with my elbows when I squat. The inside (if you hold your arm out flat with the elbow bone on the bottom, the bit closest to the body) really hurts when squating. I dont get pain anywhere else, so is this something I'm doing wrong?

[Teh El Macho]

Are you gripping the bar with your thumb around it? If so, don't use the thumb; keep it in the same direction as the rest of the fingers.

Also, how close are your hands to your shoulders? Have you tried keeping your hands closer to the plates (not an ideal position, but could help in release pressure.)

The most likely cause is that you have poor internal shoulder rotator inflexibility and upper thoraccic mobility.

Insufficient upper thoraccic will stop your shoulder blades and your upper spine from moving properly as you bring your hands back and overhead/behind the neck. Insufficient internal rotator inflexibility will stop your forearm from rotating backwards to put them into position. So basically you are "americana" yourself.

I would suggest that you immediately stretch your internal rotators, your external rotators and strengthen your external rotators by doing these in the given order:

http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/Subsca...roomstick.html
http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/Infras...SideLying.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...lRotation.html

Coincidentally, stronglifts just published one article that you may find useful: http://stronglifts.com/squat-bar-position/

Check also the following:

http://stronglifts.com/shoulders-dislocations/

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-improv...acic-mobility/ (go to section #2)

[honesty]

Cool. Thanks. Hands are close to the shoulders and thumbs in line with the fingers. I'm using the low bar position as described on stronglifts, so looks like stretching for me!

[Teh El Macho]

Yeah, I had that problem for a while - at one point I had to put my hands as far as the plates (not good).

Also, check your wrist flexibility - bringing the palm towards the inside of your forearm, bringing the back of the hand towards the outside of the forearm and rotation of the wrist (clockwise and counterclockwise with the elbow fully extended). If your wrist is inflexibile, the elbow will take the brunt of it.

YouTube - Wrist Stretching Exercises

YouTube - Wrist Stretching Exercises