Elbow Position on Low Bar Squat

[Patrick McCarty]

I received some instruction last winter from a coach regarding a low bar squat and elbow position. He instructed me to bring teh elbows up high in the back which would form a "shelf" of muscle which, in general, it does. Others seem to favor keeping the elbows low.

Which is corrected, and what is the reasoning behind whichever is the correct position?

[Greg Everett]

Lifting the elbows up encourages the upper back to round forward and the chest to drop - this is why it's discouraged by people who discourage it. But those people are the kind of people who also discourage low bar back squats.

[Steve Shafley]

Bringing the elbows up and back to 'shelf' the back and low bar squatting is almost certainly a sign that you haven't done enough shrugging and power cleans.