Question about knee pain in squats

[motionman04]

I started doing squats again several weeks ago, I start out with 135, go up to 175, no problems. Then I get up to 225, when I do several reps, my right knee gives out, and feels a bit painful when I bend it for most of the day, usually the pain subsides later on, but I may feel it at times when I bend down. My question is, are there any preventative measures I can take to stop the pain from occurring??

 

[fufu]

Your legs might be to close together. I'm not an authority on this subject but I believe a narrow stance can be hard on the knees.

Other than that I would see a doctor and maybe get a referral to an orthapedic doctor.

 

[Seanp156]

I agree that a narrow stance can be painful on the knees... When I first started I always used a narrow stance, but I experienced some knee pain after 2-3 months, so I've widened my stance and rarely get any knee pain... If I do, it's mostly from cardio.

 

[fufu]

I've widened my stance and went a bit duck footed and it helps.

 

[P-funk]

can you post a video of your form?

how do your knees track (over your toes) when squatting? are they buckling in?
are they bowing out?

are you sitting back or squatting straight down?

are you sitting deep enough or quarter squatting?

are you training your hamstrings and glutes?

 

[motionman04]

Well, my knees aren't buckling when I do my squats, I usually keep my legs shoulder length apart. And I do train my glutes and hamstrings as well, and I do sit deep enough in my squats. The other day I used a bandage around my knee and I didn't feel the pain nearly as much.

 

[Vieope]

How far do you go while squatting? There is more pressure in the knee if you stop in the middle.

 

[motionman04]

hmm, well I know that at times, maybe I'm not going down quite as far because of the knee getting to me psychologically on the heavier weight. So you're saying that might be actually putting more pressure on my right knee??

 

[Vieope]

Sorry, I dont know. Someone else might have the answer.

 

[motionman04]

Out of curiousity, I wanted to know if anyone had any kind of similar problems when they squated, such as feeling some pain in one knee, and how it was resolved.

 

[CowPimp]

Widen your stance, strengthen your glutes, lighten up on the weight, make sure you're going deep enough, and make sure you're sitting back and not down. See if that helps.

 

[P-funk]

a lot of times knee pain is coming from a mal tracking of the patella (patella femoral) when going through the movement. Aside from your glutes possibly beging weak, the main thing you might want to check is your vastus mediallis oblique (VMO) as it is a powerful knee extensors that also works to adduct and stabalize the knee. When the knee laterally tracks you would want to strength the VMO to work on pulling it back so that it tracks more normally.

 

[CowPimp]

a lot of times knee pain is coming from a mal tracking of the patella (patella femoral) when going through the movement. Aside from your glutes possibly beging weak, the main thing you might want to check is your vastus mediallis oblique (VMO) as it is a powerful knee extensors that also works to adduct and stabalize the knee. When the knee laterally tracks you would want to strength the VMO to work on pulling it back so that it tracks more normally.

Just out of curiosity, how do you focus on this head? I know that squatting deeper activates this head to a greater degree, but what other movements are good for it?

 

[motionman04]

Just out of curiosity, how do you focus on this head? I know that squatting deeper activates this head to a greater degree, but what other movements are good for it?

lol yeah, i was curious about that as well. BTW, I did a couple things for the knee pain, I invested in a knee brace, and I widened my stance, went down even more so than usual, and noticed that there was almost no pain this week. So that definately helped out big time, thanks.

 

[P-funk]

Just out of curiosity, how do you focus on this head? I know that squatting deeper activates this head to a greater degree, but what other movements are good for it?

leg presses with a yoga block or a light med. ball inbetween you legs, squeezing it. Glute bridges with the same between the legs or wall sits for time with the block between the legs. these will all work your adductors. Single leg leg presses can help because you can focus on your patella tracking better. Deep squats, etc.....just trying to get extra adduction though should help out in that department.

 

[P-funk]

I should add that I am not even sure this is the problem with your knee. I am just giving you some things to look at....It may very well not be your knee at all. You may be having knee pain but the problem may be something with your ankle mobility or flexabillity (peroneals, tibialis..etc...)....there are lots of things to look at.

 

[BigDyl]

The strange thing is my knees hurt too until I warmed them up.


I started uping my fish oil intake and it went away.

 

[P-funk]

The strange thing is my knees hurt too until I warmed them up.


I started uping my fish oil intake and it went away.

fish oil has been showen to help with joint pains.

a good warm up is crucial also.

 

[CowPimp]

leg presses with a yoga block or a light med. ball inbetween you legs, squeezing it. Glute bridges with the same between the legs or wall sits for time with the block between the legs. these will all work your adductors. Single leg leg presses can help because you can focus on your patella tracking better. Deep squats, etc.....just trying to get extra adduction though should help out in that department.

Gotcha. I have most of my clients do lateral lunges and/or various unilateral movements like Bulgarian squats, split squats, lunges, etc. The lateral lunges are killers on the adductors. I also include a unilateral movement in every lower body session of my own to help keep my knee joint integrity up to par.

 

[P-funk]

Gotcha. I have most of my clients do lateral lunges and/or various unilateral movements like Bulgarian squats, split squats, lunges, etc. The lateral lunges are killers on the adductors. I also include a unilateral movement in every lower body session of my own to help keep my knee joint integrity up to par.

the lateral lunges hit more of the abductors since you are pushing against the floor and back into place. However, their is a lot of knee stabalization that goes into them as well as they are great deceleration work for the ACL.

bulgarian squats, split squats....they are all great. they really work knee stability as well as give a good stretch the the non-working leg (the back leg).

pretty much just working on going through knee extension while hitting the adductors should do the trick to help a lateral tracking patella (as well as strethicng the shit out of the ITB band).......The glute bridges with the block squeezed between the legs works more of the glutes and hammies (hip extension) while hitting the adductors isometrically (via the ball between the legs).

 

[CowPimp]

the lateral lunges hit more of the abductors since you are pushing against the floor and back into place. However, their is a lot of knee stabalization that goes into them as well as they are great deceleration work for the ACL.

bulgarian squats, split squats....they are all great. they really work knee stability as well as give a good stretch the the non-working leg (the back leg).

pretty much just working on going through knee extension while hitting the adductors should do the trick to help a lateral tracking patella (as well as strethicng the shit out of the ITB band).......The glute bridges with the block squeezed between the legs works more of the glutes and hammies (hip extension) while hitting the adductors isometrically (via the ball between the legs).

I try to focus on dragging my trailing leg and use the front leg for all the movement when doing lateral lunges. I'm pretty sure that's adduction...

I also like lunge/stepup hybrids onto a bench as a dynamic flexibility move that seems to get the adductors involved. Skater lunges are great too, which I usually include as a dynamic flexibility move too.

 

[P-funk]

I try to focus on dragging my trailing leg and use the front leg for all the movement when doing lateral lunges. I'm pretty sure that's adduction...

I also like lunge/stepup hybrids onto a bench as a dynamic flexibility move that seems to get the adductors involved. Skater lunges are great too, which I usually include as a dynamic flexibility move too.

if you really want to work the adductors on the lateral lunge here is how I do it with some people. Take a small towel and put it under the foot of the non-working leg. You need to do this on a wood floor, like in an aeobics studio. From there, lunge out with the workin leg, once you begin pressing yourself up with that leg, instead of bringing the non-working leg over to meet the working leg, you are now going to pull and drag it against the towel. it really gets you to adduct.

 

[Dale Mabry]

the lateral lunges hit more of the abductors since you are pushing against the floor and back into place. However, their is a lot of knee stabalization that goes into them as well as they are great deceleration work for the ACL.

bulgarian squats, split squats....they are all great. they really work knee stability as well as give a good stretch the the non-working leg (the back leg).

pretty much just working on going through knee extension while hitting the adductors should do the trick to help a lateral tracking patella (as well as strethicng the shit out of the ITB band).......The glute bridges with the block squeezed between the legs works more of the glutes and hammies (hip extension) while hitting the adductors isometrically (via the ball between the legs).

If you make them walking lateral lunges you get some good adductor work. Lateral step ups are pretty good too.

 

[The Monkey Man]

 

[CowPimp]

if you really want to work the adductors on the lateral lunge here is how I do it with some people. Take a small towel and put it under the foot of the non-working leg. You need to do this on a wood floor, like in an aeobics studio. From there, lunge out with the workin leg, once you begin pressing yourself up with that leg, instead of bringing the non-working leg over to meet the working leg, you are now going to pull and drag it against the towel. it really gets you to adduct.

Interesting. We don't really have a place for that where I work. I might try Dale's idea though. I actually have people do lateral stepups with bodyweight as a dynamic warmup move. I have them sort of exaggerate the step to get a little stretch in the groin area.