Fear
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marylynndrake
Posts: 86 Member
Hi everyone. I could really use some perspective here. I started SL5x5 6 weeks ago. I have been feeling great but a recent development is that after my workouts I get really stiff knees. No pain during lifts. My squat form feels good and I've studied videos a lot so I think there's no problem there. I love to jog and my routine is to jog to and home from the gym. After I lift I feel like my knees are made of stiff plastic, and it hurts to jog. Then, last night, when visualizing my work out, I got all nervous that I was going to get hurt- specifically that I'd really jack up my knees. I squat 120- next lift 125. My deadlift was 130- struggled to keep the bar in my hand. Upper body going way slower (max 40). Has anyone experienced this- either the knee pain or the fear of getting really hurt? Should I be warming up more before my squats to help reduce the stiffness? Am I really jacking myself up? Am thinking about hiring a trainer temporarily for some support. Thank you in advance for your insights- I want to kick this and am committed and advance to next level of fitness.
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Replies
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You definitely should be warming up. But I don't know enough to comment on the knees. I hope someone here has the answer for you.0
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I had a similar issue with knee stiffness. I found that foam rolling afterward, particularly my IT band helped it out a lot. I also stopped upping my weights for a while to deal with the fear that came with the stiffness (and knowing how much weight is on that bar).
Eventually it just kind of stopped. I think it was around the same time I did my first deload actually. My knees just seemed to get used the movement and everything has fallen back into place.0 -
I get knee stiffness on occasion and wake up with a little back stiffness most days. I foam roll almost daily, and I do it at the gym before I lift, which I have found REALLY helpful. I hop on one of those big balls and loosen my back, foam roll the quads and IT bands, then when I get into the squat rack I get into a super low squat position and use my elbows to push out my knees and then rock slowly side to side to open up my hips.
It has made a world of difference in how easy my heavy squats are (I'm up to 160 lbs now) and shortening the rest between sets. It take more time in the beginning, but if I'm gonna do something I want to make sure and do it right.
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Has anyone experienced this- either the knee pain or the fear of getting really hurt?
um . . . yeah. i did exactly that thing - not a serious injury, but something seriously wrong - from losing form at a bad moment with a too-heavy weight. guess you haven't been here watching me whine and obsess for the past couple of weeks :laugh:
i'm definitely watching my knees. may be a bit different from you, since i'm still just in double-figures for squat weights and i backed all the way down to the bar for a couple of workouts. on the other hand, i'm 49 and have rheumatoid arthritis, so maybe 80 pounds to my knees is the same as whatever you're lifting right now.
for now i'm watching my form a lot more carefully than it sounds like you have to, and just plain staying away from anything that feels like it's too heavy for me to maintain my form with. what i fear from my own experience isn't completely bad form throughout the whole move, just that one little half-second wobble during one little rep that tears or stresses just one little thing, and blows the whole ballgame for me. i cycle instead of running, but i think that's an extra factor for me just like it is for you.
what others have said about stretching and rolling, especially for the quads. plus, i've gotten religious about the omega-3 oils and the glucosamine sulfate tablets. especially glucosamine sulfate. the way i'm thinking, if just being alive can give heavy people osteoarthritis late in their lives, then adding some daily cartilage-insurance into my own life for lifting can't be a bad thing.0 -
Thanks so much everyone. These are really helpful tips. Foam rolling- I will try it. It's so helpful that you commented here on your experience with this and managing it!0
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Hi everyone! A big thanks to everyone who posted in response to this topic. I used the foam roller before and after my lift session yesterday and it really helped! No trouble jogging after my workout and the lifts went well too. So happy!0
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Hi everyone! A big thanks to everyone who posted in response to this topic. I used the foam roller before and after my lift session yesterday and it really helped! No trouble jogging after my workout and the lifts went well too. So happy!
Good to hear....glad it helped.0
