Stop doing SQUATS!

ddeleonm09

Nope, I don't have any video. So I just spoke the the chiropractor (I work at a doctor's office lol) and he said my form is good, but it looks like there might be something wrong with my tendons. So I guess I'm taking a break. Oh well. Thanks you everyone for your input!! I'm so glad you took the time to reply. Thanks for the great advice! I'm definitely going to start with those fish oils.

ddeleonm09

FOAM ROLLER!!!

This is incredibly common. Whoever mentioned IT band is on the right track. If you don't remember causing trauma to the knee, (bumping, twisting, jamming) I would bet $20 this is a mobility issue. The problem could be in your IT band or your hips. Get a foam roller and roll out!

On the risk of sounding ignorant, what's a foam roller? lol.

ddeleonm09

Are you stretching sufficiently after your workouts? I used to get really bad constant knee pain - and not just when actually doing the squats but in day-to-day life. It got so bad at one point that just walking from point A to point B was agony.

I found that the pain wasn't related to my form at all but because my IT bands were tight and were pulling on the knee cap which was causing the pain. I am a slack at stretching and even now will notice my knee 'pulling' and know that I need to get some stretches in.

I have found the best way to relieve tight IT bands is with a foam roller or if you don't have one of these, a tennis ball does it. Here is a link for how to stretch with a foam roller - you can of course substitute a tennis ball if you don't have a roller.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/iliotibial-tract-smr

Hope this helps.

Oh sorry, I didn't see your comment. Thanks for the video! Definitely going to check this out.

dragonfly_em

tight itb => lots of foam rolling & stretching?

simplydelish2

First, stop the squats until the pain goes away. Pain is a signal that something isn't right.
Next, figure out what the real problem is - is your form really correct (it's tough to self assess), do you have joint damage, a lack of cartilage, are your knees just getting old? Once you know what the problem is - then you can figure out what to do.

Good luck!

Warchortle

There are a lot of things bad for the knees, biking, leg press, squats, running... you just have to give yourself time to heal or make sure you're doing them properly. There are some great suggestion in this thread, but form aside you have to make sure you're driving from the right place.

I don't mess with squats as much and I prefer deadlifting for this reason. I can't low squat with my knees, but I feel a better contraction regardless through deadlifting.

CakeFit21

FOAM ROLLER!!!

This is incredibly common. Whoever mentioned IT band is on the right track. If you don't remember causing trauma to the knee, (bumping, twisting, jamming) I would bet $20 this is a mobility issue. The problem could be in your IT band or your hips. Get a foam roller and roll out!

On the risk of sounding ignorant, what's a foam roller? lol.

Oh! Here!
http://tptherapy.com/shop/smrt-core-products/the-grid.html

Then google "why foam roll" and you will see a list of links from many different, reputable sources on why you should do it.

wolfcounty

hey, I had a very similar problem to this, but it wasn't from squats but rather the lunges in p90x. it could definitely be the problem if you are not using the right form. the legs and back day and plyometric days were killing my knees. In particular I was letting my knee come too far forward... I hope this helps!

also, I also started using a daily supplement high in oil and that brought literally almost instant relief.

wolfcounty

and I definitely second the idea for the foam roller.

DaniH826

Really? Omg I can still hear my last trainer's voice in the back of my head telling me to never let my knees go past my toes lol.

When you squat, put your feet at an angle, shove your knees out over your feet, and put your butt as low as it will go without lifting your heels. Then on the way up, press from your midfoot through the hips on up and push your hips out at the very top to finish the movement.

I squat like that with major weights on my back and at 45 years of age, my knees are just fine. And you're only 21, so proper squats shouldn't be giving your knees any problems whatsoever unless you were already injured in some way.

This video is for lowbar back squats, but whether or not you have a weight on your back shouldn't matter, because this is how I squat for warmups without a bar on my back at all, and it's pretty intuitive once you get the hang of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kawBY5p29fQ

mona_patty

I got knee pain too.... I think from squats. Make sure you let it heal, ice it. if u have pain, use bengay or such helps with some relieve. Also use a foam roller and roll out your quads and sides.... it is helping me. I think I have IT band syndrome I am still recovering

jayche

If squats are giving you knee pain, stop doing squats.

mhcoss

you have two choices here:

Stop doing squats till your knees heal and then work back into them.

Or;

Keep on with your routine and seriously injure yourself .


Personally I like option A better.
Injuries are part of training you have to accept taking a step back to rest thats just part of the game.

Capt_Apollo

looked on the whole thread, but didn't see anyone suggest that you warm up properly. i don't know if you do or not, but warming up properly helps move blood to your extremities and promotes your joints to lubricate properly.

jump rope, walk, dynamic stretching, some squats, and lunges are all great ways to warm up.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/01/09/warm-up/

MercenaryNoetic26

I saw the squat challenge. I knew I wasn't in any condition to be trying that right now. I like the suggestion of making a video and letting the pros on here view it to check your form.

Let your knees recover and then try again. Once you get the right form, it should be okay. It's a great exercise and I hope you can eventually do it again without injury.

phatguerilla

Occasionally I get knee pain from squatting frequently, stiff/romanian deadlifts gets rid of it. Not a guaranteed fix for everyone but worth looking into if your training programme doesn't have a lot of hamstring specific lifts.

Lt_Starbuck

I recently went though this same exact thing, right down to glucosomine.

The reason behind the problem is the reason behind my vast improvement. I could only squat the bar and it was getting worse.

I was going into exercise with nothing but a walk as a warm up. Of course if i am habitually going into my workouts with cold hard unlubricated dry joints and cartilage - im going to wreck them.

I started getting my legs warmed up properly, arms too, just in case. What a world of improvement. And i warm up for an extra ten minutes on squat days. 3 weeks later im at 125x3.

Care about your body? Dont rush to throw it into anything unprepared. Treat your body like its actually valuable to you.

:drinker:

bumblebums

looked on the whole thread, but didn't see anyone suggest that you warm up properly. i don't know if you do or not, but warming up properly helps move blood to your extremities and promotes your joints to lubricate properly.

jump rope, walk, dynamic stretching, some squats, and lunges are all great ways to warm up.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/01/09/warm-up/

Excellent point--warm-ups are good for preventing DOMS, too.

But if the OP is in actual pain right now, warm-ups aren't going to help. Only rest will.

smilingirisheyes

Edit: I meant to quote the question of whether fish oil helps and didn't!

Omega-3's are what make the difference by reducing inflammation. Fish oil is one way to go, so is flax, and it's just a matter of preference. A product in health food stores called Udo's Oil has the most neutral flavor for just adding to food, but I'm accustomed to flax and use it every day.

darwinwoodka

Warm up first, use the leg machines for now until your tendons are better, work with a trainer, and don't go past thighs horizontal to the ground.

I take a supplement called Super Cissus which is great for tendonosis, which it sounds like you've developed. It's a bit expensive, but works in about two to three weeks and I take it whenever my tendons hurt now.

I also do Bar Method workouts that help to strengthen the knees. You could also do knee bends without weights and without going deep to help strengthen them.

Good luck!