Anyone experience knee "popping" with squats?

The only thing I think I could offer here is that "cracking", like you do with your toes or knuckles, doesn't hurt you at all. I figure that would extend to all of your joints.

Intuitively though, if it's a "popping" instead, you should probably see a doctor (orthopedist) to have them take a look at it before you keep loading the thing and make a possibly bad knee worse.

I'm experiencing this now too, though it happens now regardless of where I am or what I'm doing, and it's moved over to my left knee as well. Actually hurts sometimes if I pop it a bit, it just doesn't feel like a regular old crack.

Probably came from squats, I'm going to have to see a doctor myself.

Yeah see, after a few pops, mine definitely gets sore.

Sometimes I do.. Mine hurts, so I stop, then do more later. =( I feel like a ligament is pulling too. Sucks!

Mine pop quite often when squatting. It doesn't seem to affect anything from what I can tell, and it actually feels a bit better once they do.

I'd get someone to check your form in the squat if you can to make sure you aren't performing the move incorrectly. I used to have pretty bad knee pain and have really worked on adjusting my form to avoid whatever might be causing it to do so.

It hasn't hurt enough for me to consider seeing a doctor and it hasn't affected any of my other exercises I'm doing like running, etc.

same here, my left knee on the outside, its like the ligament or tendon pops or slips out of place, but only sometimes. it doesn't hurt, just feels weird... sometimes if i adjust the angle my foot is at it helps. but yea as long as it doesn't hurt...

Yes, they do, but my knees pop if I sit down in a chair or basically do anything that involves bending them and straightening them. But, it gets worse (and painful and trouble walking) with heavier weights. So, I go at the pace that works for my body. I can go heavier with deadlifts and hip thrusts. Squats are a slower progression for me. I have a long history behind all of this. I'm not saying I have excellent form, but I do work with a physio.

I get this on occasion. It used to freak me out. Usually once that happens, my knee is all warmed up and good to go, lol. I have have noisy joints in general. Can't creep up to nobody barefoot :grumble:

I get this on occasion. It used to freak me out. Usually once that happens, my knee is all warmed up and good to go, lol. I have have noisy joints in general. Can't creep up to nobody barefoot :grumble:

I know! The popping in my knees generally involves some stiffness and pain, and I need to warm them up.

But, I also have crackling in my ankles that is just from fluid build up. Can't sneak up on anyone. And when I dance and do spins it is accompanied by a symphony of crackling sounds. I don't even notice that anymore, I'm so used to the sound. It takes me a little while to realize why people are asking me if it hurts.

Wondering if anyone else's knees "pop" when they are doing squats. I can squat up to about 150# but anything more and my knee makes a popping sound. It doesn't make the popping sound when I use the leg press though. Suggestions or insight?

Not a doctor, just someone whose knee used to pop.

It could be any of several things, depending on where you feel it, whether it hurts, whether it "catches" when it pops, does it pop when you're bending the knee or straightening it (or both). Some people just have noisy joints. The kneecap could be pulling to one side a little, instead of tracking straight. Meniscus tear is a possibility, though not likely if there's no pain, instability, or catching. It could be something called a plica, an extra fold of the tissue lining the joint, snapping across the end of the tibia. There are surely other possibilities as well.

Once I hit over 100 pound squats, my knees have started crackling. I find it utterly disgusting and really off putting but if it doesn't hurt then there's no problem.