Warm up for squats

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wally2wiki
wally2wiki Posts: 36 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What are you guys doing for squat warm up? I having trouble with aching knees anytime I squat. I normally do 8 sets of body weight squats with no weight for 10 reps.

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  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
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    A bit of general swinging about of the legs, knees up to chest etc. If I have the massage gun handy I might attack legs with that for a couple of minutes too. One set of 5 bodyweight squats, 5 bodyweight lunges each leg, two sets of 5 squats bar only interspersed with 5 bodyweight lunges each leg. Then I'm good to go and I don't always even do all of that, though I do most of it. 8 sets of 10 reps sounds like rather a lot for a warm up.
  • wiigelec
    wiigelec Posts: 503 Member
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    I do sets of ten with the empty bar until I feel good about things, typically two to three sets, then start ramping up to target weight using prescribed rep scheme.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,329 Member
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    In addition to the warm ups above (body weight then bar and light weights) I roll my thighs and inner thighs with the bar 😢 it hurts, but my knee pain is usually linked to tight quads or the muscle on the side of my knee. Pressure point release helps the pain. I also wear knee wraps for heavy or paused squats. (NB should add that I’m hypermobile so have a fair amount of joint pain.)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited October 2021
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    The best and most optimal warmup for any movement is the movement itself. If you are doing body weight squats currently, you might want to do assisted squats using something to help you brace/stabilize that takes some of the lessons the load.

    Something that might help with the aches you experience is to add sufficient amount of more useful stress to your squats so you can develop a strength adaptation. Since there is limited information of you, I'm not sure the best way to measure the needed stress...but I assure you performing with adequate stimulus is very helpful. There are many ways to do that too.

    My knees ache and are swollen as well. I usually do a set or two of body weight squats or assisted squats that mimics my working squats...this might include a lesser ROM at first. Then move onto a empty barbell and up towards working sets.
  • age_is_just_a_number
    age_is_just_a_number Posts: 630 Member
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    I do what you do. About 10 body weight squats to warm up.
  • maranarasauce93
    maranarasauce93 Posts: 293 Member
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    I actually had some pain near my left quad and knee area for a while. Luckily my coach is also a physical therapist and helped me with some rehabbing. These exercises coupled with my typical squat warmup routine have helped me feel warmer and ready for squats. You will need a hip circle to do 2 of them.

    3 sets of 12 clamshells on each side (think lying on your side with knees bent and legs together and then opening and closing legs while keeping feet together)

    3 sets of 10 supine leg extensions per side (start with legs elevated and knees bent, close to chest height. Band should be just above knees. Extend one leg and then slowly lower to ground. There’s a rep. Boom).

    3 sets of up to 30 second isometric quad flexion holds. You can do this on each side if you feel issues near both knees.

    Again, just showing what worked for me. Since pain and rehabbing can be a subjective experience, I’d recommend seeing a physical therapist yourself to address what factors may be causing knee pain and what surrounding areas may benefit from strengthening.
  • dontlikepeople
    dontlikepeople Posts: 132 Member
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    It might help if your body is warm in general. IE, walking on a treadmill for 10 minutes before you begin to help get the blood moving and warm up your muscles so you are a bit more limber.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 8,990 Member
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    I find my knees ache less if I actually have some weight across my shoulders, not a lot but some. So I will start my squat warmup with just the bar for 10 reps, then 25# per side (total 95) for 10 reps, then 45# per side (total 135) for as many warmup sets as I need to get my groove set. Some days I only need one set and feel good to continue; some days I need as many as 3 sets before going heavier. If I'm still not feeling it after those 3 sets (happened only once), then I scrap squats for the day and do something else instead.

    I also learned that I can do sumo squats (feet wide apart and angled outward) far, far easier than standard squats with feet together and knees straight ahead. I can get my hips lower, the weight heavier, and my knees hurt less. So maybe a change in foot position is in order.
  • I2k4
    I2k4 Posts: 179 Member
    edited December 2021
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    My general warm up is 2 sets of 100 JJs / 20 burpees or a 5 sets of 100 strokes on a piston rower. On personal experience of common patellar tendonitis, that worsened to ordinary walking around, I won't work a painful knee for love or money. I was (knock wood) able to fix the PTitis with ankle and pilates-style hip and glute work a couple of years ago. I did isometric wall sits for quads, but didn't hurt the knee.

    Now I generally do two sets of 8 "A to the G" with a heavy (Power Guidance blue) band held front or sumo style, or two sets of 20 lightly weighted L/R single leg squats, balance assisted by a doorframe (no ambition to do pistols). I still like wall sits, weighted now. My caution would be to know medically what any knee problem is, and not make it worse or chronic.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    squats with the bar...squats with a little weight...squats with a little more weight...start working sets.
  • lazycat2018
    lazycat2018 Posts: 1,734 Member
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    I do first 20 kettlebell squats and then 20 kickbacks for each leg. After this continue with the squats as planned.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,404 Member
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    100 seated band abductions. Then I go straight to ascending squats—12/8/5/3/2 then descend with sets. Glute work in general helps my knee alignment.

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