Beginner Squat Form Check

[muddy]

Hey I'm new to weight training, got into it this summer because I was tired of being skinny and wanted to gain some strength and size. Started stronglifts awhile ago and was doing alright until something in my inner groin abductor area started to really bother me. It was definitely a pain and not soreness. Really hurt to do even a body weight squat. So I took some time off and finally am getting back after it. I've read starting strength and know a lot about how to squat correctly, I just need to put all the pieces together.

I was squatting 145lbs but have dropped down to 115lbs to work on form and because some of the inner leg pain I had is coming back. Is something in my form causing this pain? I really feel it when I get near Parallel at the bottom. I have narrowed my stance a little bit to see if that helps my groin pain.

A few things I notice:
- I need to go a little lower to break parallel
- I think my knees come forward to much at the bottom due to the tightness, soreness in my groin
- I need to push my knees out more



thanks!

[muddy]

I would agree with your observations: need to go a little lower, and you could stand to shove the hips out on the drive up. It's hard to tell from the clip because it's so close, but are you comfortable with your stance? If say you go to jump up in the air, then land, how does that stance width compare with what you use to squat? I wonder if slightly wider would feel more natural to you. Take that with a grain of salt.

On the pain, I don't see anything obvious. Maybe someone else does, or can share a similar experience and resolution.

[Varjag]

Definitely wider stance, start your motion from the hips, break parallel.
I'd recommend to switch to box squats and lower the weights.

[eLvarouza]

If your knees come forward at the bottom you can strain a hip flexor, which is probably what you're feeling. Wider stance, point toes out, and shove your knees out as much as you can.

[TinyT]

i had slight problems with my left groin area when i first started squating. i let it get better and then carried on lifting and it now seems to have gone away. It feels more flexible now, although i have narrowed my stance a little. Only a beginner like you though!

[yoyo321]

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to widen my stance a bit and really try to push my knees out at the bottom. I'll get a better video angle to.

[Matti]

Did you already have a shoulder-wide stance? I have had problems widening the stance from shoulder wide in order to see if that could increse the weights faster, but my left knee started to hurt when setting up with a wider stance, so I dropped that. Most people here advice to take a wider stance but if you already work from shoulder wide I would maybe advise you to try to get down to parallel first and then, when you are stronger think about a wider stance. A wide stance no doubt makes larger weights possible, but myself, and then I have been doing squats for over 10 years, am happer with a shoulder wide. Also the knees going forward was not so alarming I would say. When you gain more experience and strenght and just remember to keep the back tight as a rock AND sit back I think it won't be an issue any more.

About the pain, have you been doing other sports before and had similar problems or are you just starting off with strenght training? If you are, it could be that your muscles would need som additional general work-out, like jogging etc. and then also stretching etc. in between.