Very sore/weak knee after squatting

[el_lindo]

I am just starting out 5x5, I don't feel any pain when doing the squats but a couple days later my right knee is sore and feels kinda like it could give. I've never had knee problems of any kind. I'm 6'3 and weigh 220lbs and am squatting 65lbs. I can say that I feel very powerful and perhaps I am not opening up my stance or something. Is there a problem with my stance, or with my knee? Thanks

[tarun]

I'm 6'3 as well and weigh around 225lbs, squat max was around 185. Make sure your knees arent "buckling" in. For me, when my knees buckle in (with or without me noticing), it immediately hurts so I know to correct it.

[el_lindo]

Yes, I think towards the later sets, my knee moves in. I assume the knee must remain over the foot then?

[Victor]

Yes that's true make definitely sure that your knees wont buckle in. Push your knees to the outside during the squat.

[Chad]

I had that same problem when after my first several months of squatting on Rippetoe's program. I was around your size as well (6'4" 225lbs) at the time and thought I was doing great squatting around 245lbs. Trouble was my right knee was sore like you mentioned. My old trainer saw me squatting one day and immediately noticed my knees buckling in as I tried to force the weight up and told me that I was going to really hurt my knee that way. I took a few weeks off from squatting and started over with a lot less weight and began working on my form. Now that I do them right I don't have the knee pain.

[Mehdi]

Yes, I think towards the later sets, my knee moves in. I assume the knee must remain over the foot then?

Thigh bone & foot must always, always be inline. Otherwise you get uncompressive forces on your knee joint. Push your knees out, don't hesitate lowering the weight. Check today's article: stronglifts.com/how-to-keep-your-knees-out-on-squats/
 

[pnp_pc]

I have found the same thing happening as the weights have increased. I am 6'2 180 and last week I started having some weirdness in my right knee during the workout following a really good one where I felt strong and had mistakenly bumped my squat weight up 20 lbs instead of 10 as I read my log wrong and used my bench weights lol. I was psyched though after I realized I was lifting more than I planned without a lot of difficulty. But the next workout I had the knee thing start. I backed off the following w/o and it seemed ok but yesterday it seemed to come back . I also notice other joints starting to ache after doing this workout since the start of the year. Maybe I should deload? IF so for how many days?

[Mehdi]

@pnp_pc
Need more info. Deloading ok, but the problem will come back again when you're adding weight. So you need to find out what the pain comes from. Some things:

• bad technique. like not pushing knees out.


• lack of hip flexibility. tight adductors, tight abductors


• lack of glute activation


• etc

Many things that can happen. Video of your squat technique is a start.

[pnp_pc]

today is day 3 of the my workout . have sore hamstrings , knee is feeling better.
How wide should ones legs be? I have a narrow waste and long legs so I think my form tends to break down fairly easily. When I do bodyweight squats I notice my legs are pretty wide , almost sumo-like, but not when i do back squats.

[jdurando]

pnp -
Your legs should be a bit wider then your shoulders and the feet pointed out at appx 30 degrees, with your torso to leg ratio you would probably want to go with a high bar position. Most importantly you need to make sure that when you squat the knees follow the line of the feet.
I reccomend that you get yourself a copy of starting strength - it will help you to understand the mechanics of squat form and a few others as well.

[pnp_pc]

I think it was a combination of shoe choice (was wearing hiking boots which had been fine up to now) and also letting knees come in . By taking a slightly wider stance it seems to have stopped . I also have been taking 2 days between workouts the last 2 workouts . I seem to need that extra day. I have been on this since the start of the year and just seem to be very sore after each session . I also did my last session as 3x5 instead of 5x5. It took me 40 minutes. I do not think I will ever do the full 5x5 in 30 minutes. Of course I include the warmup sets.
I was reading about some of the Bill Starr routines. I like the idea of pyramiding up to a high set . Is that an acceptable variation of 5x5 for some of you? I guess it is finding what lets you continue to up the poundages over time while still staying fresh and not beat up .

[Mehdi]

Bill starr is great routine, I'm doing it right now if you check my log. Problem is that bill starr's routine invovles pyramiding (ramping up), you need good technique before doing that.