Some questions

[BPH]

Alright so let me try to lay this out.

I've been doing Starting Strength for a while this summer. I recently had a minor shoulder and knee injury from lifting, so I took 2 weeks off.

I resumed yesterday. During my squats, I felt a strange muscle pain in the right side of my lower back when I was bringing the weight back up. Today I'm sore as hell and tomorrow I'm going to squat again, but I'm a little worried about this pain. My knee also has not fully healed.

My question is, should I switch to a routine that breaks up a week into certain body parts instead of doing heavy compound lifts?

Not worried about overtraining, and my goal is ultimately aesthetics (taken up intermittent fasting) so hopefully somebody can give me their input.

 

[Krueg]

To me it sounds like a form issue. The squat isn't a simple up and down movement, a lot takes place. How long have you been squatting?

 

[SoSuave666]

Keep your core tight; your chest and head up; and move in a slow, controlled motion. If you need to lower the weight, do so. Squat is NOT a lift you can get away with poor form on.

 

[switch]

correct form
do squats once a week till you are ready
reduce the weight on the bar,more weight doesnt mean stronger.

 

[BPH]

I've been squatting for over a year with heavy weights so I doubt it's a form issue, but I'll tell you what I did...

Place the bar on a platform made my bringing my arms back and pinching my shoulder blades.

Get into a base with my legs about shoulder width apart, toes pointed out.

Keeping my head and chest up, I bring the weight down and bend my knees until they make a 90 degree angle.

After that I push my hips up while keeping my knees pointed slightly out and drive up and forward with my hips to complete the rep.

I loaded up 235lbs. to feel this pain. I did not feel it on my warm up sets of 135, 185, and 225. I reduced to 225lbs. I have squatted 240, 245, 250, and 255 without feeling this pain before my 2-week rest. I also felt it when I did power cleans later during that workout. Not as strained as during the squat, but still present.

 

[switch]

hmmm well just stay light weight for a few weeks and see what happens, stay below 220lbs.220 is more than enough for aesthetics.


if the pain persists more than 2 weeks or there is a sharp pain going down your peanuts/legs then you might wanna check with a neurologist or orthopedic surgeon, don't go to a general doctor since they will tell you the legendary and common BS "stop lifting".

 

[Haywood Jablome]

Why squat again so soon? If you are doing it right you should be taking at least 3 days off in between to recover. Do you only do squats or do you do any other legs excerces when you do squats?

 

[BPH]

Because I've recently discovered that overtraining is a myth, so I'm not afraid of getting injured as long as I maintain form.

Today I did squats again and it was better, slight pain but nowhere near as bad as it was 2 days ago. Felt this pain on the deadlift though, funny how it's only on one side.

 

[Krueg]

I've been squatting for over a year with heavy weights so I doubt it's a form issue, but I'll tell you what I did...

Place the bar on a platform made my bringing my arms back and pinching my shoulder blades.

Get into a base with my legs about shoulder width apart, toes pointed out.

Keeping my head and chest up, I bring the weight down and bend my knees until they make a 90 degree angle.

After that I push my hips up while keeping my knees pointed slightly out and drive up and forward with my hips to complete the rep.

I loaded up 235lbs. to feel this pain. I did not feel it on my warm up sets of 135, 185, and 225. I reduced to 225lbs. I have squatted 240, 245, 250, and 255 without feeling this pain before my 2-week rest. I also felt it when I did power cleans later during that workout. Not as strained as during the squat, but still present.

Still kind of sounds like a form issue to me, I can't say for sure unless I saw a video of you. Though, when you say you push your "hips up", that could be the problem. If your hips are the first thing that shoots up, then the rest of the movement will cause you to drive the rest of the weight with your back to lock-out.

 

[Purefilth]

are you pushing from your heels or your toes?

 

[BPH]

I basically do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLwiGkywKN4

Push with heels.

 

[Haywood Jablome]

Because I've recently discovered that overtraining is a myth, so I'm not afraid of getting injured as long as I maintain form.

It's not about getting injured, its about giving your muscles enough time to recover. If you are doing it right, you should be tearing the muscle fibers ever so slightly. It takes time for them to repair. If you don't give the muscles time to repair, you aren't really doing yourself any favors.

 

[Krueg]

The guy in the video is kind of exaggerating the "hip thrust"..

One time I was doing bent-over good mornings (squat/deadlift variation) and I as well pushed my hips through towards locking out. Now that's not wrong, But I thrusted forward a little too much and I felt it in my lower back. That could of been your issue?

 

[BPH]

More killer knee pain. I made it through 2 other squat sessions with minor pain. But yesterday I did squats and felt pain at 225 so I went down to 185. I was able to do it but it wasn't pain free.

Today I have pain in both knees, especially my right knee, and occasionally cannot walk because of such. Worried about this. It's not Osgood-Schlatter's because the pain is at the top of my knee, thank god. But I'm definitely not squatting tomorrow or for a while.

Please let me know what I should do.

 

[Purefilth]

More killer knee pain. I made it through 2 other squat sessions with minor pain. But yesterday I did squats and felt pain at 225 so I went down to 185. I was able to do it but it wasn't pain free.

Today I have pain in both knees, especially my right knee, and occasionally cannot walk because of such. Worried about this. It's not Osgood-Schlatter's because the pain is at the top of my knee, thank god. But I'm definitely not squatting tomorrow or for a while.

Please let me know what I should do.

sounds like the same problem that I have to be honest mate - I'm all theories about how it came on, but all ive been able to do is NOT SQUAT.

3 months of hurt so far, just started light squats again this week, but theyre still not perfectly pain free.

 

[Krueg]

This is starting to bug me, I don't understand why your having problems. If its not a "form" issue then I don't know what the problem is. I'd like to help you...

What does a typical squat day look like for you?

 

[BPH]

I'll see if I can use my sister's iPhone or something to upload a form video, but I can't really provide much info.

I squat 3 times a week, with a day's rest, and once a week I get a 2 day's rest.

135x5
185x3
225x3
240+x5x3

Work set is the 240+.

 

[BPH]

I made several videos from different angles. They're only accessible from Windows Media Player, so not sure how I would upload them anywhere...

 

[Krueg]

I'll see if I can use my sister's iPhone or something to upload a form video, but I can't really provide much info.

I squat 3 times a week, with a day's rest, and once a week I get a 2 day's rest.

135x5
185x3
225x3
240+x5x3

Work set is the 240+.

I think you should try something like this:

2x8x45
1x5x95
1x5x135
1x5x155
1x5x185
1x3x205
1x3x225
1x3x240

I know that looks like a lot and it doesn't have to be exactly as I laid it out. But, I think if you start out with the bar and gradually work up in smaller jumps it will help you get warmed up better and add a little more volume to your training.

I use to squat 3x's a week as well during my first 6 months of lifting. Now I only squat once a week. Though if your program calls for squatting 3x week, keep following the program

Here are some tips to help you avoid knee pain.

-Force your knees out. Don't let your knees buckle in.
-Keep your feet atleast shoulder width apart. Too close of a stance can cause knee pain
-Don't let your knees extend beyond your toes. This can cause knee pain as well.
-Finally keep the weight distributed on your heels, not your toes or on your knees

When you lower yourself down, spread your legs out, let your legs open up like your showing off your junk.

 

[BPH]

Alright, I finally figured out how to upload videos, but I had to do it through YouTube.

I was going to splice them all together, but rotating them and having them not match the preview became too much of a problem, so I'll just post them and listen to opinions...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FDkgGvQpL4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMcXvkgGMcc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUA7QkZLfZc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13oxEqaxbbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPEpnWgHGBI