Squatted today - SuperiorMuscle.com

Stonecold54 · #1 02-08-08, 10:48 PM

free weight squats. first time in a long time. I was just testing my knees out. they hurt on the top 1/3 of the motion. which sucks cuz I can't do much weight. I don't know what is wrong with my knees or what I can do to fix them. but anyway I only went up to 225 for 10 reps. all the way past parallel with a pause at the bottom. other than my knees tweaking on the way up it felt great and my quads are tight as hell. I wish I could keep going with the weights but not sure what I can stand. it was fun to load the bar up. reminded me of my college days putting 405 on that shit and hitting them hard (probably why my knees are fucked up, lol).

ROCKETW19 · #2 02-08-08, 11:09 PM

I used to have knee problems with squats also. I started using the smith machine and puttin me feet out just a bit farther in front of me and it seems to work great for me no pain at all. they still make this crazy crackeling noise but no pain. give it a try.

Stonecold54 · #3 02-08-08, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROCKETW19

I used to have knee problems with squats also. I started using the smith machine and puttin me feet out just a bit farther in front of me and it seems to work great for me no pain at all. they still make this crazy crackeling noise but no pain. give it a try.

that is what I normally do, leg press or smith machine squats. but I still love free weight squats the most...just can't do them.

Nekrawulf · #4 02-09-08, 01:19 AM

Could be stabilization issues. i.e. your not engaging the abductors or adductors.

Or worse, from years of poor stabilization, a fucked up joint.

Just throw in the towel.. your fucked =-]

Mr incredible · #5 02-09-08, 05:12 AM

different stresses bro thats all, stick at 225 for a good while, make sure you do your leg extensions first, that'll get the blood in there and warm the ligaments through. After a while your knees wil hopefully get used to the different motion. Just don't go heavy for quite a few squat workouts.

Stonecold54 · #6 02-09-08, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nekrawulf

Could be stabilization issues. i.e. your not engaging the abductors or adductors.

Or worse, from years of poor stabilization, a fucked up joint.

Just throw in the towel.. your fucked =-]

you think that I might be over using my knee joint too much to get the weight up? like being to strict up and down instead of pushing with my hips more? that kind of makes sense but not sure how i could change it. I mean I rep out the max weight on adductor and abductor machines for slow reps to failure, so the strength is there, but maybe I have to "learn" how to squat again. its weird to because its at the finish of the movement and not the bottom. so basically my knees have to take over at that point. hmmmm, I actually did try on a few reps to push my legs out more to the side as I came up (if that makes sense). and i could be mistaken but it seemed to take stress off the knee but I didn't know if that was a safe thing to do.

Nekrawulf · #7 02-09-08, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stonecold54

y I mean I rep out the max weight on adductor and abductor machines for slow reps to failure, so the strength is there, but maybe I have to "learn" how to squat again.

Muscle recruitment and engagement is not the same as stabilization.

When you speak of spreading your legs out more during the squat, do you mean pushing your knees further out of the center? i.e. moving away from center mass.

Stonecold54 · #8 02-09-08, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nekrawulf

Muscle recruitment and engagement is not the same as stabilization.

When you speak of spreading your legs out more during the squat, do you mean pushing your knees further out of the center? i.e. moving away from center mass.

hmmm, they didn't excactly move but I concentrated more on the sweep and my hips to push, I don't think they physically moved. I will have to pay attention in the mirror next time I squat and see how I change the movement while concentrating on different pushes.

babyblues · #9 02-11-08, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stonecold54

hmmm, they didn't excactly move but I concentrated more on the sweep and my hips to push, I don't think they physically moved. I will have to pay attention in the mirror next time I squat and see how I change the movement while concentrating on different pushes.

If I understand you correctly, I think you're doing it right. Your hips are what generate power. Concentrate on pushing with your hips out of the hole, if that makes any sense. If you squat correctly you should feel it in your hips, not your knees. It could be that you just need to use less weight and like you said "learn" to squat again. Too many people are obsessed with how much weight they can move without giving any thought to their form and the effect that has on their joints.

Nekrawulf · #10 02-11-08, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babyblues

I Too many people are obsessed with how much weight they can move without giving any thought to their form and the effect that has on their joints.

i think i love you

in a rhetorical kind of way...

not a touchy feely kind of way

Stonecold54 · #11 02-11-08, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babyblues

If I understand you correctly, I think you're doing it right. Your hips are what generate power. Concentrate on pushing with your hips out of the hole, if that makes any sense. If you squat correctly you should feel it in your hips, not your knees. It could be that you just need to use less weight and like you said "learn" to squat again. Too many people are obsessed with how much weight they can move without giving any thought to their form and the effect that has on their joints.

well my problem is that my knees don't hurt in that portion...its when they almost get to the top portion before lockout that I feel the stress and hurt so my hips ain't doing me good at that point. the only solution on see on my form would be to lift faster at the bottom hence creating momentum that would carry me past that point but that is a no-no in my head as it will never help/address the problem but in fact make it weaker.

Nekrawulf · #12 02-11-08, 08:34 PM

Stone. During the squat... keep your toes lifted off the ground and see if that helps. It almost sounds like your weight is shifting towards your toes on the final hip extension.

Stonecold54 · #13 02-11-08, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nekrawulf

Stone. During the squat... keep your toes lifted off the ground and see if that helps. It almost sounds like your weight is shifting towards your toes on the final hip extension.

yeah I thought the same thing. i haven't tried the "toe lifting" but I really concentrate on sitting back and lifting with my hips from the bottom and keeping my weight over my heels. but I will try the toe thing next. thanks

Stonecold54 · #14 02-16-08, 09:33 AM

well I squatted again today. during my warm up sets I tried to raise my toes off the floor as I came down and went up. I felt no pain at all. I felt really good and I was surprised cuz I really wasn't that into my leg workout to start, lol. so i threw 225 back on the bar and I did my set. I had no pain at all. I didn't get my toes off the floor as much with the heavier weight but I think the thought of it helped keep my weight back more. and one other thing is that in the last 3 weeks my Deca dosage has gone up a bit so that might have had a delayed affect while blood levels increased. but over all I was happy. I went up to 245 for 8 reps and no pain still. Did smith machine lunges after that and it still felt great.

Nekrawulf · #15 02-18-08, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stonecold54

well I squatted again today. during my warm up sets I tried to raise my toes off the floor as I came down and went up. I felt no pain at all. I felt really good and I was surprised cuz I really wasn't that into my leg workout to start, lol. so i threw 225 back on the bar and I did my set. I had no pain at all. I didn't get my toes off the floor as much with the heavier weight but I think the thought of it helped keep my weight back more. and one other thing is that in the last 3 weeks my Deca dosage has gone up a bit so that might have had a delayed affect while blood levels increased. but over all I was happy. I went up to 245 for 8 reps and no pain still. Did smith machine lunges after that and it still felt great.

good job =-]

Stonecold54 · #16 02-23-08, 12:09 PM

squatted again today. I was gonna skip it but it was the only "machine" I could get on the gym was so packed. pretty sad when I can gurantee the squat rack will be open being that its a real exercise

. anyway. I did my two warmupsets and felt great. put 225 on and did ten no problem. put 245 on and did about 8, felt a slight twinge in my left knee but when I refocused myself on form then it was good. then one of my friends came up to me and told me some stuff about my job that really pissed me off so he amped me up to do one more set, lol. i put 275 on and hit 5 good ones. its amazing that I haven't squatted in way over a year and feel like I am getting right back on the bike.