Can't seem to do squat and deadlift

Nesruk

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I've been training pretty regularly for about a year now (StrongLifts 5x5), after training for a few months I started getting more and more pain in my knees and ended up quitting squat/deadlift until they felt normal again.

I've watched hours and hours of clips on youtube on technique, read loads of articles and even got help from a personal trainer (who has pretty good credentials, I think at least) but every time I've tried doing the exercises I still end up with pain in my knees.

I am not lifting heavy either, we are talking only 100 lbs and the pain comes creeping. I think partially the reason might be bad technique when I was younger (trained about 9 years ago with really shitty technique and only off and on again since recently when I started lifting regularly) and that I've possibly done permanent damage to them.

Do you guys have any tips or something you'd recommend me to read or watch? I dont want to be the "skipping leg day guy" but I dont want to ruin my knees either.
 
Your form must be shit. Most “personal trainers” are crap and don’t know shit about lifting. Pain in the knees could come from not squatting deeply enough, which places shearing force on the patellar tendons. Or from going valgus or varus (pidgeon-toed or bow legged) during the squat, or you’re forcing yourself into an unnatural position and forcing your knees to compensate (like doing a high bar squat with low bar positioning or something of that nature.)

Your knees should track an inch or so over your toes in the bottom of the squat and remain aligned with your ankles throughout the lift.

Work on hip, knee and ankle mobility to ensure stiffness isn’t preventing you from hitting an ideal position in the squat.
 
Would be good if you posted a video of you squatting.
 
Your form must be shit. Most “personal trainers” are crap and don’t know shit about lifting. Pain in the knees could come from not squatting deeply enough, which places shearing force on the patellar tendons. Or from going valgus or varus (pidgeon-toed or bow legged) during the squat, or you’re forcing yourself into an unnatural position and forcing your knees to compensate (like doing a high bar squat with low bar positioning or something of that nature.)

Your knees should track an inch or so over your toes in the bottom of the squat and remain aligned with your ankles throughout the lift.

Work on hip, knee and ankle mobility to ensure stiffness isn’t preventing you from hitting an ideal position in the squat.
Hey, a few things to note with your post. While most of the litterature shows that the anteriorly translated shearing forces are indeed higher at a smaller knee angle (around 10-35 degrees), compressive forces increases as the knee angle increases, and the patella makes contact with the femur. Now, everyone is different and as you descend the muscles do work to stabilise which changes things, but it's something to be mindful about. There's nothing wrong with squatting as deep as you're comfortable, but people with acute patellofemoral, or meniscus, pain often have a very low tolerance for the compressive forces of a deep squat. That's what you see clinically as well.

To the TS, it's hard to know what you could do. FIrst of all it would be interesting to know whether or not it's the DL, or the squat, or both that bothers your knees. The mechanics and loading on your knees are very different between those two, so I'm guessing one is worse than the other. I would upload a video first and get some feedback to see how your form, and knee travel, looks from the outside.

With all that said, there is no set in stone way for YOU to relieve the pain. The pain in your knee could also be from various things. What you do have though, is options.

1) Controlling the tempo. Sometimes using a controlled eccentric, and isometric pauses, can be a game changer. Play around with the tempo, slow it down and control the movement.

2) Range of motion. Try altering the range of motion and see if there's a pain free zone you can comfortably work in.

3) Exercise selection. Try variations of the squat and DL. Hihgbar, lowbar, box squats, rack pulls, block pulls, trapbar so forth. Find a stance that works for you.
 
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Using dumbells to squat and deadlift may be easier on your knees as you can use even lighter weight.

I suggest you read up on the goblet squat and dumbell deadlift.

goblet-squat-with-dumbbell.jpg

Dumbell-Deadlift.jpg
 
Do you suffer from flat feet problem? That can mess up your knee tracking quite a bit, so definitely check that. Also what shoes are you using while squatting/deadlifting? If you are using running shoes, that can be a problem too, so either buy some flat shoes or do your exercises bare footed if that's the problem.
 
I would say to do hip thrusts , strengthen ur glutes. You tend to lift with ur knees when ur ass Isn't pulling It's weight.

Also work on proper form

I'd also suggest to do some third world squats every day for as long as you can, building up to 30 minutes a day. That will naturally Improve your squatting form.
 
or maybe your knees are just fucked? how old are you?
is the pain in both knees? with the same severity?
could it be that you had hobbies or jobs which just fucked your knees up?
do you experience knee pain outside of the gym?

maybe it has nothing to do with lifting technique and you should visit a doctor to get the joints checked
 
Shitty knee crew checking in.

Get Yo self to a physio immediately.

/Thread
 
Your form must be shit. Most “personal trainers” are crap and don’t know shit about lifting. Pain in the knees could come from not squatting deeply enough, which places shearing force on the patellar tendons.
My patellar tendons are more prone to overuse/pain when I go deeper.
 
I've been training pretty regularly for about a year now (StrongLifts 5x5), after training for a few months I started getting more and more pain in my knees and ended up quitting squat/deadlift until they felt normal again.

I've watched hours and hours of clips on youtube on technique, read loads of articles and even got help from a personal trainer (who has pretty good credentials, I think at least) but every time I've tried doing the exercises I still end up with pain in my knees.

I am not lifting heavy either, we are talking only 100 lbs and the pain comes creeping. I think partially the reason might be bad technique when I was younger (trained about 9 years ago with really shitty technique and only off and on again since recently when I started lifting regularly) and that I've possibly done permanent damage to them.

Do you guys have any tips or something you'd recommend me to read or watch? I dont want to be the "skipping leg day guy" but I dont want to ruin my knees either.


Take a video of you during a work set and let us see it.

Also look at Rehband knee sleeves. They make my knees feel great during squats.
 
Do you suffer from flat feet problem? That can mess up your knee tracking quite a bit, so definitely check that. Also what shoes are you using while squatting/deadlifting? If you are using running shoes, that can be a problem too, so either buy some flat shoes or do your exercises bare footed if that's the problem.
My feet turn inwards so I have to consciously turn them outward while doing leg exercises.
 
I would say to do hip thrusts , strengthen ur glutes. You tend to lift with ur knees when ur ass Isn't pulling It's weight.
Think this might be the case because I feel like I lift entirely with my knees somehow.
 
My feet turn inwards so I have to consciously turn them outward while doing leg exercises.

That's okay, but you also need to pay attention if your foot arch collapses as you do your reps. If it does, there's your problem.
 
- Get checked by a Physio or Doc, preferrably one who specialises in sport related injuries.

- Post a video of yourself Squatting and Deadlifting.

- Consider alternative exercises. Some people find Box Squats easier on the knees.

- Try a good pair of Knee Sleeves, for example SBD.
 
My patellar tendons are more prone to overuse/pain when I go deeper.

Yeah, as much as I want to go A2G I have to listen to my body. Past 90' flexion under load is a no no.

My physio said that there was little point worrying about it as my sport doesn't involve flexion past about 70' in game situations.
 
- Get checked by a Physio or Doc, preferrably one who specialises in sport related injuries.

- Post a video of yourself Squatting and Deadlifting.

- Consider alternative exercises. Some people find Box Squats easier on the knees.

- Try a good pair of Knee Sleeves, for example SBD.

Do these things. And in order in which they're posted.
 
Think this might be the case because I feel like I lift entirely with my knees somehow.

When you squat, you should be thinking about stretching your ass and hamstrings and sitting into a squat. Get a tight core of course, but when you go down try and squeeze and focus on those muscles. Don't worry about your knees or quads. Worry about getting that stretch into the hole and your knees will track as long as you have a good moderate stance.

I don't know how to say it other than you literally want to focus on feeling the strength come from your butt.
 
Fuck off squats, deadlift with a trap bar with high handles, once your pulling over 550 you can class it as leg day.
 
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