Group: Beginners to Exercise

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 970, Messages: 18927

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squats

ayaatm
ayaatm
Posts: 6
Joined: 2006/05/23
United States
2006/05/30, 02:31 PM
im havibf troble trying to do a squat... iv had knee prblems in hte past now when i try nd so i squat they hurt so i stoped but any sugestions on how to do it better or something /
Mojo_67
Mojo_67
Posts: 1,299
Joined: 2003/09/23
United States
2006/05/30, 06:13 PM
Best advice I can give is work your way up slowly,listen to your body, and be sure your form is proper. With the title of your thread, someone who knows squats well will probably be along to help before long. If no one answers in a day or two, post this in the powerlifting forum. Be sure to give them more specifics, like gender, age weight, goals, etc. Good luck and welcome to FT!

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Days go by and life drags on.....
wrestler125
wrestler125
Posts: 4,619
Joined: 2004/01/27
United States
2006/05/30, 10:37 PM
I've never met someone that said squatting hurt they're knees that was squatting correctly. This includes masters powerlifters.

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Iron and chalk.

Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
jakewa3
jakewa3
Posts: 59
Joined: 2005/10/02
Canada
2006/06/01, 11:40 PM


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Quoting from wrestler125:

I've never met someone that said squatting hurt they're knees that was squatting correctly. This includes masters powerlifters.


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They must not have arthritic knees.

My knees hurt to bend somedays but I push through it for a while until they get warmed up enough for me to squat. The days I run can be torture, my knees swell a little and it is quite painfull to bend my legs near anything resembling a squat. Thats why I run in the morning and do legs in the afternoon, to give them a chance to bleed down. I still have to do a few partial squats before any type of full squat(just BW) to get the knee cap back in place, or so it feels sometimes.

Knee pain from squating or any other movement can be from many different things you may want to ask your doctor about doing squats or any other leg exercise before continuing.
7707mutt
7707mutt
Posts: 7,686
Joined: 2002/06/18
United States
2006/06/02, 07:00 AM
Most doctors will tell you not to do them. There is a bad mis conception that squats and deadlifts are bad for you. IF you have no pre existing medical condition, they will not hurt you if you learn the form and train smart.

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Less Talk, More Chalk!
The Men and Boys are Separated by one thing: The Squat Cage!

7707mutt@freetrainers.com
Bighoss147
Bighoss147
Posts: 71
Joined: 2004/10/06
United States
2006/06/14, 09:21 PM
be careful not to go too low, that's when you start hearing the knees grind away for the most part. Squats are weird to describe, you almost have to push your ass back like your trying to sit down on something kind of far away while making sure your knees don't go over your toes. I physced because the gym at my college I leave for in 2 and a half months as a mirror to your right and left of their squat racks which will let me always maintain perfect form.
wrestler125
wrestler125
Posts: 4,619
Joined: 2004/01/27
United States
2006/06/14, 10:04 PM
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Quoting from Bighoss147:

be careful not to go too low, that's when you start hearing the knees grind away for the most part.
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Are you kidding me???

The most dangerous angle of knee flexion is 90 degrees, this is when the knee is most susceptible to injury. This angle occurs at... a half squat.
Why would you stop at a half squat, where you're knee is the weakest, and reverse the motion, thereby causing the greatest amount of tension (reversal) to be applied at the weakest angle?
Also, many people do a limited range of motion, and then use far too much weight, thereby stressing the knee even more than it already is... Use lighter weight and go through a FULL range of motion.

And how will squating while lookin to your left and right be good form? Watching yourself in a mirror is NEVER good form. It has been proven again and again that even watching yourself in a mirror straight ahead will cause a misconception of position and cause the squatter to lean forward to much.

As for the arthritis comment, this is crap. I've trained people with arthritis. Guess what, its not squats that hurt their knees, its arthritis. I specifically said anyone "that said squatting hurt they're knees", not anyone that has hurt knees and squats. Your misconstruing the cause of something that is already effected.

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Iron and chalk.

Pain is only temporary, it is in your mind. If you can still walk, then you can still run.
bigandrew
bigandrew
Posts: 5,146
Joined: 2002/10/21
United States
2006/06/15, 12:30 AM
I thought the half squat was where the knee is at its strongest?

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Get your bicep curling, cut off shirt, matching workout outfit wearing,flexing in mirror "toned" wanna-be ass , out of my squat rack!

People don't reach thier true potental, only those who seek it.
rev8ball
rev8ball
Posts: 3,081
Joined: 2001/12/27
United States
2006/06/15, 01:16 AM
It’s not so much of the angle of the knees that can cause injuries as much as it’s the poor function of the muscles.

First off, forget about the whole 90-degree issue… it is very misleading. In reality, it is supposed to be when the femur is 90-degrees to the tibia, not the thigh to the calf. However, this is difficult to tell in most people. So, in a Powerlifting comp, for example, the call to “press” comes when the top of the thigh becomes parallel to the floor.

Now, on to injuries. Most sports science specialists (a general term) will tell you there is no need to go past parallel. The reason for this is the maximum recruitment of muscle fibers, verses connective tissue. As the thighs lower below the knees, most of the fibers in the legs and the glutes begin to relax, and the stress of the weight is shifted to the connective tissue in the knees. These tendons and ligaments do not have the same load bearing capacity as the large muscles in the lower body, and, in this hyper-flexed position, and without the support of those same muscles, injuries can occur. This is one of the reasons why a powerlifter will have a much wider stance verses someone who just wants to work their quads. A wider stance not only shortens the distance from extended to flexed, but it also maintains more muscle recruitment for a longer period of time by keeping the load on the legs and glutes, whereas a narrower stance begins connective tissue involvement at a much earlier stage. The same can be said for allowing your knees to drift over your feet.

Now, someone may point out the fact that many Olympic weightlifters drop into a “below parallel” squat when doing a snatch or a clean. The differences are these: first, a weightlifter focuses more on power, rather than strength, such as a powerlifter (never mind the names!). Being in a drop-down position to receive the bar from the pull off the floor allows the lifter to explode upward (remember, in a snatch or clean, the motion of the weight is upward as the lifter “pulls” himself under the bar to catch the weight), therefore being in that position for a very short time, verses a powerlifter who’s descent and press may be two or three times as long as a snatch or a clean. Two other major variables are femur and trunk length. A weightlifter with a short femur will not need to squat nearly as low as a lifter with a long femur. The same can be said for a lifter with a longer torso, and therefore keeps his elbows clear of his knees.

Hope that helps…


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Michael

Powerlifters -
We eat raw meat, and sleep naked in the snow...
jakewa3
jakewa3
Posts: 59
Joined: 2005/10/02
Canada
2006/06/15, 03:40 AM


============
Quoting from wrestler125:
As for the arthritis comment, this is crap. I've trained people with arthritis. Guess what, its not squats that hurt their knees, its arthritis. I specifically said anyone "that said squatting hurt they're knees", not anyone that has hurt knees and squats. Your misconstruing the cause of something that is already effected.


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Something already affected - exactly. Squatting does make your knees hurt if there are underlying circumstances, which is what the original poster was talking about. This would be why I pointed out he should see a doctor to verify he doesn't have any problems still lingering that would be exaggerated by the squat ie. torn meniscus, arthritis etc.

As I said I have knee issues as well but I know when the pain I feel is from my usual soreness or from something else.

I also should have mentioned he look for some videos online to see how a squat is properly done and I have found that I need a decent warm up. I do many 1/4 and 1/2 squats with no weight to get my knees used to bending. Once I can go all the way down with out too much pain I start with the weight. By the time I get into my heavier set I have almost no pain... at least not in my knees.
bigandrew
bigandrew
Posts: 5,146
Joined: 2002/10/21
United States
2006/06/15, 12:38 PM
I thought in comp..the butt had to pass the knee? I have big theighs...i'd have to squat way low for the tops of my theighs to be parallel.

============
Quoting from rev8ball:

It’s not so much of the angle of the knees that can cause injuries as much as it’s the poor function of the muscles.

First off, forget about the whole 90-degree issue… it is very misleading. In reality, it is supposed to be when the femur is 90-degrees to the tibia, not the thigh to the calf. However, this is difficult to tell in most people. So, in a Powerlifting comp, for example, the call to “press” comes when the top of the thigh becomes parallel to the floor.

Now, on to injuries. Most sports science specialists (a general term) will tell you there is no need to go past parallel. The reason for this is the maximum recruitment of muscle fibers, verses connective tissue. As the thighs lower below the knees, most of the fibers in the legs and the glutes begin to relax, and the stress of the weight is shifted to the connective tissue in the knees. These tendons and ligaments do not have the same load bearing capacity as the large muscles in the lower body, and, in this hyper-flexed position, and without the support of those same muscles, injuries can occur. This is one of the reasons why a powerlifter will have a much wider stance verses someone who just wants to work their quads. A wider stance not only shortens the distance from extended to flexed, but it also maintains more muscle recruitment for a longer period of time by keeping the load on the legs and glutes, whereas a narrower stance begins connective tissue involvement at a much earlier stage. The same can be said for allowing your knees to drift over your feet.

Now, someone may point out the fact that many Olympic weightlifters drop into a “below parallel” squat when doing a snatch or a clean. The differences are these: first, a weightlifter focuses more on power, rather than strength, such as a powerlifter (never mind the names!). Being in a drop-down position to receive the bar from the pull off the floor allows the lifter to explode upward (remember, in a snatch or clean, the motion of the weight is upward as the lifter “pulls” himself under the bar to catch the weight), therefore being in that position for a very short time, verses a powerlifter who’s descent and press may be two or three times as long as a snatch or a clean. Two other major variables are femur and trunk length. A weightlifter with a short femur will not need to squat nearly as low as a lifter with a long femur. The same can be said for a lifter with a longer torso, and therefore keeps his elbows clear of his knees.

Hope that helps…



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Get your bicep curling, cut off shirt, matching workout outfit wearing,flexing in mirror "toned" wanna-be ass , out of my squat rack!

People don't reach thier true potental, only those who seek it.
rev8ball
rev8ball
Posts: 3,081
Joined: 2001/12/27
United States
2006/06/15, 08:21 PM
And some people have big butts; that's one of the problems - their butt would be past their knees with a quarter squat...lol. That's why most federations have opted for the front of the thigh. It seems to be the most constant...

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Michael

Powerlifters -
We eat raw meat, and sleep naked in the snow...