Another guy with knee pain.

[AlexTrost]

I checked the sticky about searching, searched using google, but couldn't find anything definitive or specific to what I'm experiencing. Even went back and reread parts of the 'common problems' section of SS. So I come here as a last resort.

I'm 24, male, and have been training SS for 6 months, squat at 190.

My main problem is knee pain brought on by something being wrong with my squats. It's the top of my knees on the front, at the top of the kneecap and above. I can't sit down without 'falling' into a chair once I get about 2/3rds into the sit. It's painful to be a bit above parallel.

It's not so much an injury where I'm out of commission, but just knee pain that is stopping me from hitting squats as hard as I would like to. I'm still squatting heavy, and once I'm heavily warmed up, the squats don't hurt too bad. My knees pop and crack like crazy, even with body weight squats.

I have been pushing my knees out to the sides pretty far, but I must be missing something. Here's a video of me squatting on May 1st with the same form that has been causing me knee trouble:
http://youtu.be/25NL9ZCPrqM

Any advice is appreciated. If you need better squat video angles or anything, let me know.

Thanks in advance, Rip.

[Corrie]

You need to eat more. Period.

6 months and only squatting 190 means you're not doing the program. It sounds like you have a bit of patellar tendonitis but still, eating more will give your body what it needs to recover fully and those little aches and pains will start to go away.

[mwhities]

Bring your feet in more under your shoulders. I had about the same pain and I was going to wide with my stance.

[b17vic]

If it's above the knee and it is tendonitis it could be Quadriceps tendonitis and if it's below the knee it could be Patellar tendonitis but from what I can gather from reading knee stuff on the web lately these problems are being referred to as Patellar Femoral Pain Syndrome. The snap, crackle and popping sounds are called knee Crepitus and can have various causes some serious some not. You should probably get someone who is trained and that has knowledge about such things to check you out just in case you have some kind of foot, ankle, knee, hip or other structural dysfunction. You don't want to fuck your self up while trying to do good do you! ?
You also do look a little light so have you paid close attention to the food you are eating?

[AlexTrost]

@Corrie - I've consistently been eating 4500-5500 calories each and every day for the past month and a half. I've had knee problems from the beginning of the program and had to stop squatting, deload and then come back up with better form. Now I'm getting knee problems once more and can't advance the way I should be.

@mwhities - That sounds like it could definitely be an issue, I feel more stable in a wide stance so I've been going out a bit wide... I'll try to bring the feet a bit closer, thanks.

@b17vic - Yeah, it is above the knee, so seems it has to do more with the quads. I'd be fine with having someone check me out, but I feel like anyone I go to is just going to tell me to stop squatting. And yeah, I'm still pretty skinny, as I started at 6'4" 165lbs and am now 200lbs but still need to put on a bit more weight.

[veryhrm]

Hmm... that video looks alright to me. Maybe feet are a bit wide like mwhities said.

My knees get unhappy mostly when i lose tension in the hamstrings. I don't see anything in the video (like tell-tale knee slide) to suggest that's the case, but do you generally feel the hams stay tight in the bottom third both going down and coming up ?

Also, do you run or bike ?

(A video from the side and a little lower and w/ not black shorts would perhaps be useful.)

[Corrie]

@Corrie - I've consistently been eating 4500-5500 calories each and every day for the past month and a half. I've had knee problems from the beginning of the program and had to stop squatting, deload and then come back up with better form. Now I'm getting knee problems once more and can't advance the way I should be.

@mwhities - That sounds like it could definitely be an issue, I feel more stable in a wide stance so I've been going out a bit wide... I'll try to bring the feet a bit closer, thanks.

@b17vic - Yeah, it is above the knee, so seems it has to do more with the quads. I'd be fine with having someone check me out, but I feel like anyone I go to is just going to tell me to stop squatting. And yeah, I'm still pretty skinny, as I started at 6'4" 165lbs and am now 200lbs but still need to put on a bit more weight.

I've had similar problems and bringing in my stance definitely helped my knees from caving in and from getting sore. It will probably feel uncomfortable but you should notice a pretty big difference in your ability to bounce out of the hole.

It's good that you've been eating that much but you may need more if you haven't gained much weight in the past month and a half. What was your weight at the start and what is it now? Once again I had the same problems as you and now that I'm gaining 2-3lb a week with good food I'm feeling so much better. I'm also hitting PRs for the first time in a long time.

[Simma Park]

I've consistently been eating 4500-5500 calories each and every day for the past month and a half.

And yeah, I'm still pretty skinny, as I started at 6'4" 165lbs and am now 200lbs but still need to put on a bit more weight.

Are you tracking your intake carefully? Most people are really bad at estimating how many calories they're consuming.

And, as Corrie says, even if your calorie count is accurate, you may need more. You're a 6'4" skinny guy on a strength program. You will need a LOT of food.