Knee pain at top of patella

[jheald1]

Hey Coach,

I emailed you a couple weeks ago, then never posted. Here's me not being lazy any more, since I didn't resolve the problem...

I'm having some pain in what I assume is the quadriceps tendon. My knees hurt after squatting (pretty much all the time now) right at the top of my patella. I feel this when I'm extending and flexing my knees (I just did some body-weight squats and they hurt), and when I press on the very top of the patella (right at the angle), there is local pain.

I just posted the following video of my squat, and PFerrari pointed out that my knees are too far forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Raycl...eature=mh_lolz

I've heard about and tried to fix my knees-forward problem a couple of times. I'm wondering if I just have long femurs and therefore I can't get my knees back, or if there is a cue I can use to help this out. I'm also wondering if my knee pain is due to the knee position.

Thanks!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Standard deal, leg pressing your squat. You have to learn to get out of your knees and get into your hips. Do you have the book?

[jheald1]

Standard deal, leg pressing your squat.

Darn...I guess "standard deal" means that it can be fixed pretty easily?

You have to learn to get out of your knees and get into your hips. Do you have the book?

Yep, and I've read it. I thought I was doing everything (mostly) correct, but I guess not. I've worked on the "hip drive" cue, which made a difference. What else should I do, or what part of the book should I re-read more carefully?

Thanks again.

[jheald1]

I looked at "learning the squat" section again. I think I'm focusing on pushing off the floor, not raising my hips/butt. I just did I some body weight squats, and noticed the difference when I focused. I also havent been consciously contracting my legs as a squat down... which I should probably start doing.

Am I answering my own question correctly?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Read the part about the TUBOW. And get the DVD.

[DPMuller]

Read the part about the TUBOW. And get the DVD.

As a newbie without easy access to training: get the DVD now. Reading a book only helps so much, watching other people being coached makes a huge difference.

It helps if a partner can visually check your form during workouts (no need for an expert - my 11 year daughter will be visually checking my squat depth this afternoon). This will allow you to get immediate feedback on depth, knee position, etc.

If that's not feasible, tape yourself and review the tape in the rest time between sets - that's how I discovered that what I thought was good depth was a couple of inches high. Was able to fix it from one workset to another, rather than continuing to squat with bad form and all the evils thereof.

[jheald1]

If I understand the TUBOW correctly, the idea is that by preventing my knees from drifting past my toes, I will be forced to adjust my hips and back angle. This, in conjunction with the "hip drive" cue, will help me to squat properly. Is that correct?

I know this is like asking you to describe a taste or color (i.e. not really possible), but is there anything I should notice that will indicate that I'm squatting correctly? After all, I thought I was squatting [nearly] correctly previously.

One more question (sorry, I have lots): how could you tell I was leg pressing my squats? Was it the hip vs. knee or hip vs. back angle?

I want to know how the Master knows!!!

[jheald1]

Read the part about the TUBOW.

I was just thinking: you could market those. Paint an SS logo on it, sell it. A 10' 4"x4" is around $11. That could make for some great profit margins!

[Mark Rippetoe]

If I understand the TUBOW correctly, the idea is that by preventing my knees from drifting past my toes, I will be forced to adjust my hips and back angle. This, in conjunction with the "hip drive" cue, will help me to squat properly. Is that correct?[

Correct.

I know this is like asking you to describe a taste or color (i.e. not really possible), but is there anything I should notice that will indicate that I'm squatting correctly? After all, I thought I was squatting [nearly] correctly previously.

Your knees will not be traveling forward at the bottom.

One more question (sorry, I have lots): how could you tell I was leg pressing my squats? Was it the hip vs. knee or hip vs. back angle?

Your knees were traveling forward at the bottom.

[jheald1]

Your knees were traveling forward at the bottom.

Oh...I didn't think it was that straight-forward. That makes since, considering the way the TUBOW works (correct knees = correct hips = correct hip drive = correct squat).

Thanks again.