Is my squat form causing knee pain?

[mkporter]

I'm guessing probably yes...

Background:
Started SS in March. Stopped in May after daughter was born. Now a few weeks back in after a month off, have deloaded some from previous highs, progress is slow due to lack of sleep, but I'm getting back to where I was.

Stats:
Age: 36
Ht: 6'5"
Wt: 235 Lbs => 255Lbs
5RMs:
March => May => Now
Bench: 175 => 220 => 210
DL: 225 => 330 => 300
Press: 85 => 130 => 122.5
Squat: 155 => 230 => 205

I've deloaded on squats a couple of times in my progression due to knee pain and injury. I had what most likely was a old lateral meniscus tear start causing problems on my left knee. Solved it by keeping knees out. Managed to get a small tear in my left rectus femoris from insufficient warming up, a couple weeks with the Starr protocol cleared it up nicely. I'm left now with pain on the medial side of my left knee as I get near 90 degrees in my squat. My web doctoring says maybe medial meniscus. No catching, locking, or giving way. Knees tend to crack frequently. Also possibly relevant: I'm fairly pigeon-toed, my left foot pronates about 10 degrees inward from straight ahead. Right foot at 0 degrees.

Here's my vid from last week. Thanks in advance for taking a look.



5x205 (work set):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSywdNGjetg

Cheers,
Matt

[Mac Ward]

You describe you "had what most likely was a old lateral meniscus tear" and that you "managed to get a small tear in my left rectus femoris from insufficient warming up."

Have you had an MRI? Without that, I don't have any comment on your knee pain.

To that end, ASSUMING you have neither of these injuries, your squat has an overall sense of looseness. No two reps look the same.

Need to get tight! Your knees will need to come forward some at the beginning of the rep. You seem to be doing a decent job of shoving them out, but they must come forward and out initially. For a guy your size, I don't know that these weights should be giving you this much difficulty after about 2 weeks of training.

Recommendation, allow knees to drift forward through the first third of the squat while shoving them out, hips go back and down.

[mkporter]

Thanks for the reply Mac, much appreciated. Comments below...

You describe you "had what most likely was a old lateral meniscus tear" and that you "managed to get a small tear in my left rectus femoris from insufficient warming up."

Have you had an MRI? Without that, I don't have any comment on your knee pain.

I probably just clouded the picture with this info. These particular injuries are not affecting me currently. I have some current knee pain that is seemingly unrelated, and have not gone to get an MRI. I want to get my form cleared up first to see if that resolves things.

To that end, ASSUMING you have neither of these injuries, your squat has an overall sense of looseness. No two reps look the same.

Need to get tight! Your knees will need to come forward some at the beginning of the rep. You seem to be doing a decent job of shoving them out, but they must come forward and out initially. For a guy your size, I don't know that these weights should be giving you this much difficulty after about 2 weeks of training.

Recommendation, allow knees to drift forward through the first third of the squat while shoving them out, hips go back and down.

I had been trying to self coach through this, and while I've made some progress, I had too many thing floating through my head, which I think was contributing to the looseness. Thanks for the clarity. I put some effort into getting my knees forward earlier in my workout yesterday, and it seems to me that I was overall tighter, although I still have a fair bit of work to do. Knee pain was better overall, and in a different location.

Here's the footage:
Set 1: 195x6 - Apparently I can't count either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47sHZN0YU7s

Set 2: 195x5 - Counting gets better, squat form degrades some.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3wc8tjh7k8

Set3: 195x5;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXMk6eQh6xE


How's it look?

Thanks again, the coaches here are awesome.
Cheers,
Matt

[Mac Ward]

I only watched the 3rd set.

Set up:
Toes turned out a little bit more.
Elbows up.

With that complete, clear your mind.

Squat:
Continue to shove your knees out harder.
Drive your hips up.

ADD WEIGHT TO THE BAR.

[mkporter]

Thanks Mac, the guidance is much appreciated. Ready to rock and get this POS turned around. I'll check back in a few weeks with a bunch more weight on the bar.