My first injury

[ABCD]

Hello Rip,

I’m 31 years old on my second week of SS, very motivated. Nothing will stop me.

I got an injury while squatting earlier this week. I had around 170 pounds on the bar; I don’t think it’s a big injury, but I don’t want it to get big and prevent me from training for months.

I have pain in the area around my knee. I can’t pinpoint exactly where, but I know it’s not in the knee.

It hurts when I squat, and a little when I walk. It also hurts if I rotate it: for example when I sit down on a chair and lift my leg up then move my foot left and right to rotate my knee. The pain seems to come more from rotation and lateral movements rather than pushing with the leg. Because if I squat without a bar, I can go down fully without pain. But I have to go perfectly straight ; as soon as there’s a bit of imbalance and lateral movement, I feel the pain.

When not moving, I feel a just a little pain. The pain lessens as days go by. Yesterday I squatted with light weights (under 100 pounds) and it made my pain worse right after the work out. About 5 hours later the pain started to lessen. Right now, 24 hours after my last workout with light weights, it's a lot better.

I will review my form thoroughly, but in the meantime, what do you think this injury is and what should I do to make it heal?

Thanks a lot.

[Brian Harlin]

You are going to have to be more specific about where the pain is. Also, you need to post a form check video. Read the stickies about both injury questions and form videos.

[Malecite]

I feel your pain, literally.

I am 29, been lifting for a few years (stupidly, oh so very stupidly) and finally read SS and learned how ridiculous my previous routines were.

I am 3 weeks into starting strength after reading the book twice, and finally have a halfway decent form that doesn't involve me killing myself doing low bar squats at over 225lbs. I have terrible terrible knees, and can now do lowbar squats without exascerbating my previous knee injury.

Here is what I did to fix it.

1) Cardio, Stretching, Warm up. This is probably the most important thing you can do, as Rip says: "If you don't have time to warm up properly, you don't have time to workout".

2) PUSH OUT YOUR KNEES. The biggest problem with my form is that I got used to relaxing under the bar, you can't! You should be jamming your knees out as hard as you can safely while performing the Valsalva. Also check to see if your squating too low, flexibility takes time and your hammies can easily pull things out of position at the bottom of the squat if you go too low too early.

3) Tape yourself. Before even starting the program I spent a week taping myself (creepy I know) doing squats without a bar and working on not rounding my back and getting my knees out while maintaining proper depth. Since you injured yourself I would suggest doing the same before you get back in the gym. Everyone has a smart phone, you will be amazed at how bad you are even though you think your doing great. Tack it up to a lack of kinesthetic sense... I think thats the word.

Anyways above all keep up the hard work, I have been noticing in just 2 weeks that I have shown more progress than 2 years of dumbassery without the wisdom of Mark.

[ABCD]

Thanks Malecite.

I was really disapointed that I couldn't squat as early as week 2. But then I taped myself, watched my form and went back to the squat rack. I decided to follow the general advice of the people here to not stop training when injured.

So today I squatted and it went really well. I almost recovered fully and I'm really happy.

[hammock23]

Nice! Glad things are going better for you, there's nothing worse than having to skip/alter workouts due to joint pain. I second the recommendation to warm up properly: Do some moderate cardio, and make sure to do your warm-up sets with the empty bar, and with lower weights.

[ABCD]

Yes I will do that thank you. I went to the SS wiki and downloaded the warm up calculator spreadsheet, to make sure I get a gradual weight increment on my warmups.

[dotyl9h]

cracks me up that people can't figure out how to warm up without an app.