Hip Pain (Should I stop squatting?)

[Intricate35]

Hello all,

Thank you for taking the time to view this post. I will try and keep it brief.

Returned to SS after a long layoff (over a year). Came back, with some advice here, I picked a relatively challenging weight to start with after some warm up workouts, and restarted LP. The pain started immediately after performing a 1RM test on squats (conservatives) after a couple weeks to determine a good restart point for work sets. Obviously I must have overestimed my retained strength. For context, I stopped over a year ago with basically a 5,4,3, plate DL,SQ,BP. I was running TM at the time.

The source appears to be either the tendon connecting the Gluteus Maximus to the femur, or possibly the piriformis itself underneath. I also get pain all along the lateral side of the same hip near the joint, on my ITB, and even sometimes up the the TFL. So without having someone look into it (no one avail locally due to "covid"), it's either bursitis, tendonitis, or some type of piriformis issue.

I have tried all manner of foam rolling, sitting on a lacrosse ball, and tennis ball release of that glute and the ITB/TFL. On a weekly cycle, the pain is worst after "Friday," and almost completely dissipates after 48 hours of rest/rolling/icing/NSAIDS. Yet starts coming back on after Monday's workout, and continues getting worse through the week. Sometime to the point it affects sleep/recovery.

Oddly enough, my strength hasn't been an issue, and other than a weird shimmy I get at the bottom sometimes, the weight feels "light." I feel no "weakness" from the injury, and it doesn't hurt more during the workout. If anything, it almost feels slightly numb/better (which leads me to believe it could be some sort of impingement). I have tried narrower and wider stances to try and fix to no avail thus far. I tend to lean toward a wider stance as my hips/thighs/glutes are large for my weight (201 BW, 42 inch hip, 20 inch thighs).

Below are form checks from the front and the side. If necessary I can reconfigure the rack today for a 3/4, rear. Please ignore the bandana, I wear it to troll a neighborhood friend who loves to curl in his squat rack.

My main question is how to proceed. I hate to lose time right now getting back to old PR's (home full time right now due to "covid"). But if its recommended to substitute the squat I will (my last choice).

Side:

YouTube

Front:

YouTube

Thank you again for your time and consideration.

[Mainstream]

Obviously you need an xray and mri but it could slso be arthritis...I was amazed that my arthritis affected all my soft tissues around it

[Nick D'Agostino]

Hey Intricate,

I do not think you need an image. Getting an image will most likely lead you to get an intervention that is not going to be beneficial.

This situation sounds like a too much, too soon, too fast problem that started with the initial 1RM on your lifts. You need to change your program. I would recommend dropping your work weights by 20-30% and build back up to where you are now over 8ish weeks making weekly progressions (like a TM or HLM setup).

If you are not finding the foam rolling, lax ball stuff very beneficial you do not have to do them. If you find they temporarily modify your symptoms stick with it.

You have no red flags in your technique. If you find a small technique tweak is beneficial, use it, but it is not going to solve the problem of gradually increasing hip pain.

The way out here is managing the load of your program and slowing things down so that you are adapting faster than you are applying stress.

Hope this helps!

[Intricate35]

Hey Intricate,

I do not think you need an image. Getting an image will most likely lead you to get an intervention that is not going to be beneficial.

This situation sounds like a too much, too soon, too fast problem that started with the initial 1RM on your lifts. You need to change your program. I would recommend dropping your work weights by 20-30% and build back up to where you are now over 8ish weeks making weekly progressions (like a TM or HLM setup).

If you are not finding the foam rolling, lax ball stuff very beneficial you do not have to do them. If you find they temporarily modify your symptoms stick with it.

You have no red flags in your technique. If you find a small technique tweak is beneficial, use it, but it is not going to solve the problem of gradually increasing hip pain.

The way out here is managing the load of your program and slowing things down so that you are adapting faster than you are applying stress.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for your response! It hurts my heart that at this pace it may take 3-4 months to reach previous PR's. But if necessary I will do it. Do you think that any time off is warranted (I didn't squat this week, and feel noticeably better just doing deadlifts at 315+). I feel like it's created 50% of the pain experienced with normal squatting. Still there, but much less aggravation.

Funnily enough, I posted here upon returning to lifting asking for feedback on how to get back to my old records. I had planned on doing HLM, but was told that I should just LP to reatain with the greatest speed. In retrospect I should have started lower, and not pushed 1RM's to ascertain a restart point.

Is there any hope of running LP by some sort of reset, or do you think I must take the HLM due to the current injury, age, and recovery?

Thank you again for your insight and comments on form. I greatly appeciate it.

[Intricate35]

Hey Intricate,

I do not think you need an image. Getting an image will most likely lead you to get an intervention that is not going to be beneficial.

This situation sounds like a too much, too soon, too fast problem that started with the initial 1RM on your lifts. You need to change your program. I would recommend dropping your work weights by 20-30% and build back up to where you are now over 8ish weeks making weekly progressions (like a TM or HLM setup).

If you are not finding the foam rolling, lax ball stuff very beneficial you do not have to do them. If you find they temporarily modify your symptoms stick with it.

You have no red flags in your technique. If you find a small technique tweak is beneficial, use it, but it is not going to solve the problem of gradually increasing hip pain.

The way out here is managing the load of your program and slowing things down so that you are adapting faster than you are applying stress.

Hope this helps!

The other thing that really kills me about this, is that the squat weight is barley 62% of my old PRs (405, now 255 with the year layoff).

[Nick D'Agostino]

Hey Intricate,

You have to choose what your priorities are. I can't choose them for you. I want you to reflect on your relationship with training and think about whats aspects of it are most meaningful to you. Is what is most important the most recent number you lifted? Or is it something deeper that is harder to put your finger on and related to the process? I do not want you to answer this question here, but reflecting on it might make the path forward more clear. If you spend some time reflecting on what it would be like not to be able to train at all, you may start to appreciate the situation you are currently in as a win and not a significant loss.

[dalan]

I know it's mentally tough but 3 or 4 months out of your training life to get to where you were is nothing. Better to take a few months now than a lot longer, or never, later. Best wishes!

[Gbraddock]

I’ll piggy back on Nick’s comments.

I’ve felt the same frustrations too. I just had to come to a point where I realized my ultimate goal was to train hard, smart, and with a purpose based on where I am at a given time. If I am progressing and feeling good, I’m happy to see the numbers increase. If I’m “steering into the skid” that is inevitable injury, then I try to find my baseline and work my way back up and avoid doing what I did before that may have contributed to the injury.

It’s maybe not the sexiest answer, but at my age of 46, it is reality. I just enjoy whatever grind I can endure based on my situation.

Hope it helps.

[Intricate35]

Hey Intricate,

You have to choose what your priorities are. I can't choose them for you. I want you to reflect on your relationship with training and think about whats aspects of it are most meaningful to you. Is what is most important the most recent number you lifted? Or is it something deeper that is harder to put your finger on and related to the process? I do not want you to answer this question here, but reflecting on it might make the path forward more clear. If you spend some time reflecting on what it would be like not to be able to train at all, you may start to appreciate the situation you are currently in as a win and not a significant loss.

Nick,

As always I appreciate your comments. It's hard hearing it, but some progress is definitely better than no progress at all. To that point, this is my plan, and if you'd be so kind, I'd love your notes one a couple of points.

Andy Baker Standard HLM. I'll be starting at 75% (on Squat 255 lb. and Deads 315 lb.) of my current LP working weights per your suggestion. Here is my first week, and plan breakdown:

Day 1 (Heavy):
Heavy Squat 5x5 185 lbs.
Medium Bench 3x5 175 lbs.
Medium (85% of Heavy) Deadlift 3x5 210 lbs.

Day 2 (Light):
Light (80% of Heavy) Squat 3x5 150 lbs.
Overhead Press 5x5 110 lbs.
Bent Over Rows 3x5 165 lbs.

Day 3 (Medium):
Medium (90% of Heavy) Squat 3x5 165 lbs.
Heavy Bench 5x5 175 lbs.
Heavy Deadlift 1x5 235 lbs.

Increase 5lbs. a week on Squats, 10lbs. a week on Deadlift, 5 lbs for BP/OP. I'll move OP to 2.5 increments soon. Titrate Heavy volume down if progress slows and medium volume up in balance.

My questions are thus:

1. Does this look solid?
2. Should I keep the increments the same even if my hip feels "healed" in a month? I'm very hopeful that this will become reality.
3. Should I continue to eat 4k (210 grams protein) calories a day? I am a hard gainer with a high metabolism. 4k gains me about 1lb. of BW a week. I am 202 today.

Thank you again for the consideration. You've given me hope of a way out of this!!!

[Intricate35]

Dalan,

Thank you for the words of encouragement. It is devastating to feel unstable and in pain under a 255 squat, when a year ago 255 was a 3rd warmup. I'll never press my luck while detained again! Lesson learned.