Quad tendon pain

[banrup]

M22, 210 lbs, 6'2" (95kg, 188cm)
Currently doing NLP with DL 265/120kg BS 265/120kg BP 187/85kg OP 120/55kg

Hi,
for the past 4 workouts I have been getting a pulling type of pain in both of my lower-outer quads. Above the knee but more to the outer side. I did not care too much at first but the last time I went I could not finish the three squat sets and did only two because the pain was too much. It comes and goes, sometimes it is painful even if i am only sitting down. I try and massage the side of my thigh but it feels like there is a tensioned string. There is also the occasional pop in the knees that I do not think that was there before, but before the injury I did not pay any attention so I just might have not noticed.

I am not even sure that it is tendon pain, but I have experienced many types of muscle aches and this feels completely different.

I now know I have fucked up with the kneeslide and knee cave ini in the squat, I would like to ask if I should employ some different protocol or simply back off the squat weight and focus on the technique.

Thanks for any and all advice.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Video?

[banrup]

Sure, hauled myself to the gym today for the video, I know it is not the best motion picture you have seen, I tried to follow the instructions as well as I could.
Squat 100kg - YouTube
After feeling sorry for myself for a few minutes, I decided to take a video of the deadlift too, just so I don't start another thread in two weeks.
DL 100kg - YouTube

The knees now hurt on the inside too, the deadlift did not change anything, it still hurt but it would have hurt either way.

Both are the first and only set I did, I did not want to go 100% of my past max because this already hurts like hell.

I have tried to go for a light 30 min run/walk (I have not been doing that in at least a year) and somehow it made the knees feel better than before. I still want to repair whatever is limiting my lifting, but I thought this might give you some more insight. Also I am on a TUE/THUR/SUN schedule because of school/work so the two miserable sets today were not in replacement of standard training, just wanted to get back to you ASAP. I have some hyper flexion in my knees, elbows and ankles, that I have developed from swim practice (6yo-20yo, 12h a week at the top end), not sure if this is important info also.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Both are the first and only set I did, I did not want to go 100% of my past max because this already hurts like hell.

You did no warmups?

[banrup]

Yes I did, my bad. 10 reps of just the bar, 5 reps of 60kg and 1 rep of 100kg for squat, dl was 5 reps of 60kg and 1 rep of 100kg before the working sets.

I also walked to the gym which is 15 minutes far, enough to break a bit of sweat.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Looks high to me, but you have cleverly positioned the camera so that we cannot be sure. But the default approach to knee pain is to get out of the knees and into the hips, i.e. sit back more with a more horizontal back angle, and shove your ass up harder out of the bottom.

[banrup]

I’m going to increase the depth and take the knees out more.

Thanks for the advice Rip!
I’ll reply to this thread in a week or two, even if it helps. just so there’s closure to it.