Hamstring tendonitis - solutions?

[Dastardly]

I gradually built up a rather severe case of hamstring tendonitis in one of my legs during the latter part of last year.

I always found my squats to be very hamstring & adductor heavy, so this year I tried squatting in lifting shoes. This worked for a good while, creating a better balance of stress, with more work being done by quads.

I also stopped stretching so aggressively.

Both of these things helped and I have been able to squat for the past 2 months fairly well.

But as weight has gone up, the load on hamstrings has again increased and it again feels like the situation I was in at the end of last year. A ever-present "burning" soreness. It feels as if I keep pushing heavier squats it will slowly aggrevate problem till I get tendon tears.

Ive looked through Rip's Q&A and it seems he is always rather vague on the matter of tendonitis. Searching about on the net also brings up poor & vague information too.

Ice supposedly only helps with acute conditions, for me this is more chronic.

I started Icing it yesterday, it feels good but I am unsure if it is going to actually help anything.

I had a total rest from exercise for 2 weeks during christmas which had absolutely no effect. I am currently on a enforced training break too, but it again feels like it isnt actually helping.

I can feel it when running & cycling too. A light burning soreness. It is not unbearable, but just worrying.

I was wondering if anybody could suggest some solutions?

I am contemplating doing high bar/front squats at least some of the time to give my hamstring a break. But only because I cannot think of anything else.

I am not keen on doing a super long break.

[PVC]

How does your form look?

[gman]

Start taking fish oil and get a really good vicious massage

[Dastardly]

Start taking fish oil and get a really good vicious massage

Care to elaborate about the fish oil?

I am looking for someone to give me a massage already. There is a beauty spa training school in my city where you can get a full body "relaxation massage" dirt cheap. But I worry about going there to ask one of these teenage girls to apply violence to my inner thigh/arse area.

I am guessing they rarely do men, let alone south of the shoulders.

[Dastardly]

How does your form look?

I generally have a wider than average stance, this is pretty unavoidable as I cannot get deeper than quarter squat with a narrower stance.

I showed rip recently and he said I should narrow it, which I will try when the gym re-opens after easter break. But it will mean much limited depth, greater knee and adductor stress due to greater "toes out" angle required.

This video also displays what a struggled set looks like for me/typical flaws.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu7pLSN5QZA

[Nauticus]

A narrower stance requires toes angled more forward. Vice versa with a wider stance. Knee pain can occur when your femurs do not align with your feet, so keep this in mind when determining your feet angle.

[Dastardly]

A narrower stance requires toes angled more forward. Vice versa with a wider stance. Knee pain can occur when your femurs do not align with your feet, so keep this in mind when determining your feet angle.

Nope, if I narrowed my stance I would require extremely angled outward feet, to the extent it would feel unnatural and put strain on my knees.

Rip recommended this to me, to get heels close together and point toes out more. If I was able to do it, it should end up looking like the form used by Justin & Zach.

The wider my stance is the less angled I am able to have my feet. In fact I can squat or deadlift with my feet pointed straight forward if I use a wide stance. But if it is <shoulder width, then the feet must point greatly outward.

[Nauticus]

Nope, if I narrowed my stance I would require extremely angled outward feet, to the extent it would feel unnatural and put strain on my knees.

Rip recommended this to me, to get heels close together and point toes out more. If I was able to do it, it should end up looking like the form used by Justin & Zach.

The wider my stance is the less angled I am able to have my feet. In fact I can squat or deadlift with my feet pointed straight forward if I use a wide stance. But if it is <shoulder width, then the feet must point greatly outward.

Rip was right about bringing your feet closer and your pointing toes out more, because your stance is too wide and your feet are angled too forwards. But he wasn't making a statement that a narrower stance requires a more outwards foot angle, because he has said otherwise on page 30 of SS

[Dastardly]

Rip was right about bringing your feet closer and your pointing toes out more, because your stance is too wide and your feet are angled too forwards. But he wasn't making a statement that a narrower stance requires a more outwards foot angle, because he has said otherwise on page 30 of SS

I think he meant it specifically for someone like me who finds that a wide stance feels most natural/allows the proper depth. For people like us, even with deadlifts, feet pointed "extra out" seems to be highly recommended. I think it is related to the articulation/ROM of the hip joint.

[ColoWayno]

But I worry about going there to ask one of these teenage girls to apply violence to my inner thigh/arse area.

I am guessing they rarely do men, let alone south of the shoulders.

If they aren't willing to do that, they should find another line of work. You'll either make her a pro or help lead her to a more satisfying line of work.