I’m 26 but often feel like I’m 76.

[Charlie Davies]

fencer, when I started lifting 6 years ago, I had the 2nd edition SS book, a barbell, and no coach.

When my workouts caused me intense and chronic pain, I treated myself with more food, more sleep, foam rolling, stretching, cold showers, epsom salt baths, you name it. Nothing worked.

After months of pain, I finally re-read the squat chapter and spotted the part where a particular form fault was described as causing the exact symptom I had.
I started video-recording all my squat sets and reviewing them myself.
I did some form-checks on this forum.

Squatting correctly did not cure my now-chronic tendon injury, but it no longer made the injury worse.
A few years later, that injury still bothers me slightly. Tendons don't heal quickly.
But I can lift without injuring myself now.

Lots of people have stories like this here. That's why we keep telling you to get coaching somehow. Bad form is not obvious w/o an outside view.

[fencer]

Lots of people have stories like this here. That's why we keep telling you to get coaching somehow. Bad form is not obvious w/o an outside view.

Heard loud and clear. I’m going to get my girlfriend a gym pass and get her to film me as soon as possible.

[ChrisRozon]

All you need is a cellphone and a place to prop it up...

[ChrisRozon]

I'm no doctor, but chronic pain and exhaustion for someone your age doesn't sound like bad technique...... It sounds like some kind of hormonal imbalance, maybe a nutritional deficit, something about those lines. You should definitely get a full checkup, make sure you're not anemic or have some other condition that needs medical treatment.

[Charlie Davies]

I own a $20 plastic bendy-tripod cellphone mount. It clamps onto any smartphone and can be attached to any nearby object to get the ideal hip-height view from about 10' back.

[fencer]

I'm no doctor, but chronic pain and exhaustion for someone your age doesn't sound like bad technique...... It sounds like some kind of hormonal imbalance, maybe a nutritional deficit, something about those lines. You should definitely get a full checkup, make sure you're not anemic or have some other condition that needs medical treatment.

I get pain but not exhaustion. It’s chronic in that it doesn’t really go away but it has better days and worse days. I think I’ll give lifting and eating consistently one last shot and if that doesn’t work I’ll go to a doctor. Just because I think they will send me to physio. Otherwise will they take a blood test and what?

All you need is a cellphone and a place to prop it up...

I own a $20 plastic bendy-tripod cellphone mount. It clamps onto any smartphone and can be attached to any nearby object to get the ideal hip-height view from about 10' back.

There isn’t really anywhere in my gym to prop my phone up. I mean, I could maybe steal another bench if you think that’s the right height?

[Jr_Geezer]

There isn’t really anywhere in my gym to prop my phone up. I mean, I could maybe steal another bench if you think that’s the right height?

Muster up your courage, walk up to a friendly-looking person in the the gym and say "Can I bother you to video my squats? It'll only take a minute. Thanks."

Problem solved.

[Charlie Davies]

There isn’t really anywhere in my gym to prop my phone up. I mean, I could maybe steal another bench if you think that’s the right height?

There's a sticky on the staff-coaches Q&A forum on how to make a good form-check video, be sure to read it.

A bench, a plate stand, a chair, an innocent bystander -- whatever gets the phone up off the floor and ideally at hip height.
In my garage, I clamp the phone-stand onto an upright vacuum cleaner or chair.

A coach wants a diagonal-rear view, far enough back to include the bar and your feet.
Don't wear extremely baggy clothing, the coach needs to see where your hip joint and knees are.
Do a set of 5 at a challenging weight. Doesn't have to be your 5-rep max, but empty-bar isn't useful.

[Brodie Butland]

There isn’t really anywhere in my gym to prop my phone up. I mean, I could maybe steal another bench if you think that’s the right height?

Get a bench, put weight plate on the bench, lean phone against plate. This is how I've recorded every set for the past three years.

Alternatively, ask someone to film for you.


Time to stop talking and do.

[fencer]

Get a bench, put weight plate on the bench, lean phone against plate. This is how I've recorded every set for the past three years.

Alternatively, ask someone to film for you.

Time to stop talking and do.

Right. I’ve uploaded a video of my squat to the coaches forum. I’m a little rusty in both form and strength but it’s a good representation of where I am right now.

Thanks for all your replies so far. I’m going to take your collective advice of eating more and working on my form as opposed to obsessing over stretching and other random exercises.