Need help with hip flexor problems from squats.

[jstevanus]

I was squatting 3 days per week for months, with no problems, until reaching a 3x5 rep of 250. Then, I had some health problems for several months, and was unable to get to the gym very much at all. For the past two months, I've been trying to get back on track. My squat 3x5 reps were down to 135 at first, but have grown steadily to 205.

Now here is my problem. A few weeks into workouts, I realized I had a small pain in my left hip flexor. I stopped squats for a few weeks, and that seemed to do the trick. It's been at least a month since then. Now, it feels like I did the exact same thing to my right hip flexor!

This is purely a guess, so don't flame me too much, but I think the problem is that I am pushing too hard to get back to the 250 I was doing before. I don't feel like I am straining, or pushing any harder than I ever have before. In fact, I feel like I could be doing more than I am. Because of the long break I took, I'm wondering if maybe I should be increasing my lifts much more slowly? It just doesn't make sense why this is happening. I started doing squats because of the Starting Strength book, and because of this website. I did it for months, and pushed hard, and never had pain anywhere. I made sure to study the book, pictures, and videos over and over to make sure my technique was right. Obviously, I'm doing something wrong. I don't have a youtube clip up for you to watch yet, but I will add the link to this thread as soon as possible.

Thank you everyone for reading this, and I appreciate any help and direction you can give a beginner.

[simonsky]

How many hours do you sit per day?

[jkw]

I was having hip flexor issues and they went away by doing some combination of 3 things:

1. Light hip mobility stretches pre-squat (like yoga warrior pose for hip flexor in particular)
2. Not moving knees forward in hole
3. Not divebombing into the hole, but a slower controlled descent

[RRod]

Simonsky might be on to something. I sit for my job, 8hours a day, and I've frequently fought right hip flexor pain in my squats. The "couch stretch" helps a lot when I do it consistently, so you may try that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZX1QMTdAC4

Also make sure you're not letting your knees slide forward at the bottom as well; see figure 2-48 in SSBBT3.

[Corrie]

Now here is my problem. A few weeks into workouts, I realized I had a small pain in my left hip flexor. I stopped squats for a few weeks, and that seemed to do the trick. It's been at least a month since then. Now, it feels like I did the exact same thing to my right hip flexor!

That's your problem. A "small pain" should not be something that causes you to stop working out for a few weeks. You work through small pains and if they become bigger pains then you know you need to change something.

Small pains in the hip flexors and IT band as well as knees and elbows just seem like part of squatting to me, after all you are putting hundreds of pounds of stress on your body.
Keep eating lots and keep working out and the pain should subside.

[jstevanus]

How many hours do you sit per day?

I sit for at least 8 hours per day at a computer. I get up at least once per hour and walk around for a few minutes.

[jstevanus]

I was having hip flexor issues and they went away by doing some combination of 3 things:

1. Light hip mobility stretches pre-squat (like yoga warrior pose for hip flexor in particular)
2. Not moving knees forward in hole
3. Not divebombing into the hole, but a slower controlled descent

1. Found that yoga warrior pose on youtube HERE. I might want to do that at home before I go to the gym!

2. Knees are fine. That's the one thing I've always focused on every time.

3. That's my problem, I'm almost sure of it! I forgot about that, and I have been dropping down fast and then coming to a quick stop at the bottom before pushing back up. I'm sure that is putting tremendous strain on my muscles. I need to focus on a slow, controlled decent. I think I have been watching too many bad videos on youtube, and ended up mimicking those guys that do it so fast! There is a lot of bad "information" out there about squats, and I need to remember to keep all that shit out of my head. It's bad enough I have to constantly hear the "pros" at the gym telling me to keep my back vertical for squats!

Found the quote from the book:

'If you are loose enough to drop into the bottom of the squat much
faster than you can come up, you need to tighten up more on the way down. And a loose descent
can allow joints to be jammed into positions they should not occupy. This is how most people get
hurt squatting - getting out of good position by going down so fast that proper technique cannot
be maintained. This is how squats got an undeserved bad reputation. Don't contribute to the
problem by dive-bombing into the bottom."

[jstevanus]

Simonsky might be on to something. I sit for my job, 8hours a day, and I've frequently fought right hip flexor pain in my squats. The "couch stretch" helps a lot when I do it consistently, so you may try that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZX1QMTdAC4

Also make sure you're not letting your knees slide forward at the bottom as well; see figure 2-48 in SSBBT3.

Since I now realize that my decent is too fast, and not controlled enough, I realize that my knees must be moving forward. According to the book, that is exactly what happens when the hamstrings relax. As far as the video, LOL, I've actually watched that "Pain Cave" clip before but have not yet tried the stretch. I should try that, and everything else I can until this pain subsides.