Squat is all over the place

[Tom Bryant]

Work set. Appoligies for poor video quality.




Another set of lighter weight with more emphasis on 'knees out'. This caused the slight knee discomfort described below.



Well, it was all going so well until I started getting a pain in the top of my left quad, or that area at least. I've looked up what it could be and it lead me to hip impingement. It's only on the left side, the right is feels fine.

So, I shove my knees out more and the pain is barely noticeable BUT I get an irritation on the outside of my knees. It feels a bit like tendonitous does.

My form in general feels really shakey, it's not smooth at all and the whole thing feels arkward for me. I've tried a more knees forward postion but when I do this instead of my back angle staying the same, my ass kicks back instead of a smooth up and down motion.
What causes this? And how do I fix it. Going to re-read the squat chapter anyhow.

I don't know what to do other than start the programme again and practice, practice, practice my squat form. Or perhaps I could just reset the squat, I don't really know what to do and am in need of advice.

Also, I train at home in my bedroom and due to it being a loft converted room and having low ceiling I'm unable to do the power clean and the press. Instead I do chins and seated press. I know this is seen as NDTP but it's not a world away is it.

[Brodie Butland]

Post a video...maybe we can help.

[Tom Bryant]

Post a video...maybe we can help.

Sorry, videos are up now.

[Brodie Butland]

A little hard to tell what's going on here because we can't see (1) your stance, (2) the bar path, (3) what your back is doing for the first half of the descent. So with those caveats...

Your squat isn't terrible, but you seem to have a lack of tightness through the entire bottom half. You sort of ease forward through most of the descent, and then do a big shift forward at the end with your knees. My guess (given that I can't see the barpath) is that you're probably shifting the weight onto your toes. How does it feel when you do it? i.e. do you notice the weight shifting forward when you squat?

That could explain the knee pain. There's also a possibility that your thighs aren't parallel to your toes (which could also lead to knee pain), but we'd need to see a 45 degree video angle for that.

I'd suggest tightening up a lot, and then filming both warm up and work sets at a 45 degree angle so we can get a better look.

[Tom Bryant]

Thanks for your reply.

I will try and get the best video possible next time I train which will be Wednesday.

What is lacking in tightness through the bottom half of the lift?

My main concern is the pain in the top of my left leg.

[Brodie Butland]

My armchair analysis is that you're allowing the bar to move in places it shouldn't--especially forward. This may be incorrect, but I can't tell without seeing the bar--I'm just basing it off of the gradual slide forward I see throughout your workset.

My suggestion is that on the next worksets, try to feel the weight over your midfoot the whole way down and up. You need to keep everything contracted hard so that you don't allow the bar to get out of that position. I've found that by focusing on keeping the weight over the midfoot, everything else usually takes care of itself.

You may have to drop the weight a little and work back up.

WRT the quad pain--if knees out fixed the issue, I'd say you have your solution. As for knee pain, I can only offer abject guesses from what I have, but suffice it to say that if you are allowing the weight to slide to your toes, your knees will not be happy afterwards.

[Tom Bryant]

Here's a better video. Not a workset but enough weight to demonstrate the issue.

I seem to be tilting forward as I approach the bottom, this causes the leg pain described. The pain is only on the left leg. I've booked a docs appointment so we'll see what he says.

It's fine with bodyweight squats, but, with even with the empty bar on my back I feel pulled forward at the bottom. Not so much my knees but my torso.

[Tom Bryant]

My Doctor has said I have a hip flexor strain. Stretch for two weeks, then come back at about half the weight you were at when it happened.

[Tom Bryant]

Any pointers on the latest video?

I try my best to follow what it says in the book and still get hurt 7 weeks in. Having doubts.

[Charlie Davies]

I'm a beginner myself, take my advice with caution.

Look in your copy of the SS book for the description of the "interesting" ASIS hip-flexor tendonitis caused by knees moving forwards at the bottom of the squat.
This is my major fault, maybe it's yours too.

I have a thread about it here: https://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=32464