Hey all
I realise knee pain/squatting/lifting shoes has been done to death on these boards but just wanted to know if anyone had experience of these particular shoes and knee pain? I used to squat bare foot and got up to around 180kg with no hint of pain (even after a complete rupture of the patellar tendon, kneecap fracture and several ligament tears, rugby injury). Since getting the shoes everything feels much more secure and stable wearing them and I'm so glad I bought them, for presses as well as squats, but since using them I've developed a pain in the top of the knee cap where the quad joins (I think, no doctor). Not unbearable more of an annoying ache most of the time, goes away with rest. Is it possible the heel on the shoe is changing the way the knee tracks forward in the hole? if so what do the learned masses recommend? Back to shoeless (no pain) or stick with the shoe and work through (more stable, comfortable foot position apart from the knee thing).
For info, I've recently tried my working weights both ways and neither seems to make much of a difference to the weight on the bar, just a different "feel" about both.
Deadlifting is done barefoot FYI.
I have a video on my phone from a workout a couple weeks ago. I'll try and upload it later when I'm home.
This was a PR single, couldn't find a decent one for a set of 5. Paused at the bottom I think it's around parallel. Maybe a bit high?
Ok just watching it closely I noticed my left heel raise on the way up. Never even noticed that before. That's the leg I ruptured my patellar tendon and fractured my kneecap on many moons ago. I know a limit single isn't the best to judge form from but could this be a subconscious favouring of the non injured/stronger leg??
Yup "This video is unavailable" for me too. You may have them set to private?
I was going to get squatting shoes until I did research here and someone mentioned how they bring the knee forward a bit, putting more stress on the knee. I had to switch to high bar squats a while back and have been pushing my knees to the limit (maybe because I'm also an older lifter). I'm pretty sure squatting shoes would push them right over, and if not I'm not gambling my most important exercise. I now squat in Chucks. I know those are frowned on by Rip and squatting shoes are more stable but until someone comes out with stable FLAT shoes, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Why don't you just ditch the squatting shoes and go back to the way you were squatting before for a while and see how it goes? That way you'll know.
Simple. You were squatting flat, added a heel, then experienced pain.
Anytime you change ANYTHING related to an established movement pattern, you need to dial the weight back considerably and do a short LP to accommodate the body to the new style.
Except for a few people who have really weird leverages, heeled shoes are a crutch which mask underlying strength and/or technique deficiencies. SS recommends them because teaching old novices to squat flatfooted would take too long and erode the client base.