Knee pain after doing squat warmups?

[Leego]

So I just realized, that as of, I think either yesterday, I have now been doing weightlifting for a full 33 days. I have to say that, for a month of increasing weights by 5 lbs each time, I'm impressed with how fast I have been progressing.

 

On my squats, I am about to reach 105 lbs. I WAS going to hit that mark yesterday, but for some reason, after I warmed up with body squats and was about to do a warm-up set, not only did I not feel entirely flexible enough in my legs and lower back to do a proper squat, but I began to feel a pinching pain behind m left knee. From what I've been told by one trainer, and according to what I've researched, it's either something called "Patellar tendinitis", or "Baker's cyst". Or maybe it isn't those, after reading. The pain is almost more like inside my knee, behind my knee cap, not actually behind my knee.

 

Basically, it's where something in my knee is grinding against my knee cap because it isn't sitting right, and the best thing I can do for it is to let it rest by not doing squats for two weeks.

 

It's so strange. It was so sudden, and my knee feels much better, now, but I'm a bit paranoid about squatting to find out, and I don't want to risk tearing something or popping a bone out of place. I might try to do squats again next Friday, but that's it. And I might use a knee brace, from now on.

 

Besides that, I'm up to 145 lbs in deadlifting. I actually deadlifted before squatting, and instead of going from 135 lbs to 140 lbs, I went up to 145 lbs. I don't know if that had anything to do with my knee, but if it doesn't, I'm going to try and continue progressing by 10s on deadlifts until I hit 205 lbs.

 

On my OHPs, I'm up to 75 lbs, and I almost did 80 lbs, yesterday. I did 1x3, and 1x4 with a push-press (or what's it called) assisting on the last rep. I didn't finish, though. I meant to, but I let myself get distracted and offended by someone at the gym.

 

My bench presses and power cleans are up to 85 lbs, and I'm getting closer and closer to 105 lbs, on those.

 

This was supposed to be a woot room post, but I've noticed that I express more concerns and failures here, rather than bragging. I mean, I really am happy to hit these milestones, but I'm more concerned about continuing.

[Leego]

Update:

 

Today, I stood for 2-3 hours in the kitchen washing dishes and generally trying to think and keep myself occupied, and now the back of my knee feels sore and tired. Yet, when I did treadmill intervals yesterday for 1:30:00 (and burned 1,030 calories), my knee felt fine, except for when I would squat down. If possible, I'm just going to try and not walk or stand too much this weekend.

 

I can honestly say, the squat is my 2nd least favorite exercise. I don't hate it, and I do think it's important, but it always feels so uncomfortable and dangerous. The only exercise I dislike more than the squat, is the overhead press, and it's not so much that I hate it for any particular reason, it's just the trickiest and most difficult lift to perform. Everything has to be done just right to lift that weight over my head.

[sterre]

Are you sure that your form is correct? I know that sometimes, people will put their knees way past their toes when they do squats and apparently that's not how they're supposed to be done and maybe that could hurt your knees. If you're using free weights in a gym, maybe check your form in a mirror or ask someone to check it for you. Here's a page with some more details on squat form if you need it.

[jackien1]

This was on a blog post of Steve's, just finished reading it myself. Maybe it can help you.

http://youtu.be/90dbFDXfL3Q

It talks specifically about knee and lower back pain due to squats.

[Leego]

Thank you for the links, everyone. And, no, I'm not entirely sure if my form is correct. I DO remember feeling stiff when I was squatting that day, and I think I was leaning over too much. Basically, what I got from James Wilson's video is: Ass out (no tail-tucking/butt under torso, back arched up), shoulder's stationary (staying put, not rising), knees stationary (not moving, not going beyond the toes), and squeeze the glutes (for extra butt-lifting power and workout).

 

I tried doing what he said with my bodyweight just now, and even though I couldn't get a full squat because of limited space in my room, I did notice a lot of difference by putting most of my weight on my heels and keeping my knees stationary. My left knee didn't hurt at all...Not saying that I should now go and put 105 lbs on my back and do it again.

 

I'm still not sure what to do about my knee, though. I feel like it's not the first time I've had this issue with it, and the last time I had this pain, it went away after a few days to, I guess, two weeks. Except then, I wasn't very physically active, and didn't pay it much mind. Then, I wasn't doing weightlifting. Then, the idea of not lifting weights for two weeks didn't bother me.

 

I don't know whether or not if I need to walk more, lay down more, wear a brace, do proper bodyweight squats, do no squats, still do deadlifts and power cleans or not, stretch or not, what.

 

Just walking around outside for awhile or even just turning around loosely when walking outside makes my knee feel a little funny, and I notice that if I walk too much, both my knee, upper leg, and lower thigh (right above the knee), all start to feel a little sore and stiff. But then again, maybe that's just from squatting, and is not an injury in and of itself.

 

I figure that the worst thing that can happen if I play it safe and stop squatting or weightlifting for a week or two, is that I will lose two weeks of time worth MAX in building strength to recover and avoid risking a worse injury, and I will lose 5 pounds worth of strength in at least my squat, and I'll have to catch back up a little.

 

The worst that can happen if I try and do heavy squats tomorrow even with a sore knee, is that I risk causing a tear or something that will lead to me collapsing with the weight, and end up with at least a much more serious knee injury that I can't afford to see a doctor for, and be out for a whole month, if not indefinitely.

 

I still like the challenge and results of barbell training, but I almost want to say that I hope to switch to dumbbells or bodyweight training instead some day (even though I think it was bodyweight squats that hurt my knee to begin with), but that sounds like scared quitter talk. The only bad thing about barbell training is improper form. If I can get that right and take better care of myself, there's no reason to give it up.

[sterre]

Maybe try squats with just your bodyweight for a bit keeping an eye on your form and all until you're comfortable doing them that way and your knee feels better? It's probably better to err on the side of caution than to risk more severe injury which could lead to a longer hiatus.

[Leego]

Good advice! Just what I was thinking of doing.

 

I'm wondering if I should even do power cleans today. Quickly deadlifting and throwing up a bunch of heavy weight while jumping with it and doing a slight squat to give support for when I catch it, I'mma guess nah.

 

And yet, I almost feel like letting my OCD kick in, and decide to not do any weightlifting until I can go back to safely doing squats, powercleans, and deadlifts, simply because I want my strengths and lifts to be as synchronized as possible, so I won't have to let them play catch up later, and I have to be cautious either way.

 

I know that sounds silly, but I have to be cautious, and today, I can probably only do one weightlifting exercise safely, and that's bench pressing. Now I have to find a way to keep myself occupied at the gym for 4 hours. 0_o

 

Are there any stretches I can do for a hurt knee and a stiff and sore lower back and legs?

[Leego]

So, I'm trying to do quad stretches, hamstring stretches, and quad stretches, is it normal for them to feel like my legs are on fire while I'm doing them? Because I can easily lift weights without feeling much pain at all, even from it's strain, but when I stretch, I want to whimper.

 

I was worried that I injured my knee, and I think I have lightly injured it, but from what I'm reading, and judging by how my left ankle hurts sometimes, and my calves, left leg, and lower back feel sore, it sounds like I've got tight muscles and am not stretching enough.

 

And I'll be honest, I've been skipping stretches after weightlifting. Now I wish I would have paid attention in Yoga class. D: My thighs are poppin' and everything.