So today I was fortunate enough to have someone tell me my left knee is buckling in as I come out of the hole for squats.
So is this a hip weakness I need to fix?
Has anyone had this problem and corrected it? If so what assistance exercise did you use?
This surpised me, I didn’t feel this happening at all, and I would have thought it would have been my right knee, as my right hip is killing me =/
PS - I squat low bar, medium stance, feet turned out slightly, traps/upper back squeezed super tight, tight arch in my back and I sit back into the hole, I try to open my knees out slightly and I go just below parallel. I’ll get a video if necassery but it’ll be a major pain in the ass.
K first thing my powerlifting friend told me knee caving=weak glutes. WHICH makes sense to me because my left knee caves more than my right and I have had trouble activiating my left glute for like EVERR. SO YA
Second thing, 2-SCOOPS or 2SCOOPS whatever, said that knee caving=toes pointed out too much. So for tomorrow’s squat day I am going to point my toes out less and see if it makes any difference.
Probably because your left knee is caving in and your right side is doing all the work lol.
Here’s my 2 cents: Just worry about staying perfectly symmetrical on squats. I don’t think you need to diagnose a weakness in some specific muscle or a specific side and then look for assistance exercises to balance it out. Even if some muscle weakness is causing it, as long as you’re doing squats symmetrically, you will balance out. The best way to strengthen your weaknesses on squats is to just do squats with perfect form (using each side of your body evenly!).
If you physically cannot squat without your left knee doing that, then you’ll just have to lighten up until you reach a point where it doesn’t happen and start from there.
try and point your toes forward more. Knees need to be outside your toes, so the closer to pointing forward your toes are, the less you have to jack your knees out. Also, think of the cue “spread the flood” as you squat. without letting them actually move, feel like you are spreading apart the floor between your feet, which forces your weight out onto your heels and the outside of your foot, and will help force your knees out.
Really focus on this on your lighter sets, and maybe even take your weights on squats a bit if you need more time to fix the problem - not only will you be able to squat more by forcing your knees out and creating more tension in your hips, but you can really tear your shit up if you let your knee cave in on heavy reps.
My squat form is good, I’m very OCD and I make sure that everything is perfectly symmetrical, I squat in front of a mirror (bad I know, but I don’t plan on powerlifting in the near future) to make sure everything is even.
The right hip hurting is a good point, I think I do tend to shift onto it with very heavy reps (90%+ 1RM), hoowever I changed my routine recently and I plan on doing lots of sets using 70-80% of my 1RM so that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
I’ll definitely focus on spreading the floor apart, I usually ignore that mental cue.
Glute med & medialis is the outside of your glute, correct?
My glutes are quite large (Ned Flanders syndrome) and I’m strong at hip extension, but come to think of it I don’t do many exercises that focus on the medialis.
Also, I am very weak at sumo deadlift and it feels super uncomfortable, so perhaps they would be the best assistance exercise?
My squat form is good, I’m very OCD and I make sure that everything is perfectly symmetrical, I squat in front of a mirror (bad I know, but I don’t plan on powerlifting in the near future) to make sure everything is even.
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If you are already symmetrical then are both your knees caving in?
My squat form is good, I’m very OCD and I make sure that everything is perfectly symmetrical, I squat in front of a mirror (bad I know, but I don’t plan on powerlifting in the near future) to make sure everything is even.
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The reason powerlifters say don’t squat in front of a mirror is because it effects form negatively, not because it we’re powerlifters and we think it’s hardcore. Bad form effects those who aren’t powerlifters just as much as those that are.
My squat form is good, I’m very OCD and I make sure that everything is perfectly symmetrical, I squat in front of a mirror (bad I know, but I don’t plan on powerlifting in the near future) to make sure everything is even.
[/quote]
If you are already symmetrical then are both your knees caving in?[/quote]
Well the bar placement is even, my leg placement is even, weight distribution on my feet feels even & my quads/glutes/hamstrings are the same size. I think this may be a recent problem.
I’ll try without a mirror, it’ll be difficult though, power racks are right in front of some huge ass ones.
So I just got back from the gym to try out the advice
4x8 with sumo deadlifts - hip pain is now completely gone
4x20 hip abductor - this confirmed that the left side is weaker than right (not by much though)
3x(10 yard) walking lunges
abs
I’ll try and keep this workout up. Just ordered some bands too which I can use during squats.
Edit - Pain in right hip is back slightly after sitting down for an hour
The gluteus medius and minimus are both underneath your gluteus maximus. Your gluteus maximus primary movement is hip extension. Glute medius and minimus have very little (if at all) role in hip extension but glute medius keeps your legs abducted (out) and glute minimus does mostly internal rotation. Just wanted to clear that up so that you have a little more knowledge of anatomy. They are three different muscles that sit outside your pelvis. SO long story short, it will be a glute medius issue and you’ve got some suggestions listed above and squatting with a band wrapped around your knees will help as will standing and doing hip abduction with a band wrapped around your lower leg. Although I think most of this can be fixed with focusing on picture perfect form everytime. But a little bit of assistance exercise never hurt anyone. Keep at it
[quote]Goodfellow wrote:
I’ll try without a mirror, it’ll be difficult though, power racks are right in front of some huge ass ones.
So I just got back from the gym to try out the advice
4x8 with sumo deadlifts - hip pain is now completely gone
4x20 hip abductor - this confirmed that the left side is weaker than right (not by much though)
3x(10 yard) walking lunges
abs
I’ll try and keep this workout up. Just ordered some bands too which I can use during squats.
Edit - Pain in right hip is back slightly after sitting down for an hour[/quote]
Bands are great, so good thing you got them. But you can also just use a weightlifting belt strapped around your knees.
knees caving doesn’t necessariy mean you have a musculuar weakness. often times the knees caving is the bodies way to complete the lift once the bar gets out in front of you. I’m assuming you are a raw squatter. I’ve never been a fan of the cue of “sitting back” for raw lifters. sit back into what?? sitting back is a great cue for geared lifters because they can sit back into their gear. Too many raw guys take this cue too literally and i see them sitting way back and when a person does that, where does the bar end up?? - in front of the hips. the bar should stay over the hips throughout the lift. when i squat i squat straight down and up. the bar stays over my hips. when the bar gets in front of your hips, your knees will cave to activate the quads to allow the body to complete the lift.
without seeing you squat i would bet the bar is getting in front of you coming out of the hole.
dude that STB video about leg positon will do the trick.
also, i notice with a few partners i train with who have the same issue; are you an overpronator when you walk? over pronators wear out the inside of their shoe soles first. all over pronators i know had a knee crave issue at one point and time.