Hey guys,
I’ve been lifting on and off for about three years now, but due to my ignorance in early workouts, I’ve gained a number of reoccurring minor injuries that I’m worried about.
Before that… my info:
22 years old, male
155 pounds, 6’2"
As you can see I’m a skinny guy. I got up to 165 but had a bad few months of stomach problems and stress so I dropped down to 152 before I started lifting again recently.
Anyway, my knees and right hip (where the femur connects to the socket) have been prone to strains and minor dull aches over the past year. My right shoulder (in the front, where the pectoral meets the deltoid) is also prone to pain when I go too deep with heavy DB (or normal) bench presses.
This has led me to try and refine my squats and deadlifts to avoid any further injuries. One thing I noticed was that wider stances for squats/deadlifts were setting off my hip, and sub-perfect form was setting off my knee. I only go down to 90 degrees for my squats but ‘proper’ form is something I’m still struggling with. Deadlifts seem OK so far, but I’m starting to get a dull ache in my hip again.
I guess this thread is more an open call for suggestions than a list of questions. Do you guys recommend any exercises to perhaps strengthen my hip and knees? Could it be a flexibility thing? Since my time off from the stomach thing, the joints have largely healed, but I’ve been lightly tweaking them in my recent workouts. Should I take it easy weight-wise and try for more reps until my legs are feeling really strong? What do you more joint-sensitive guys do for leg exercises?
If you have any questions for me I’ll gladly answer as soon as I can.
Thanks!