Hamstring Quads Imbalance?

Hi

when i tried a 15-rep squat program, my quads got huge and i easily gained 10 lbs over a month. But after a month i started to get knee pain. I think this might be due to quad/hamstring imbalance. the high-rep squat program worked wonders to me and i hope to utilize it again in the future. But how can i do so without causing further imbalance?

thanks in advance

[quote]pizzlemank wrote:
Hi

when i tried a 15-rep squat program, my quads got huge and i easily gained 10 lbs over a month. But after a month i started to get knee pain. I think this might be due to quad/hamstring imbalance. the high-rep squat program worked wonders to me and i hope to utilize it again in the future. But how can i do so without causing further imbalance?

thanks in advance[/quote]

I’m guessing you are using an olympic type squat so if you were to switch to a powerlifting type squat you would use your hamstrings alot more and take emphasis off the quads. Box squats as recommended by west side is the best for hamstring/glute developement. I also do romanian deadlifts, these really do target the hamstrings.

Withtout actually seeing you squat it is difficult to tell you what to do. First off, are you squatting with a full ROM ? And to add about the whole “olympic squats just work the quads blabla” thing, olympic squats work the entire legs, they work the hams/glutes a lot. If you get knee pain from squatting you’re probably not squatting correctly. I rarely saw quad/ham imbalance in full squatter.
Add some RDL and full squats to the mix and you should be fine to counter that imbalance.

[quote]pizzlemank wrote:
Hi

when i tried a 15-rep squat program, my quads got huge and i easily gained 10 lbs over a month. But after a month i started to get knee pain. I think this might be due to quad/hamstring imbalance. the high-rep squat program worked wonders to me and i hope to utilize it again in the future. But how can i do so without causing further imbalance?

thanks in advance[/quote]

It is very unlikely you developed an imbalance big enough to cause knee pain in a month. It is more likely that you are not doing full squats or are using incorrect form and thus you are putting a lot of pressure on your knee and have begun to damage it.

I’m going to have to agree that it would be difficult to develop an imbalance over such a short training period.

I had the same problem, however instead of doing 15 rep squats i was doing a 5x5 squat, bench and deadlift workout and no direct hamstring work, i got a knee injury with olympic squating, the orthopedic doc. suggested imbalances in lateral and medialis heads of the quads and also weak hams.

About 6 weeks later i was able to perform squats again due to the excruciating knee pain. m rehab work consisted of stiff deads, leg curls and lunges, and as far as the imbalance in the quads i used a foam roller and now my knees are pain free…

Great advice above I cant see this causing a huge imbalance either but dont ignore the assistance work much of which was stated above ill just throw in a vote for Heavy GM’s as well.

Phill

DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor nor am I making any kind of prognosis.

I had the same problem. I went to the orthopedics and they called it “Patella Femoral Syndrome”.

The way they explained it is my hamstrings were to tight, thus pulling my quads tighter…thats the imbalance.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=patella+femoral+syndrome

What should one do then? I have the same problem in my knee from squatting.

Thanks

The ortho doc said to stretch and do lots of reps w/low weights. She really stressed the stretching.

stretch what? the hams?

how does one strengthen the VMO?

[quote]ankit0621 wrote:
I had the same problem, however instead of doing 15 rep squats i was doing a 5x5 squat, bench and deadlift workout and no direct hamstring work.
[/quote]

How do you deadlift without the hammies playing a major role?

Can somebody link a video where its a 90 degree( not full squat) that’s easy on the knees? I need to know stance width and foot position.

The only time I ever feel anything in my knees if I dont push from my heels.

DanErickson, thats probably just a funny coincidence :stuck_out_tongue:

Hmmm… I wonder if the OP learned to squat properly or had his knees explode.