It sucks man. I think I try a little something different every time I squat and it’s the same thing every time.
As of now I don’t have any real plans to compete so I know I don’t have to squat, but I want too. It’s not about building the legs, I just think the squat is cool as crap! Most gym bro’s it’s the bench, for me it’s the squat lol. So depressing. I really want to buy a leg press/hack squat combo machine as my next big gym investment. Those seem cool (never tried one)
Might want to try one before you buy. 
That means I’d have to go into a public gym and I’d be using common sense of buy before you try. Sounds boring 
What may also work is not squatting for an extended period (three months or so). Let whatever is irritated/inflamed calm down.
During that period absolutely hammer hip mobility, learn how to brace hard and build the components of your squat.
Finally, once all that is done start squatting again as if you never had before. Start with the bar. Slowly add weight and make your technique perfect.
I did the first part of this, but neglecting that second part was probably the missing ingredient.
What sort of stuff are you thinking?
For the mobility, @FlatsFarmer is your dude. Also check out Donnie Thomson because he is a bona fide genius for that shit.
For the building, break the squat up into its parts:
Lower back
Abdominals
Glutes
Quads
Hamstrings
Middle back
Upper back
Given what you’re experiencing, I’m going to ahead and guess that what really needs building up are your quads, lower back, abdominals and hamstrings. So focus maybe 60 per cent on those and 40 per cent on the rest.
Be a bodybuilder. Focus on feeling the muscle and controlling it.
Do a lot of unilateral work.
You’re a wizard. My lower back is non existent and my hamstrings are lacking (but actually getting slot better).
What are some of
Your favorite moves for lower back?
You flatter me
Lower back: 45 degree back raises with and without weight; reverse hypers; good mornings off pins (set it so that you’re in the same position as a stiff leg deadlift); high rep good mornings against a band.
Luckily a lot of those will hammer your hamstrings too. Standard good mornings and deadlift without touching the floor are good too, probably hit both hamstrings and lower back pretty evenly.
Rear foot elevated split squats are about the best unilateral you’ll find and you can fuck with foot position to hit different things. High rep walking lunges (without weight) are good too.
I’ve always wanted to buy a GHR machine
I never found much luck using the box. Worked much better with chain suspended.
Otherwise, I have nothing to contribute. My squats are about as mutant as they get. I just do what feels good.
But that’s the point. Our friend currently can’t do that. If he has to do some weird good morning squat hybrid to squat pain free that’s what he needs to do. From memory your squat is mutant but you can do it consistently without getting hurt. That’s important.
Then go for it. I honestly have never used it often enough to know whether I find it useful or not.
Plenty of accomplished lifters and coaches find it useful. Plenty of accomplished lifters and coaches get good results never using it.
Thank you, and others for all the help. Nice to have a place with legit guys to point you in the right direction!
You know I ain’t no expert, but it looks to me like your knees are way in front of your toes here. Especially as far out as you have your foot turned.It could just be the camera angle but I don’t think so
I can only speak for me, but this is the only thing that makes my knees hurt. When I get them too far in front of my toes.
Maybe read this.
They are in front, but the angle makes it look worse than it is. It only hurts when I try and squat with a feet forward or a normal amount of angle. It doesn’t hurt in my knee like that. For some reason if I try and keep a normal stance my body try’s to hold my knees ransom until I change it back.
I will still definitely Che knout the article! As you see I’m in no position to turn away information on squats.
Sorry I didn’t ready everything. The thread developed too fast and I just woke up so I’m lazy. Hopefully you can pick something up from here though
Maybe Drop the weight a bit and do paused squats. At least a few seconds in the hole. Keep your core tight. This will help stretch your hips and ankle.
From the front I can see that you have a major lack of internal hip rotation. Figure out how to fix that and maybe a the problems will go away. You already have a hundred suggestions so I’m not going to give you a hundred more, but right there is your problem.
@MarkKO first post in this thread is gold.
When the squat hurts, it really helps to slow it down. If it still hurts, introduce pin squats. If it still hurts, shorten the depth until you are squatting in a pain free range of motion. Over time you add depth, as long as you are pain free.
Your squat looks good. I don’t see an issue with the knee position. Too much toe flare in my opinion though. You’re clearly doing that to avoid hip discomfort. Stretching the hips is a catch 22 though. I wouldn’t stretch outside of some easy hip flexor work. Spending time on slow ROM progression should stretch you well.
Another simple stretch I like is to hold onto a power rack upright or something stable and very slowly descend into the squat. You are supporting yourself as you decend with your hands as they slide down the rack. Pause at points as you decend, and stretch your hips out laterally by spreading your knees with pauses. Bilaterally and unilaterally. Pause in the hole and do the same. Do the same on the way up. A rep can last 30s to a minute. Wonderful squat warmup. If you do 3-4 reps like this, your last rep is so different than your first. You open up, and positions are much more comfortable.
Squat feels terrible for me too man. You just find what’s comfortable enough, and do that.
Good looking squat though. Keep tinkering and warm up thoroughly.
I know I’m adding to what seems like a 1000 suggestions but I have had many of the same issues as highlighted above and have a very similar movement pattern in the squat as you do, so here is what I think (based on working with and trying to manage similar problems for many years):
Some things that could help would be working on hip rotation exercises (particularly during hip flexion), mobilizing your ankles before you lift, activating your psoas muscles during your warm ups and similarly strengthening your glutes. A few sets of high rep pull throughs before you lift, supersetted with some psoas marches and some hip airplanes will likely make your hips feel a lot better.
