Knee Trouble at Higher Bodyweights

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I’m hoping some of the larger guys can share their experience.

Years ago I was an obese 215 lbs, and I had constant discomfort and sometimes pain in my knees which all but disappeared after I got under 200 lbs.

Now, as I approach a much more muscular 225, I’ve been noticing a similar feeling creeping back into my knees–mostly the right one. I wonder if it is coincidence or just the fact that I’ve never weighed this much before.

Has anyone experienced the onset or marked worsening of knee pain after drastically increasing their muscular weight? If so, is it a matter of your body becoming adjusted to a new weight?

Or am I maybe just getting old?

2

How old are you?

Could it be heavy squatting that does it? I recently stopped squatting due to the pain it caused in my knees.

3

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
How old are you?

Could it be heavy squatting that does it? I recently stopped squatting due to the pain it caused in my knees.[/quote]

I’m 29.

I actually haven’t done any serious squatting in the last 2-3months do to some lower back problems. I’ve never really had any knee problems before, either–accept when I was fat.

I started noticing the discomfort a few weeks ago while walking down the stairs of my office building. It’s nothing too major, more of an annoyance right now.

4

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
How old are you?

Could it be heavy squatting that does it? I recently stopped squatting due to the pain it caused in my knees.[/quote]

How do you normally squat?

Narrow stance with knees out in front?

As for the OP:

Check your shoes… Get special inlays or so and try different kinds of shoes to see which don’t cause you knee issues… Shoes play a big role (both in squatting heavy and in daily life) when you’re a big guy…

May not be the issue, of course, but it’s worth checking out.

5

i wouldnt chock it up to being old or squats just yet

for me, if i dont do certain stretches (Especially directly after exercise, and when i’m squatting higher volume And twice a week), my knees get so stiff and sore i have to back off and constantly be taking time off…if i Do other stretches too hard, my knees get buggered up and feel like a slight sprain almost…

all this aside, if i dont keep my hips mobile, my knees will Always ache…recovery has soo much to do with it, i think if you are willing to figure out what you need and do it consistantly, most would have Almost all their aches and troubles vanish…although this process is more time consuming than some will afford i guess

6

Like CC wrote, check your shoes first. That is what the problem was for me. I experience the same and actually had to back way off training legs this winter because of knee pain.

7

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
How old are you?

Could it be heavy squatting that does it? I recently stopped squatting due to the pain it caused in my knees.

How do you normally squat?

Narrow stance with knees out in front?

[/quote]

Feet a little wider than shoulder width, below parallel, my knees do come out in front.

8

I’ll try changing my footwear ASAP then.

To tell the truth, I’ve never thought much at all about what kind of shoes I wear, just so long as they’re cheap.

Thanks, dudes.

9

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
How old are you?

Could it be heavy squatting that does it? I recently stopped squatting due to the pain it caused in my knees.

How do you normally squat?

Narrow stance with knees out in front?

Feet a little wider than shoulder width, below parallel, my knees do come out in front.[/quote]

Try a wider stance then, sitting between the legs etc… Like picking up a big medicine or bosu ball lying between your legs, but obviously keeping your arms on the bar :wink:

With that stance you’ll need to go relatively deep though if you want to use it as a quad exercise… Not really atg, but deep.

If only I could find that vid… Damnit…

10

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
How old are you?

Could it be heavy squatting that does it? I recently stopped squatting due to the pain it caused in my knees.

How do you normally squat?

Narrow stance with knees out in front?

Feet a little wider than shoulder width, below parallel, my knees do come out in front.

Try a wider stance then, sitting between the legs etc… Like picking up a big medicine or bosu ball lying between your legs, but obviously keeping your arms on the bar :wink:

With that stance you’ll need to go relatively deep though if you want to use it as a quad exercise… Not really atg, but deep.

If only I could find that vid… Damnit…
[/quote]

I’ll give it a shot this week. I typically go below parallel anyway so going deep won’t be a problem. Should I try to keep my knees back?

11

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
How old are you?

Could it be heavy squatting that does it? I recently stopped squatting due to the pain it caused in my knees.

How do you normally squat?

Narrow stance with knees out in front?

Feet a little wider than shoulder width, below parallel, my knees do come out in front.

Try a wider stance then, sitting between the legs etc… Like picking up a big medicine or bosu ball lying between your legs, but obviously keeping your arms on the bar :wink:

With that stance you’ll need to go relatively deep though if you want to use it as a quad exercise… Not really atg, but deep.

If only I could find that vid… Damnit…

I’ll give it a shot this week. I typically go below parallel anyway so going deep won’t be a problem. Should I try to keep my knees back? [/quote]

Wait, aren’t you a tall guy? ;D

Maybe do front squats instead then… Do those bother your knees? (can easily be done with a wider stance, too)

As for regular squats, this is what I’m talking about:

(I need a wider stance than him though, but that’s just me)

12

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:

Wait, aren’t you a tall guy? ;D

[/quote]

…who wears a XL shirt because he’s not big enough for the doubles yet.

Lanky ain’t just a nickname.

13

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
How old are you?

Could it be heavy squatting that does it? I recently stopped squatting due to the pain it caused in my knees.

How do you normally squat?

Narrow stance with knees out in front?

Feet a little wider than shoulder width, below parallel, my knees do come out in front.

Try a wider stance then, sitting between the legs etc… Like picking up a big medicine or bosu ball lying between your legs, but obviously keeping your arms on the bar :wink:

With that stance you’ll need to go relatively deep though if you want to use it as a quad exercise… Not really atg, but deep.

If only I could find that vid… Damnit…

I’ll give it a shot this week. I typically go below parallel anyway so going deep won’t be a problem. Should I try to keep my knees back?

Wait, aren’t you a tall guy? ;D

Maybe do front squats instead then… Do those bother your knees? (can easily be done with a wider stance, too)

As for regular squats, this is what I’m talking about:

(I need a wider stance than him though, but that’s just me)
[/quote]

Yeah, 6’5" with a bum shoulder. I tried front squats once but they were pretty rough on my shoulder so I decided they weren’t for me. I’ll try to give squats another shot this week. If my knees still don’t approve, I’ll remain king of the leg press.

Although I read somewhere that taller guys(even non lifters) can have knee problems in general for some reason. The same reason the giant chinese guys sometimes have trouble running up and down a basketball court. Now, I know I’m not that tall, but maybe it has something to do with that.

14

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:

Wait, aren’t you a tall guy? ;D

…who wears a XL shirt because he’s not big enough for the doubles yet.

Lanky ain’t just a nickname.[/quote]

Ha! You should have seen me at 190 pounds!

Btw, Itchy, sorry for the hijack!

15

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
Yeah, 6’5" with a bum shoulder. I tried front squats once but they were pretty rough on my shoulder so I decided they weren’t for me. I’ll try to give squats another shot this week. If my knees still don’t approve, I’ll remain king of the leg press.

Although I read somewhere that taller guys(even non lifters) can have knee problems in general for some reason. The same reason the giant chinese guys sometimes have trouble running up and down a basketball court. Now, I know I’m not that tall, but maybe it has something to do with that.[/quote]

Mh… Hey, Homununculus (Dave Henry’s training partner) has explained how to alter the hack-squat machine to be somewhat more knee-friendly over at IM (I think). Might want to look into that, too.
Not sure if it was just about facing the other way or if there was more to it… I’m fine with the regular setup.

That’s one more exercise you could use then :wink:

What’s with your shoulder?

16

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
Yeah, 6’5" with a bum shoulder. I tried front squats once but they were pretty rough on my shoulder so I decided they weren’t for me. I’ll try to give squats another shot this week. If my knees still don’t approve, I’ll remain king of the leg press.

Although I read somewhere that taller guys(even non lifters) can have knee problems in general for some reason. The same reason the giant chinese guys sometimes have trouble running up and down a basketball court. Now, I know I’m not that tall, but maybe it has something to do with that.

Mh… Hey, Homununculus (Dave Henry’s training partner) has explained how to alter the hack-squat machine to be somewhat more knee-friendly over at IM (I think). Might want to look into that, too.
Not sure if it was just about facing the other way or if there was more to it… I’m fine with the regular setup.

That’s one more exercise you could use then :wink:

What’s with your shoulder?[/quote]

Partially tore a rotator cuff about 9 months back. I’ll look into the hack squat alternative over at IM, thanks!

17

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Homununculus.[/quote]

Gesundheit.

18

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
LankyMofo wrote:
How old are you?

Could it be heavy squatting that does it? I recently stopped squatting due to the pain it caused in my knees.

How do you normally squat?

Narrow stance with knees out in front?

As for the OP:

Check your shoes… Get special inlays or so and try different kinds of shoes to see which don’t cause you knee issues… Shoes play a big role (both in squatting heavy and in daily life) when you’re a big guy…

May not be the issue, of course, but it’s worth checking out. [/quote]

So using the new Nike Shox OMEGA4000s squatting is no bueno right CC? I’ve never had problems squatting and I was 270lbs of solid man cow back when I was a youngster. My only joint problems as of late is my bad elbow (that is one moody bastard) and my wrists. Gotta quit spanking it, I know but its so hard in both ways.

19

I get knee pain from time to time, but it is almost always tight hips/ IT bands and hamstrings. Ironing out my squat form really helped. Being really focused on breaking at the hips first instead of the knees first went miles to helping my knees. Now that I’m thinking of it, ATG squats helped, as well as leg presses to keep the quads in proportion to the hams/glutes… Lot of shit goes in to it…

20

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Homununculus.

Gesundheit.[/quote]

LOL

Hey, he’s Dave Henry’s training partner (and a helpful person if there ever was one), he can call himself whatever he wants :wink: