Have any of you long term heavy squaters suffered knee problems ? Does heavy squatting over time destroy knee cartlidge ?
According to the research, squatting properly should pose no extra risk to your knees. The old urban myth about squatting tearing your knees up was actually misquoted data from a study which proved that squats are not harmful.
Part of the study found that squatting all the way ass to grass is harmful, since the action of your hamstrings and calves against each other acts as a fulcrum, levering the knee capsule apart. Staying above that point posed no problems(within the study). Knee wraps of course would cause this same problem, except at a higher point in your ROM. This is the part that was misquoted, and taken to mean that all squats are bad and leg extensions and leg curls are all you need for well-rounded leg development(and also to sell equipment).
My knees use to hurt all the time until I started squatting regularly.
Fred
Not a good idea to go beyond parrallel like said above.
[quote]Shane krausman wrote:
Not a good idea to go beyond parrallel like said above.[/quote]
Not what he said. Paralell to what?
The point where damage would occur is when the hamstring and calf actually meet and spread the knee like a fulcrum. The LEAST stable knee angle is 90 degrees. Full ROM is desirable, keeping your hamstrings tight and rebounding out of the bottom. This is not boucing your hammies against your calves.
The only acceptable depth is squatting to hips lower than knees.
sb
[quote]Shane krausman wrote:
Not a good idea to go beyond parrallel like said above.[/quote]
Hahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah, good one.
[quote]mopar_nocar wrote:
Shane krausman wrote:
Not a good idea to go beyond parrallel like said above.
Not what he said. Paralell to what?
The point where damage would occur is when the hamstring and calf actually meet and spread the knee like a fulcrum. The LEAST stable knee angle is 90 degrees. Full ROM is desirable, keeping your hamstrings tight and rebounding out of the bottom. This is not boucing your hammies against your calves.
The only acceptable depth is squatting to hips lower than knees.
sb[/quote]
thats exactly what i meant i could have sworn it was mentioned in different words though and i meant thigh parrallel to the ground which would be 90 degrees… Ive always heard going beyond 90 degrees causes damage. Is this not right?
and another timely article
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/most_recent/exercise_misconceptions
I squat all the time and my knees are f*cked up.
It is probably from all the kneebars, heel hooks, other miscellaneous footlocks, guard passes, takedowns, etc.
OK, Full squats (heavy) with knee wraps it is. I have a hard time stopping at the 90 degree angle.
Dont use knee wraps!
only use knee wraps for your heaviest sets.
What’s with this 90 degree bullshit? Watch somebody squat from the side and have them stop when the angle between their upper and lower leg is at 90 degrees. This is not ‘parallel’ to anything. Your lower leg is not perpendicular to the ground unless you are squatting in a Smith machine.
Squat as low as you can. The lower the better. If you’re a powerlifter learn to squat to the depth you need for your fed and no further. For anyone else, you should be doing full squats, which means but resting on calves at the bottom. It will not ‘pry your knees apart’ or anything. Your knee joint is unloaded at the bottom, it’s a lot safer on your knees than a powerlifting squat.
If you have knee problems, address them. Do TKEs, Unilateral work, take more fish oil and glucosamine/chondroitin.
But the reality is once you are squatting big weights, and lifting big weights in general, your joints are going to get beat up. You can try to mitigate the damage, but you’re not going to stay 100 percent pain free if you’re lifting big.
Thanks Ramo thats the best answer yet.
I’ve never had knee pain. Wraps or no wraps, no pain. I do believe that wraps on heavy sets (80% or greater) is not exactly going to be detrimental. Now, warming up with wraps is a different story.
I used to squat w/ no equipment besides a belt, fairly wide and deep. That bothered my hips enough to warrant briefs (I powerlift, so don’t rag on em) but wraps were purely to squat heavier.
Ramo is right. I get knee “soreness” or a mild dull “pain” (if you want to call it that) sometimes after a heavy squat session, but never sever pain. Just overloading the body and thats how it adresses the stress.
Also, take a week off once in a while. That will not only help w/ your body recovering and healing, but also might mentally refreshing.
Stay safe.
[quote]Synthetickiller wrote:
I’ve never had knee pain. Wraps or no wraps, no pain. I do believe that wraps on heavy sets (80% or greater) is not exactly going to be detrimental. Now, warming up with wraps is a different story.
I used to squat w/ no equipment besides a belt, fairly wide and deep. That bothered my hips enough to warrant briefs (I powerlift, so don’t rag on em) but wraps were purely to squat heavier.
Ramo is right. I get knee “soreness” or a mild dull “pain” (if you want to call it that) sometimes after a heavy squat session, but never sever pain. Just overloading the body and thats how it adresses the stress.
Also, take a week off once in a while. That will not only help w/ your body recovering and healing, but also might mentally refreshing.
Stay safe.[/quote]
running long distances fucks up my knees, who knows? my knees never hurt from heavy squats though.
Zephead4747,
When I used to run track, I had the same problem.
Boatguy, what research are you speaking of? Please provide the citation.
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