Hello everyone, Some times while squatting i feel my joints moving in my left knee when i lock them at top. Some guy told me that If you squat heavy i will get bad knees someday. How much is this true?
all squatting will do is help you develop stronger legs and better knees.
I used to have knee problems, but after a year plus of squatting heavy and deep 2 times a week i don’t need a knee brace anymore when playing sports.
Fish oil is your friend.
2nd the fish oil recomendation.
Also, figure out a good warm up to do before squatting or any low body work.
I like these:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1778726
I usually do the splits squats, lateral squats and rotational squats and the ankle mobility before any lower body work. Followed by a few warm up sets with a lighter weight if I’m doing heavy squats. I’m also a big fan of a few sets of overhead squats with a chunk of PVC pipe.
It can hurt your knees over time if you continually squat with really poor form, but if do it right then its all goodness.
[quote]Ratchet wrote:
all squatting will do is help you develop stronger legs and better knees.
I used to have knee problems, but after a year plus of squatting heavy and deep 2 times a week i don’t need a knee brace anymore when playing sports.
Fish oil is your friend.[/quote]
Along the same vein, I had knee problems when I was younger, was told by so called ‘specialists’ to avoid squatting and concentrate on straight leg raises to strengthen the muscles. After a year of constant knee pain I got fed up and started doing my own research. A little while later I started doing bodyweight squats. Now I squat ATG twice a week and have almost no knee problems.
Video yourself squatting and watch it, you may spot a form problem you didn’t realise. If you like, post it here and we’ll critique your form.
Heavy squats won’t destroy your knees if you’re sensible about it, make sure you work in higher rep lower weight sets and de-loading weeks. Make sure you also do unilateral work and keep yourself flexible and you’ll be fine.
Having said all that, some people just aren’t built for squatting, chances of you being one of those people are almost too remote to mention (I’m 6’ 6" with the majority of my height in my legs and I still manage it).
I blew out my knee in HS, and I had to get four surgeries on it. Since I started squatting heavy and deep last year (I’m 32 now), my knee actually feels better. Just make sure to warm up properly and keep your weight on your heels. If your knee hurts when you’re squatting, you’re probably doing something wrong.
Umm i may just be a dullard but im pretty sure that the reason your knees hurt when you lock them out is because you are locking them out and your not supposed to because if you do you will injur yourself adn your knees will hurt.
Stop just before locking them out. practice form with a trainer. Go slow.
And do the fish oil thing that everyone else is squwaking about, it really helped me too.
There’s some research that shows strength may be protective for osteoarthritis. However, this is relating the strength of normal people against folks I would call “frail”.
It’s probably a bell curve, being super weak is hard on your joints, and subjecting them to super high loads is probably pretty hard on them too.
I like a saying I read on an Eric Cressey thread: If you’re not living right you’ll wind up in the cardiologist’s office and if you are, it’ll be the orthopedist.
Thnx everyone for all good advice. here i want to ask, what about performing dead lifts, at top position should knees be kept slightly bent or here we can Lock them.
I have tendinitis in my right knee which has been bothering me for quite a while because I never stay off it long enough for it to heal. I got Tommy Kono (TK) knee sleeves for under $40 and they are great. They aren’t wraps so they don’t help in the squat but they keep your knees warm and compressed. I don’t do squats without them. I also take Glucosamine with Chondroitin and that stuff is great.