Post: #26

@Kosko - "Now a adjustable knee sleeve would be the best of both worlds."

Yes, this is what I was thinking. If I'm going to bend the bar, I want the traditional wraps and don't mind the time. I'm older, so I actually police myself and don't lift as much as I could (my thinking is that my muscles are stronger than my joints at this point).

For general gym squats and preventing knee injury, my bet is that this wrap is going to be great.

As an aside, the INZER wrist wraps are clutch. I use medium length. I also use them for pretty much every lift (including squats and deadlifts).

And for the love of god, those cheap belts with the really wide back that narrows towards the front. Once again, INZER to the rescue. One single prong INZER belt to the rescue please!

Post: #27

Most people have awful mobility and terrible form while lifting. My guess is that you're treating the squat like some kind of knee-forward good morning and irritating your patellar ligaments. You have to keep your chest up while you squat. Start front squatting and all of your problems will probably disappear. There is less room to be sloppy with form while front squatting.

Don't bother with machines like knee extensions or whatever (the hamstring curls are good, however) - all you'll be doing is gradually fraying your ACL.

Post: #28

Use flat shoes or go barefoot. I get pain in my knees if I use anything with a heel, like running shoes have.

Post: #29

I am 6'4 and my brother is also 6'4 and he had this problem.

I think the solution is to get more flexible - here are the best stretches I know that increased his squat flexibility a ton -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NKHOLvEG48

Also I don't think you need wraps until you start squatting over 405.

Post: #30

Ok so I squatted again, lowered the weight, wore flat walking shoes, and made sure my knees did not go inward.

I even kept my feet splayed apart so that my knees were facing outward. It seems to have helped, my knees arent in pain today.

I had always kept my feet pretty parallel facing forward so my knees went forward parallel. Now I splayed my feet out and my knees went out when I was doing it. Is that appropriate form?

Btw I am already pretty flexible. Im not a gymnast or anything but I dont think that flexibility is my problem per se. What are some benchmarks to see if I truly am "flexible enough"?

Post: #31

(05-18-2014 05:13 PM)Sonsowey Wrote:  Ok so I squatted again, lowered the weight, wore flat walking shoes, and made sure my knees did not go inward.

I even kept my feet splayed apart so that my knees were facing outward. It seems to have helped, my knees arent in pain today.

I had always kept my feet pretty parallel facing forward so my knees went forward parallel. Now I splayed my feet out and my knees went out when I was doing it. Is that appropriate form?

Btw I am already pretty flexible. Im not a gymnast or anything but I dont think that flexibility is my problem per se. What are some benchmarks to see if I truly am "flexible enough"?

First off..no homo

Ok..can you lay on your back and flip lower body over your head? Basically you want your knees touching the ground. Kinda looks like your trying to suck your on D.

Post: #32

(05-15-2014 08:49 AM)Basil Ransom Wrote:  In addition to what everyone else said, try box squats to learn good form and using a safety squat bar.

The bar puts maximum strain on your knees when your legs are parallel to thee ground - so squatting with less weight further down can give you a better workout and less knee strain.

Seconded on box squats. I'm 6'4" and began getting patellar tendonitis after a Smolov cycle. Box squats have sliced the amount of weight I'm moving but allowed me to squat with better technique and no knee pain.

Post: #33

Functionality is very important for tall people with bad knees. Before I do legs, I take the bar without weight, put it over my head, and do 5 second negatives and squat all the way to where my calves touch my hamstrings and hold that position for at least 3 seconds. Do that 8-10 reps and then add the weight that you want to do. It will help you in the long run. Being 6'6, I used to feel the knee pain constantly. Functional exercises will save your knees.

Post: #34

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Post: #35

I got some Nike Romaleos and they made squatting a lot more comfortable for me. Should have gotten them sooner.

Post: #36

(05-25-2014 06:36 AM)RexImperator Wrote:  I got some Nike Romaleos and they made squatting a lot more comfortable for me. Should have gotten them sooner.

do you take them off for deadlifting?

Post: #37

I was using my old shoes for DLs until recently. This week I tried the Romaleos. Not too bad of a change, and nice added stability, but I haven't decided if I'll eventually DL in socks. I know a lot of guys do that. For the moment I'll keep on using the Romaleos for DLs.

Post: #38

(05-14-2014 03:31 PM)Sonsowey Wrote:  After squatting a little less than my bodyweight, my muscles are not really that tired, but my knee joints are sore for days. Im worried I am doing skmething wrong and that I may hurt my knees.

you are not doing anything wrong...Your hamstrings are becoming under developed.

Every time you squat you should be doing high rep sets of lying leg curls.

this balances out quad tension and stabilizes the knee. If I squat without doing leg curls i run into the same issue

Post: #39

Many things posted I agree with. Dealing with similar issues as I'm 6'4" and a thin skeleton, I've done the following with squats.
1) Minor knee pain I still lift with, major knee pain I shut down legs for that week if need be and self-diagnose unless it remains into 2nd week, then to doctor's.
2) I always, lift the entire leg system on the same day. I don't split legs. It's exhausting as hell but seems to keep everything stabilized and balanced.
3) I'd drop weight to 95 lbs, and take Elliott Hulse's advice except maybe not the belt squats if they felt too awkward. Doing belt squats with too much weight would be a great way to gain a hip joint injury.
4) Watch what breaks first, knees or hips? Or both simultaneously. Hulse has a video on how different people have certain muscles more developed than others (most likely quads more than hamstrings &/or gluts). Adjust your break sequence to develop the weak part of the squat <<! this is key.
5) When using 95-135 lbs, maintain total flexion all the way A2G and back up as much as possible. I've dropped down substantial weight while bench pressing recently to nail form, and when you lose flexion completely at the bottom of the exercise's motion, those tendons and ligs loosen and readjust into new positions on the way up. You want your concentric motion to be precisely the same tension in reverse of your eccentric.
6) I wouldn't wrap until you've nailed the form for months with lower weight gradually building up. Proper form, tension, flexion, and equal muscle development with lower weight will make you stronger, bigger and injury free than guys momentum slamming big weight.
7) Once your form is dialed in and the motor engram (thanks Hulse) is developed, you'll be shocked how quick you can move up in weight and how big and hungry leg day will make you.

Post: #40

The more i work with a physical therapist the more i realize this type of threads are useless and in fact can do more harm than good.

Im having trouble with things i would have never thought of like glute medius activation, its not even about strength its about firing up the right muscles at the right time and sometimes its just a matter or proprioception.

Without a video form check its impossible to see if form is really the issue. I would advice anyone to just spend the money on a professional who is used to working with athletes, its money well spend IMO.

Post: #41

^ Second this.
The flat foot advice is solid. A bit more info here: http://neuralign.com.au/you-and-your-pelvic-flaw/

Post: #42

(05-14-2014 03:31 PM)Sonsowey Wrote:  So I am very tall and have always been thin. I am doing 5x5 stronglifts, getting along nicely, but my squatting is getting weird.

After squatting a little less than my bodyweight, my muscles are not really that tired, but my knee joints are sore for days. Im worried I am doing skmething wrong and that I may hurt my knees.

I have talked with much more experienced guys at my gym who are not tall and they say my technique is really good. So maybe there is something tall skinny guys should do that avg. Height guys dont take into account?

Any help so that I can continue doing more and more without fucking my knees would be great.

Maybe you should get a knee x-ray. Maybe you have a low amount of cartilage in your knees. I have a friend under 30 that has that issue.

Make sure you are using your heels. I used to lift with the balls of my feet, and that can lead to issues. If you are like me and you have low achilles flexibility, then I suggest pulling 10 LB weights off the rack and resting your heals on them while you do your sets.

Post: #43

(05-15-2014 08:49 AM)Basil Ransom Wrote:  In addition to what everyone else said, try box squats to learn good form and using a safety squat bar.

The bar puts maximum strain on your knees when your legs are parallel to thee ground - so squatting with less weight further down can give you a better workout and less knee strain.

This. Go below parallel/rock bottom if you have the flexibility for it . Stress should shift from the knees down to your hips/ass. If you aren't flexible enough work on that, with an empty bar if you must.