[R Smoov]

So i've been practicing the squat exercise twice so far. The day after I finished my second squat exercise, I felt this pain. My legs feel perfectly fine, its just that I cannot walk or do basic things withou t feeling pain. Its not my legs, but this little area near it.

I dont know if this is severe or not, but it sucks not being able to move without having this sharp pain arise. Anyone ever been in the situation I'm in before?

[RevolutionaryCause]

Im actually in the same situation right now. My kneecaps are hurting. How talk are you?? Im just wondering because Im talll and sometimes for tall people squats are more difficult especially if we are just startin.

[peterthephoenix]

It shouldn't be a sharp pain, it should be more like a dull throbbing through your legs, and should go away after a day or so. The better you get with squat training the less if affects you.

I just started squatting again after a long break and my hamstrings were crazy sore. Didn't help that I deadlifted the next day.

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(08-23-2012 08:05 AM)Rosca Wrote:  

So i've been practicing the squat exercise twice so far. The day after I finished my second squat exercise, I felt this pain. My legs feel perfectly fine, its just that I cannot walk or do basic things withou t feeling pain. Its not my legs, but this little area near it.

I dont know if this is severe or not, but it sucks not being able to move without having this sharp pain arise. Anyone ever been in the situation I'm in before?

Where is the pain? Your back, your groin, your thigh?

It sounds like you pulled something, or you overdid it.

Are you squatting with a barbell? Maybe you just squatted too much weight. Rather deload to a light weight and practise technique for a few sessions before you hit the heavier weights. The Barbell Squat will destroy you if you don't respect it. It's not an exercise where you can just load up as heavy as you want and think you'll pleasurably gain strength.

I've injured myself a few times doing squats, it was always due to poor technique and me being too eager to lift heavier weights.

[_DC_]

Yep I hurt myself squatting too.. it sucks.

I think I sprained my lower back. I "stood up" at the end of a failing set because I was so close to the top (rather than letting it fall to the squat safety pads) by extending my back. That couple of inches really fucked it up. Its a pretty legit pain mostly by my tailbone.

Its been two weeks and its better but still hurts. Probably won't try squats again for another few weeks and do lighter weight until my stabilizers are stronger.

Sigh.

[Roosh]

Quote:

The day after I finished my second squat exercise

Sounds like regular soreness to me, especially if it's in both legs and you've never done squats before. You should start with extremely low weights (or just the bar), and add 5 pounds a workout. Don't rush yourself.

When I do squats after taking a month off, the pain for the first 5 days can be pretty bad. You'll get different opinions on whether to work out whether sore or not, but I find that doing so actually lessens the soreness.

[Alpha Mind]

It's your second time squatting.

Let's be real....the movement causes more than just your muscles to be sore.

Your tendons and connective tissue get worked too, which is probably what is causing your pain/discomfort.

If it's too much for you to handle, lower the amount of weight you're squatting.

Make sure to do an active warm up to prepare your body for what you're about to do. Doing squats (essentially cold) after some static stretching won't help you much. Make sure to warm down with 5 minutes on a stationary bike when you're done too. Doing those two things will help dramatically.

[R Smoov]

And its crazy man, I had used only the bar on the squat rack. I don't know what body part this pain is in, but I can show where it is.


That is where I feel the most pain at the moment. It kind of sucks, but I hope it's not that serious of an injury. And trust me when this shit heals up, I'm at the gym ASAP.

If anything, I've also learned that when doing a squat exercise its best to give two days of rest instead of one day. And also, if you're a beginner get a chair so then you can practice doing it somewhat right.

[WanderingSoul]

Have you read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe? Best book you can get for your form and lifting.

Read this, but I highly recommend you get the book: http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/F...#The_Squat

You can also post a video of yourself here: http://startingstrength.com/resources/fo...201e103a94 and Mark will personally, or at least he use to, not sure about now, critique your form.

[dk902]

This sounds like good pain also known as DoMS.

Once you train hard and regularly you'll learn the difference between good pain ( I.e. sore muscles) and bad pain (muscle tweaks/strains).

It takes a while to become attuned to your own body and understand how it reacts to certain exercise stimulus. Don't sweat it.

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(08-23-2012 11:05 AM)Rosca Wrote:  

And its crazy man, I had used only the bar on the squat rack. I don't know what body part this pain is in, but I can show where it is.


That is where I feel the most pain at the moment. It kind of sucks, but I hope it's not that serious of an injury. And trust me when this shit heals up, I'm at the gym ASAP.

If anything, I've also learned that when doing a squat exercise its best to give two days of rest instead of one day. And also, if you're a beginner get a chair so then you can practice doing it somewhat right.

I suspect that you are pushing upwards mostly with your right leg, which puts uneven stress on your left hip and your left inguinal area (that's the area you highlighted).

If even the bar is hurting you, go down to body weight squats, then go up to a standard bar, then build it up until you are using an olympic bar. You just need to master the technique at this point rather than gain strength.

[Samseau]

A plain old bar hurts you? Son, you are seriously out of shape. What you're feeling is the good kind of pain.


By the way - there's no real reason to squat more than once per week. That's all I do, and I can squat over 300 pounds.

[Rttnkd84]

I know that guys on this forum give crossfit a hard time, but you should at least keep an eye on whats going on there for two reasons. First, despite what the videos on YouTube show, all of the good gyms are really focusing on heavy weights and getting everybody stronger. This is evident by the size of everyone at the crossfit games top to bottom. Dudes are getting jacked there. Secondly, is because it is a better information hub then anything else in my humble opinion. I decided a couple of months ago, that I wanted to be over 200 lbs by my thirtieth birthday, so I have been hitting the gym like crazy, up to 175 from 150. In that time I have also gotten serious about playing polo, and trying to go pro by 30. I have polo practice from 9-noon, and hit the gym at two, six days a week. I tell you this, because by the time i hit the gym, my legs, knees, and ass are fried. My lifting coach at crossfit saw the my lifts we suffering because i was stiff, and ramped up my mobility work. Nothing, and I repeat nothing has helped my lifting more then focusing on my mobility work. All of you need to be doing some mobility work if you are hitting it as hard as you claim. Kelley Starret, owner of Crossfit San Fransisco runs the site the mobility wod, http://www.mobilitywod.com/. I don't care who you are, our how you lift, there is something on that site that will make you better. For the dude that said his kneecaps hurt, it sounds like you have a tight patellae ligament. Try this and see if it works http://www.mobilitywod.com/2012/05/voodo...pain.html. It worked wonders for me, but i will tell you, it hurts like holy fuck.

[WanderingSoul]

(08-24-2012 04:10 AM)Samseau Wrote:  

By the way - there's no real reason to squat more than once per week. That's all I do, and I can squat over 300 pounds.

For a beginner there absolutely is. It is called linear progression. Depending upon your bodyweight, 300lbs would be classified as a beginner/intermediate, and you may be able to add significant weight to your squat, and other lifts, with linear progression.

As a beginner your body adapts extremely fast, mainly due to your CNS as I understand, and you can add weight to the bar each workout, 3x a week, following a 3x5 such as Starting Strength. Or 10lbs per week following the Bill Starr 5x5. These both have you squatting 3x per week. The large majority of beginner and intermediate sports performance/powerlifting/strength and mass program/whatever you want to call them, will have you lifting 3x per week until you have been lifting for over a year.

Following the Starting Strength model, someone who can squat 185lbs will be squatting 300lbs in 6-12 weeks. This will depend upon their bodyweight, how much they are eating, and how quickly they improve upon their form.


If anyone is serious about building size and strength, buy Starting Strength. I feel like a fucking broken record, but the program really is that good. http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/S...ength_Wiki

Here is a training log of a guy who went from squatting 180ish, to 395, in about 3 months. This guy had better progress than most. The 300-350lb range is where I would expect most people to fall if they started at 180ish.


Info on Mark Rippetoe: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Rippetoe
Bill Starr was his mentor. Both as legit as they come.


http://www.eclipsegym.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57 Here is another very good program. It is a modified version of Bill Starr's 5x5. You will add 120lbs to your squat in 3 months. Real squats, below parallel. Not quarter squats that most people do and then talk about how they can squat 500lbs.


Here is the first 6 weeks for someone who is very weak, and never lifted before. Shows you the basic structure though. If you can squat 185 starting out, adjust accordingly.

Ok, I'm done preaching lol.

Quote:

WEEK 1

Format - Weights x reps x sets

Workout 1 (monday) rest at least 5 min in-between squat and row sets.

Bench: 45x5, 50x5, 55x5, 60x5, 65x5

Squat: 80x5x5 (warmup 45x5)

Row: 90x5x5 (no warmup since rows follow squats) - again, we are practicing form here

Workout 2 (wednesday)

Deadlift: 140x5x5

Squat: 65x5x5

Military press: 55x5x4 (4 sets)

Pullups: Bodyweight x5x5

Workout 3 (friday)

Bench: 60x5x5

Squat: 45x5, 55x5, 65x5, 75x5, 95x5

Row: 95x5x5 (again no warmup) - here we just added 5lbs since we are practicing the form with rubber bumper plates. If your gym doesn't have these, you are already fighting an uphill battle as a newbie.


WEEK 2

Workout 1 (monday) rest at least 5 min in-between squat and row sets.

Bench: 45x5, 50x5, 55x5, 60x5, 70x5

Squat: 90x5x5 (warmup 45x5)

Row: 100x5x5 (no warmup since rows follow squats) - again, we are practicing form here

Workout 2 (wednesday)

Deadlift: 150x5x5

Squat: 75x5x5

Military press: 60x5x4 (4 sets)

Pullups: Bodyweight x5x5

Workout 3 (friday)

Bench: 65x5x5

Squat: 45x5, 55x5, 65x5, 85x5, 105x5

Row: 105x5x5 (again no warmup)


WEEK 3

Workout 1 (monday) rest at least 5 min in-between squat and row sets.

Bench: 45x5, 50x5, 55x5, 60x5, 75x5

Squat: 100x5x5 (warmup 65x5)

Row: 110x5x5 (no warmup since rows follow squats) - again, we are practicing form here

Workout 2 (wednesday)

Deadlift: 160x5x5

Squat: 80x5x5

Military press: 65x5x4 (4 sets)

Pullups: Bodyweight +5lbs x5x5

Workout 3 (friday)

Bench: 70x5x5

Squat: 45x5, 65x5, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5

Row: 115x5x5 (again no warmup)


WEEK 4

Workout 1 (monday) rest at least 5 min in-between squat and row sets.

Bench: 45x5, 50x5, 55x5, 65x5, 80x5

Squat: 110x5x5 (warmup 65x5)

Row: 120x5x5 (no warmup since rows follow squats) - again, we are practicing form here

Workout 2 (wednesday)

Deadlift: 170x5x5

Squat: 90x5x5

Military press: 70x5x4 (4 sets)

Pullups: Bodyweight +10lbs x5x5

Workout 3 (friday)

Bench: 75x5x5

Squat: 45x5, 65x5, 75x5, 95x5, 125x5

Row: 125x5x5 (again no warmup)


WEEK 5 - There is a week 5 because this individual is a newbie or relative newbie (meaning not much progress). More advanced lifters will often stop at the 4th week for the de-load week.

Workout 1 (monday) rest at least 5 min in-between squat and row sets.

Bench: 45x5, 55x5, 60x5, 70x5, 85x5

Squat: 120x5x5 (warmup 65x5, 95x2)

Row: 130x5x5 (no warmup since rows follow squats) - again, we are practicing form here

Workout 2 (wednesday)

Deadlift: 180x5x5

Squat: 100x5x5

Military press: 75x5x4 (4 sets)

Pullups: Bodyweight +15lbs x5x5

Workout 3 (friday)

Bench: 80x5x5

Squat: 45x5, 65x5, 85x5, 105x5, 135x5

Row: 135x5x5 (again no warmup)


DELOAD - WEEK 6 - This week is here to allow your nervous system to take a break since you have been increasing (loading) the weights on your body for 5 weeks straight. After this, you'll begin the simple intensity phase, or Phase 2. Note this Phase 2 is based upon the original Bill Starr program. Eclipse has a special (and much more effective) Phase 2 that is for members only since it must be customized and updated on a daily basis Wink But the Phase 2 we'll give here is pretty effective as well. It

Workout 1 (monday) rest at least 5 min in-between squat and row sets.

Bench: 45x5, 50x5, 55x5, 70x5, 85x5

Squat: 120x5x5 (warmup 65x5)

Row: 130x5x5 (no warmup since rows follow squats) - again, we are practicing form here

2 DAY REST

Workout 2 (THURSDAY)

Deadlift: 180x5x5

Squat: 100x5x5

Military press: 75x5x4 (4 sets)

Pullups: Bodyweight +15lbs x5x5

3 DAY REST

PHASE 2

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(08-23-2012 08:05 AM)Rosca Wrote:  

So i've been practicing the squat exercise twice so far. The day after I finished my second squat exercise, I felt this pain. My legs feel perfectly fine, its just that I cannot walk or do basic things withou t feeling pain. Its not my legs, but this little area near it.

I dont know if this is severe or not, but it sucks not being able to move without having this sharp pain arise. Anyone ever been in the situation I'm in before?

I just realised that we forgot to ask: what shoes were you wearing?

If you wore running shoes, then I wouldn't be surprised that your left hip stabilisers are complaining. Running shoes aren't flat, so your pelvic muscles will need to work extra to keep your body stable.

You need to wear very flat shoes or squat barefoot.

[OGNorCal707]

(08-24-2012 04:10 AM)Samseau Wrote:  

A plain old bar hurts you? Son, you are seriously out of shape. What you're feeling is the good kind of pain.


By the way - there's no real reason to squat more than once per week. That's all I do, and I can squat over 300 pounds.

If I remember correctly Rosca is only 19 or 20 and dude said he only weighs like 120 lbs, so go easy on the kid, everyone's got to start some where. With compound lifts your weight affects how much you should be able to lift, that's why you see fat guys who can bench a lot, if he was 6 ft 3 in 200 lbs and was complaining about lifting with only the bar, then I'd say he's seriously out of shape.

[OGNorCal707]

With lifts like squat, deadlift, and bent over barbell row, your form and technique will be very important, if your form is off you can fuck something up. I recently tried bent over barbell rows without proper instruction and I strained my lower back.

[muc]

(08-24-2012 03:04 PM)RioNomad Wrote:  

If anyone is serious about building size and strength, buy Starting Strength. I feel like a fucking broken record, but the program really is that good.

Dude, keep preaching. I discovered some time ago that the free weights are much better than the machines. And now I found this book and it really is excellent. Everyone serious about workout should get it.

Only criticism: Sometimes it's a little verbose, but the explanations in the book are golden.

[R Smoov]

Thanks guys.

I realized it was just a sore muscle case as it felt better yesterday.

Follow what Rio says about starting strength and the program he stated above. Today I had went to the gym. And when I was able to bench more than the bar, and squat 80lbs with a little struggle I felt like my skinny ass is strong. Mind you, my form needs work and the 90lb row is a bitch and I could not finish them, I can say I'm progressing

I might feel this tomorrow, but its all good. I'm going hard this week, hitting the gym 6 days a week working different parts of my body a day.

Thanks so much for the help guys.

[ExpatChronicles]

(08-24-2012 02:36 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  

If even the bar is hurting you, go down to body weight squats, then go up to a standard bar, then build it up until you are using an olympic bar. You just need to master the technique at this point rather than gain strength.

Body weight squats are a good idea for beginners. You can make them harder by putting your feet together. Once you can do 5 sets of 15+, add the bar.

Another thing that could cause knee soreness is a lack of flexibility in the hips and ankles. If you've never played a hard sport or ran regularly, your ankle mobility may be nil. Do the alphabet with your feet every day.

And stretching your hip flexors will allow you to go further down without knee pain. YouTube the various stretches for hips.

(08-27-2012 10:00 AM)Rosca Wrote:  

I might feel this tomorrow, but its all good. I'm going hard this week, hitting the gym 6 days a week working different parts of my body a day.

That's an isolation routine for bodybuilders - a BAD IDEA for beginners. I wouldn't recommend anything like that until you've squatted twice your bodyweight. You'll only see impressive results from that kind of routine on steroids - or if you've already built a huge foundation of muscle (high school football or wrestling, squatted twice your bodyweight, etc.).

Starting Strength and StrongLifts were mentioned. Stick with those - whole body workouts with 48 hours rest, focusing on building strength on compound movements.

[kosko]

(08-23-2012 08:26 AM)RevolutionaryCause Wrote:  

Im actually in the same situation right now. My kneecaps are hurting. How talk are you?? Im just wondering because Im talll and sometimes for tall people squats are more difficult especially if we are just startin.

Wrap them knees up and clean up your form. I also have shady knees and I watch how low I got with my squats for this reason.

Since your tall you have to adjust your form search around Youtube for videos that can help.


.....
To the OP your feeling good pain don't sweat it. I actually worry when I Don't get those types of pains the next day which means I did not push myself hard enough in the gym. After leg day I walk with limped and gimped for a day or 2 max.

Good pain is intense soreness. Bad pain is sharp shooting pain.

If its still kicking around for 3 days then look into it.

But you need to do more work on those squats...because girls squat the bar with a dime on it. A man should be able to do a bar with one a 35 or a plate at the very least.

[WanderingSoul]

If your knees are hurting, you may be letting your knees slide forward, past your toes. This is why when you squat, you should point your knees outwards. If you buy Starting Strength, or read the Wiki, it will explain it much better than I can. Basically, it sounds like sheering force is the problem. It is a common squat mistake that is easy to address.