squats - how low should I go?

[deadliftabc]

I'm no encyclopedia. What's the correct way, so as to make this pain in my knee go away? Are there any good visual references online?

thanks
GJ

gimme, box squats may be a good option for you now, for most people it takes the pressure off the knees and puts them on the hamstrings which is safer.

Sorry I don't want to give you the idea that you can go ass to grass with a knee injury, that could be very bad.

 

[Caladin]

I cant speak for anyone else but I do them Ass to grass. I have no knee problems. I go heavy and light.

 

[Deus ex machina]

First off, I am not judging anybody's technique at all because I used to love squatting ass to the grass as much as any person here. But!!!… the chronic knee pain started after some years of this and this is the way my sports ortho doc put it me. It went off like a light in my head.

I have done a simple illustration to make his point. In which position is your patella undergoing the most stress and being pulled tight against the knee mechanism? …and therefore will wear over time at a faster rate? Now work that quad with 3, 4, or 5 hundred pounds on your back. The cartilage on the back of your patella is paper-thin (literally) and very, very slick. But it is not indestructible. Just some thoughts...

So which way is better for the patella? (don't understand diagram)

 

[gimmejuice]

thanks

Thanks for the responses, fellas.

I'll do some experiementing this week with lighter weights, and see if i can determine what's aggravating the joint.

One thing I do, and I'm not sure that it's right: I keep may balance on my heels, instead of my toes throughout the entire rep. Someone told me this was correct a long time ago, but I never asked any experts about it.. Is this okay?

Thanks,
GJ

 

[ballennonstop]

light and low!! if your going hard dont go nearly as low

 

[Creation]

maybe try foam rolling it enabled me to get so much more deeper in my squats with 0 joint pain.

 

[wostok]

I go ass to the grass! Going only to parallel feel really uncomfortable! The tension in the knee etc...


But of course squatting heavy is dangerous and it takes a toll on your knees, if you do heavy labour or walk around much at work, your knees will need more rest. Train smart, if your knees feels a little banged up dont to squats for a while.

I know that when i do lots of sports and walk around much at work and then do heavy squats the same week. The knees can feel a little cranky and sometimes i have to skip the squat. Cause if you work your legs/knees to hard and do sports, your begging for an injury.

 

[TheBeast]

Im a taller guy so Ive always used a wide stance w/toes turned out for better balance and to keep my knees from crossing over my toes. But I also do alot of front squats because for me this stance takes away from the quads a lil bit. But it does help my knees.

 

[thebrick]

So which way is better for the patella? (don't understand diagram)

heavy deepest squats (#2) puts more stress on the patella as the tension is much higher pulling it tighter against the joint

 

[gimmejuice]

maybe try foam rolling it enabled me to get so much more deeper in my squats with 0 joint pain.

Thanks for the response. What exactly is foam rolling?

thanks,
GJ

 

[gimmejuice]

Im a taller guy so Ive always used a wide stance w/toes turned out for better balance and to keep my knees from crossing over my toes. But I also do alot of front squats because for me this stance takes away from the quads a lil bit. But it does help my knees.

Hmm.. I've been keeping my toes pointed pretty mich straight. I wonder if this is bad for the joints..?

Thanks to all for responding.

GJ

 

[GoneForFuckingEver8]

my opinon: ass to the floor or its a waste

unless a person has legitimate joint problems, going shallow is an excuse so more weight can be used (ego fullfillment)

when i think about my squatting position, i realized i am doing too much thinking, i should just squat down naturally. for example, watch children play outside. look how they sqaut down to 'zoom' their little toy cars around the ground. they dont think about their squatting position, they do whats natural. i tried this and found i can go deep with no pain.

 

[BigStev21]

I used to be pain free when i went paraelle with squats, for a while i was going past that. Then really bad knee pain came.. I went back to only going to 90 degrees and the pain has subsided.

 

[bodysculpt]

if you can do it pain free go for it. I was taught not to go below 90 degrees for that or the other reason.. but after giving it a go I noticed it really hitting my vastus medialis (and the rest).

 

[bodysculpt]

my opinon: ass to the floor or its a waste

unless a person has legitimate joint problems, going shallow is an excuse so more weight can be used (ego fullfillment)

when i think about my squatting position, i realized i am doing too much thinking, i should just squat down naturally. for example, watch children play outside. look how they sqaut down to 'zoom' their little toy cars around the ground. they dont think about their squatting position, they do whats natural. i tried this and found i can go deep with no pain.

good post, so many recently "educated people" out there now, Physio's PT's etc people telling you what to do how to do it etc. agreed I used to spend so much time fretting over all the varied advise. I met a 70 year old Vet weightlifter the other day, asked if he would PT me...

 

[Steve123]

The only thing I would add is that before you start breaking that 90degree, make sure you have good hip flexibility. If not, you're going to have problems. Personally, I think ATG squats are more risk than they are worth unless your sport dictates either that form or the power if provides.

 

[mr. boom]

How low can you go, all the way to the flo. lol I go down untill my hams touch my calves!!. Just make sure you don't drop down like alot of people do. Down slow and conteroled. Up the same way.

 

[mrshoulders]

How low can you go, all the way to the flo. lol I go down untill my hams touch my calves!!. Just make sure you don't drop down like alot of people do. Down slow and conteroled. Up the same way.

Yep, same with me...

 

[Squater]

Bury,M

I can say with all honesty here...I'm probably the oldest guy here ...51

It seems that people who ask this question time and time again are just looking for a reason to not do the lift correctly....

I've noticed withing the last 2 weeks in my gym there was only 1...1 person I saw that did squats correctly...1

I used to literally sit on the floor with a pause and then push....in the whole buried...I could care less what retards say about not burying this lift...I can say that they've never squated over 700 and never had 31" legs

The main FUCKING REASON IS THEY WANT TO IMPRESS EVERYONE IN THE GYM... rather than do it correctly....

When you get my age perhaps you'll figure it out...

 

[Squater]

Bury,M

double post