Failed squat.. What's going on with my knee?

[LifeAsAaron]

Firstly - not sure if I posted in the wrong forum, Sorry If this is the wrong section.

Yesterday I got to try a real squat rack for the first time in my life. The gym I have been using for 6 months only has a stupid smith machine which I know doesn't really compare to the real thing.

So I can squat 250 on the smith but I figured I would start light obviously preventing anything bad to happen to me.

I do the 45 bar and practice form, which seems to be really good actually since that is what I have been aiming for the past few months instead of heavier weight bad form.

I then bump the weight up to 45 plates each side, so 135 total, I hammer them out no problem. Going pretty low too easily break parallel even.

Now I up the anti and throw on a 35 each side too, so 205 pounds total. I start squatting and get to parallel and feel good, then I keep going down and totally lose power and my ass nearly touches the grass. I get the weights onto the rack hook in front of me and deload the 35's and lift it back up to shoulder height. I continue my workout like nothing happened with lower weight 45's only again.

Today I wake up and the back of my knees/inside of my knees are #$%&ed. When I have my leg straightened it hurts my tendons/muscles at the back/inside of my knees. Walking and such is fine but I don't fully straighten my legs cuz it's pretty sore.

Clearly I didn't tear or badly hurt a tendon right? I would have noticed immediatly right? Any advice/ What is wrong in there?

I will obviously let it heal. It's not so severe... about 3/10 pain and only when I fully straighten my legs.

[samsont]

smith machine

but srsly. smith machine is what is wrong with your knees.

[p0werlifter]

You just squatted for the first time ever out of a smith machine and you ask why you knees hurt? You are using muscles that you've never worked out before(stabilizing muscles) and you wonder why you're sore? *sigh*

[doza808]

Give it some time and make sure youre stretching a lot.

[LifeAsAaron]

You just squatted for the first time ever out of a smith machine and you ask why you knees hurt? You are using muscles that you've never worked out before(stabilizing muscles) and you wonder why you're sore? *sigh*

no, not sore. my muscles feel like another day hitting my legs nicely, but this is different. I failed a 205 rep and my ass went to the floor with the weight on my shoulders, I can't go that low naturally (atg). I clearly hurt myself a little in my knees.

also I have used stabilizers before... I do hack squats (atg) with bodyweight/dumbells and I do box jumps and even roller blade ALL THE TIME which obviously helps with my stabilizers.

I basically did too much weight and hit my ass on the floor, hurt my knees, and am wondering what the pain in my knees is?

I can't see a doc, am out of town.

[LifeAsAaron]

Give it some time and make sure youre stretching a lot.

Kk... should I stretch like twice a day for now? a good 2x30 seconds, not pushing it too much, type stretch?

[Riffo]

Smith machines simply don't allow squatting. What you were doing was sliding some weight along a rail. Keep doing it and you will fall on your ass next time you try squatting. Muscles and bones should guide the bar path, nothing else.

[onionhead444]

Foam roll, foam roll, foam roll

[LifeAsAaron]

Foam roll, foam roll, foam roll

I do roll but it's not my muscles that hurt, not exposed ones anyway.. it's the INSIDE of my knee cap area/the back/front a bit/ tendons

[Dom87]

you can't practice correct form on a Smith machine, it doesn't allow you to take the correct bar path. post a video up. you're likely tracking your knees over your toes, but that's just a guess without seeing a video

[smokinjoe129]

I do roll but it's not my muscles that hurt, not exposed ones anyway.. it's the INSIDE of my knee cap area/the back/front a bit/ tendons

Still foam roll, I used to get "interior" knee pain and it turned out my IT band was tight. Also, why does your sig say you are doing starting strength and then say each are 3x8, not bustin your balls just curious.

[LifeAsAaron]

Still foam roll, I used to get "interior" knee pain and it turned out my IT band was tight. Also, why does your sig say you are doing starting strength and then say each are 3x8, not bustin your balls just curious.

I started SS in November and changed my routine up a few times expirementing. Now my lifts are those by I can do those weights 8 reps. I now actually do 5x5 with about those weights.

I changed programs due to the fact I wasn't really growing bigger muscle AT ALL. I figured the program was the differentiator but it turns out since I eat negative calories to try to lose fat I probably haven't been gaining muscle because of this, not so much the routine.

[phrali]

Wtf is a bentley row. I'm guessing you didn't actually read the book, did you op?

[LifeAsAaron]

Wtf is a bentley row. I'm guessing you didn't actually read the book, did you op?

I didn't read the book, but I have studied and read a paramount of information on it, and general information on weight lifting. I was thinking of pendlay row, but I haven't gone and changed my sig lol. No big deal.

[Black_Spit]

lol @ this whole thread

OP I'm sure you're fine. Work up to 185 next week and keep working your way up and you'll blow past 205.

And just so I understand - earlier you said this was your first time in a "squat rack." Then you talked about doing Starting Strength. Am I to understand that you performed Starting Strength in the Smith Machine?

[otiskii]

Am I the only one getting this? Forget smith was even mentioned. The guy basically squatted for the first time and used too much weight. He thinks he's hurt in the joint/ligament/tendon. Not sure that this has to do with SS other than he would have known to go up a little at a time had he read the book. He added too much too fast and got hurt.

[toolazieguy]

Wtf is a bentley row. I'm guessing you didn't actually read the book, did you op?

A bentley row is when you you grab one of these and do a row.. he can do one with a 110lb kid in there. Pretty beastly

[Black_Spit]

Am I the only one getting this? Forget smith was even mentioned. The guy basically squatted for the first time and used too much weight. He thinks he's hurt in the joint/ligament/tendon. Not sure that this has to do with SS other than he would have known to go up a little at a time had he read the book. He added too much too fast and got hurt.

I feel pretty confident a 175 pound man who lifts weights isn't injured too badly from getting stuck with 205 lb lol. I'd say his joints are sore.

So no you're not the only one "getting it." You're just the only one who thinks he's hurt himself. Have you never had sore knees from squatting before?

[untranslatedZA]

..... first ... OP ur knees feel like that because u actually squated .... its just DOMS in a area u didnt expect ...
second ... if his knee got hurt .... why would u advise him to stretch it ... if it was a real "knee injury" that would make the problem worse... when u have a injury on a joint like a knee or elbow or shoulder u go see a doctor .... since u dont wanna **** yourself up and stuggle to have basic comfertable living .....

OP next time warm up properly ....
And dont think cuz u squat 300 on a smith that u should go even for 150lbs on the first time u squat freebar.... its like saying well i can bicep curl 100lbs .... lets go bench 300lbs .... next time bar .... add 20lbs x5 reps add 20 lbs x5 reps .... then u come back next week and reevaualte how strong u are... until u work how how much u can actually squat safely ...

stay safe OP

[LifeAsAaron]

..... first ... OP ur knees feel like that because u actually squated .... its just DOMS in a area u didnt expect ...
second ... if his knee got hurt .... why would u advise him to stretch it ... if it was a real "knee injury" that would make the problem worse... when u have a injury on a joint like a knee or elbow or shoulder u go see a doctor .... since u dont wanna **** yourself up and stuggle to have basic comfertable living .....

OP next time warm up properly ....
And dont think cuz u squat 300 on a smith that u should go even for 150lbs on the first time u squat freebar.... its like saying well i can bicep curl 100lbs .... lets go bench 300lbs .... next time bar .... add 20lbs x5 reps add 20 lbs x5 reps .... then u come back next week and reevaualte how strong u are... until u work how how much u can actually squat safely ...

stay safe OP

Will do, thanks

[otiskii]

I feel pretty confident a 175 pound man who lifts weights isn't injured too badly from getting stuck with 205 lb lol. I'd say his joints are sore.

So no you're not the only one "getting it." You're just the only one who thinks he's hurt himself. Have you never had sore knees from squatting before?

You said exactly the same thing I did! Yours just posted while I was typing. Why do you want to argue? No, I've never had sore knees. I've had sore muscles. This was his first time squatting. The whole smith thing doesn't count. You said the same thing, he used too much weight. Sure, tell him to go with 185, doctor.

[Retardo-pex]

no, not sore. my muscles feel like another day hitting my legs nicely, but this is different. I failed a 205 rep and my ass went to the floor with the weight on my shoulders, I can't go that low naturally (atg). I clearly hurt myself a little in my knees.

also I have used stabilizers before... I do hack squats (atg) with bodyweight/dumbells and I do box jumps and even roller blade ALL THE TIME which obviously helps with my stabilizers.

I basically did too much weight and hit my ass on the floor, hurt my knees, and am wondering what the pain in my knees is?

I can't see a doc, am out of town.

The issue being you have never used them in unison performing a weighted squat. Based on your description it could easily be your hamstring, its something I felt was more then "normal muscular soreness" the first few times I did a glute ham raise. At the time I was squatting 405x2 off a low box so even though i had plenty of training in all the muscles involved, they had never been put through this particular sort of stress. The same thing could happen if you always squatted high and then suddenly started doing full squats.

Stabilizers are not tiny muscles you have never heard of, stabilizers are all of the surrounding muscles which assist in whatever lift you are performing, they just happen to not be the prime movers. Rollerblading carries over to squatting about as much as swimming carries over to deadlifting. If you only do legs once a week, ice it up all week and see how you feel on your next scheduled leg day. If it is still painful don't do legs that day and get it checked out, hopefully its not a ligament tear or anything. If it feels better slowly work your way up to make sure it feels the same with 45 lbs and 205 lbs.

From now on when you squat with a barbell use a rack or cage that has safety pins, or at the very least grab a spotter or two. If you don't know how to do a one, two or 3 man squat spot youtube it and teach the people you ask how to do it. You should never have to end up in the position you described.

[Black_Spit]

You said exactly the same thing I did! Yours just posted while I was typing. Why do you want to argue? No, I've never had sore knees. I've had sore muscles. This was his first time squatting. The whole smith thing doesn't count. You said the same thing, he used too much weight. Sure, tell him to go with 185, doctor.

just lol