Not progressing on squats, what to substitute

[SwagenGTI]

Hey everyone, so I have been doing stronglifts 5x5 since December and started my bulk at about the same time. Prior to strong lifts, I was doing my own three day split (legs/chest and tri/back and bi). I started strong lifts at 115 and now am 147. My heaviest dead lifts prior to SL was about 275 for reps, but I decided to work on form and reset a few times so I just did 275 lbs during yesterdays session. Bench has gone from 155 5x5 to about 200-205 lbs 5x5. OHP has gone from 105 to 125-130 5x5. Rows haven't progressed too much as I have just recently discovered that I have been using too much arm strength and not enough back so I have recently lowered the weight on those. However, my squats have not progressed at all...

Prior to SL I was squatting once a week. I was doing 265-270 as low as I could go for 3 sets of 8 reps last summer. After my cut I ended up getting significantly weaker and decided to start around 200 lbs when I started SL. I got up to about 255 before I started having some really bad knee pain. The pain was nothing terrible after lifting, it only really bothered me during my sets and throughout the rest of the evening. Every set was pretty much me struggling against the pain rather than actually pushing with my muscles. It really made it difficult to dead lift afterwords. I figured it was a form issue, so I dropped the weight to try and fix it. Built back up to a similar weight and still was still getting pain. Since then, I have tried box squats, wider and closer stances, and even front squats. Once I hit around 200-225 it starts hurting. I realized recently that I have been high bar squatting, but keeping low bar techniques in mind (ie, wider stance, lots of hip drive etc) so I figured that was my problem. Before SL, I was olympic/high bar squatting with less hip drive; really not worrying about form.

Anyways, during my entire experience with strong lifts, I have not progressed at all with my squats but everything else (for the most part) has seen significant gains. I am starting to wonder if maybe my knees/quads just cannot handle squatting 3 times a week. When I was squatting once a week, I had no problems whatsoever and usually after the weekend when I go to the gym on monday, my squats are fine; it's only wednesdays and fridays that hurt. I figure I might try sticking with strong lifts for everything but squats. Instead of going 3x a week I am going to try 2x a week and if I have to, I will go once a week.

My question is, what should I replace my squats with on the days that I do not squat? I don't like the idea of not squatting 3x a week...It has just become apart of my routine.

THanks

[chazzy1864]

Perhaps something like RDLs or Stiff-Legged Good mornings for hamstrings and leg press for quads as your primary movements?

[K3RB3R0S]

weighted lunges

[Brozef]

also step ups

[SwagenGTI]

I added RDL's to the days I row so I like the idea of having a real day for that. I'll probably throw lunges in too.

[sohei]

If the problem is occurring due to overworking your knee, then back off to a max of two days per week. Heavy anything for legs is going to put stress on the knee. Good luck.

[SwagenGTI]

Thanks, I will try 2x a week. Hopefully that works and I can get my squat to be higher than my bench

[LadyLore420]

Squatting is hard, so I don't want to squat anymore. Can you please help me find an easier exercise I can do and mentally justify it by lying to myself that this exercise will increase my squat? Please?

I think I'll just go do some seated calf raise, because obvious those will give me mad gainz on my squat.

[Obduro]

If srs 127 lb, to progress u need to eat OP

[SwagenGTI]

Squatting is hard, so I don't want to squat anymore. Can you please help me find an easier exercise I can do and mentally justify it by lying to myself that this exercise will increase my squat? Please?

I think I'll just go do some seated calf raise, because obvious those will give me mad gainz on my squat.

Aren't you cool?

If srs 127 lb, to progress u need to eat OP

147 lbs as stated in the second line of the post.