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Knee Pain After, But Not During, Squatting

Rygor the Swoleman

Rygor the Swoleman

Level 2 Valued Member
Hey All.

A couple weeks ago I noticed some pain in my right knee after a moderately heavy squat day. I have NEVER has any issues with my knees, so given the pain went away by my next training session I chalked it up as an anomaly. Yesterday I squatted again. Everything felt just fine during my session (and I even worked up to a heavy final set up 395 x 7 on my last set). Still felt fine for a good half hour after my session, but then I noticed the same kind of knee pain as before again so wondering what it going on. It it maybe just overuse? Should I tone it down on the volume of heavy back squats for a while? Just seems weird that I feel fine during the session but then it's a delayed onset of the pain (which isn't excruciating or anything, just an achy sensation under and around my patella just letting me know it's there).
 
Rygor the Swoleman said:
Hey All.

A couple weeks ago I noticed some pain in my right knee after a moderately heavy squat day. I have NEVER has any issues with my knees, so given the pain went away by my next training session I chalked it up as an anomaly. Yesterday I squatted again. Everything felt just fine during my session (and I even worked up to a heavy final set up 395 x 7 on my last set). Still felt fine for a good half hour after my session, but then I noticed the same kind of knee pain as before again so wondering what it going on. It it maybe just overuse? Should I tone it down on the volume of heavy back squats for a while? Just seems weird that I feel fine during the session but then it's a delayed onset of the pain (which isn't excruciating or anything, just an achy sensation under and around my patella just letting me know it's there).
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Do you video your lifts? Can you see or feel any forward knee slide (that you don't normally have)?
 
I've had similar things happen with problematic shoulders and elbows in the past. I believe it has something to do with circulation. That is, increased bloodflow to an area can have an analgesic effect. So, while training, you might feel great, but later the issue will rear its head when the affected area cools down. I agree with John; I would be examining some training footage and just looking for things that might seem "off." Make sure to film from good angles: straight on from the back, and straight on from each side.
 
Yeah, look at your hip and ankle mobility - any deficiencies there might put some hurt on the knees.

Knock on wood I've never had knee issues to really complain about but they absolutely will talk to me if I ignore things (I.e. let my hip and ankle mobility slide, ignore issues and just keep plowing forward, etc). And almost never will my knees talk to me during a squat session - it's always after.
 
John K said:
Do you video your lifts? Can you see or feel any forward knee slide (that you don't normally have)?
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I don't generally have my phone with me in the gym when I'm training, but maybe I could make an exception to video myself. Just seems strange that it would be happening all of a sudden when I've been squatting heavy regularly for decades (or maybe that's why lol) and I'm pretty sure my form hasn't changed in almost as long.
 
Grevlingfot said:
Yes, I got knee pain after squats especially heavy squat. It was so bad some times that I struggled to go down stairs. The worst was playing football (soccer)

What helped me was simple. Three simple exercises. Split squat, couch stretch and 90/90. I do them after every practice.
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Thanks. I will try those things! FYI the pain generally goes away completely after a day and a half to two days. I lifted on Sunday afternoon and feel fine now.
 
Rygor the Swoleman said:
I don't generally have my phone with me in the gym when I'm training, but maybe I could make an exception to video myself. Just seems strange that it would be happening all of a sudden when I've been squatting heavy regularly for decades (or maybe that's why lol) and I'm pretty sure my form hasn't changed in almost as long.
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Totally get that. I would suggest *something* has changed (unless you want to admit to age and wear and tear) - suddenly starting the stairstepper, lots of walking downhill, a bunch of lunges, additions of new exercises/high volumes of things like knee extensions or leg press, knee slide in the squat, incorporation of a lot of kettlebell jerks, pick up game of basketball, etc. All that to say - see if something is different, in life or the gym.

With where you are describing the pain, I would look at things that involve a good deal of knee-over-toes or sudden stops/change of directions. (I'm not saying knees over toes is bad.)
 
John K said:
Totally get that. I would suggest *something* has changed (unless you want to admit to age and wear and tear) - suddenly starting the stairstepper, lots of walking downhill, a bunch of lunges, additions of new exercises/high volumes of things like knee extensions or leg press, knee slide in the squat, incorporation of a lot of kettlebell jerks, pick up game of basketball, etc. All that to say - see if something is different, in life or the gym.

With where you are describing the pain, I would look at things that involve a good deal of knee-over-toes or sudden stops/change of directions. (I'm not saying knees over toes is bad.)
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Come to think of it, I DID fairly recently start incorporating hack squats into my mix of accessory work. It's a hack squat sled sort of like a reverse leg press. It does put more direct force on my knees. Perhaps I'll stop that for a bit and see if it helps.
 
I think its more normal to have pain after. When the blood is pumping and the hormones are surging during a workout pain is dulled. But when at rest is when the inflamation moves in.
My advice:
--wrap your knees with good quality knee wraps from Inzer, etc.
--all squats should be Power Squats with a very wide Sumo Stance.
Remember Pavel's video Enter the Kettlebell...."the wall will teach you" You should be able to squat standing right at a wall and not have your head hit the wall. Your torso descends directly down. That is the only way to squat correctly. If you bend foward, like during a Good Morning, then there will be significant "shearing" force on the knee cap.
 
jayjo said:
I think its more normal to have pain after. When the blood is pumping and the hormones are surging during a workout pain is dulled. But when at rest is when the inflamation moves in.
My advice:
--wrap your knees with good quality knee wraps from Inzer, etc.
--all squats should be Power Squats with a very wide Sumo Stance.
Remember Pavel's video Enter the Kettlebell...."the wall will teach you" You should be able to squat standing right at a wall and not have your head hit the wall. Your torso descends directly down. That is the only way to squat correctly. If you bend foward, like during a Good Morning, then there will be significant "shearing" force on the knee cap.
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I do have knee wraps but have generally only used them on my very heaviest sets (usually only 405lbs and above). Might not be a bad idea to incorporate them more. Interesting on the super wide stance info. Basically the opposite of the Mark Rippetoe low bar method. Personally I don't do well with wide stance due to hip issues with that stance. When I used to squat really wide I always ended up with recurring hip pain issues. Not sure everyone is anatomically suited for it, and I've always done better with a narrower (slightly wider than shoulder width) stance.
 
Rygor the Swoleman said:
I do have knee wraps but have generally only used them on my very heaviest sets (usually only 405lbs and above). Might not be a bad idea to incorporate them more. Interesting on the super wide stance info. Basically the opposite of the Mark Rippetoe low bar method. Personally I don't do well with wide stance due to hip issues with that stance. When I used to squat really wide I always ended up with recurring hip pain issues. Not sure everyone is anatomically suited for it, and I've always done better with a narrower (slightly wider than shoulder width) stance.
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Understood on anatomy. But note that, at least in powerlifting, the bar should be traveling up and down, not out in front of you. For me, Squatting narrow, and letting the bar move forward over my knees, gave me patella tendonitis. Once I started squatting wide my knees never had an issue.
 
Video of your squats would be good to see.

I would suspect the hack squat could have been the offender here.

Apologies in advance to anyone I offend:
No one should need wraps to train the squat.
Wraps area tool to get a bump in weight lifted and should not a "band aid" for knee pain.
Squats should fit the individual—a long toros/short femur person will struggle with sumo squat but do better with a more vertical squat.
 
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