Why Your Knees Hurt Squatting & How To Correct It
- December 29th, 2009
- Posted in Exercise Rehabilitation
- By Kevin Yates
- Write comment
If your knees hurt squatting it doesn’t mean that squats are a bad exercise. In fact, squats and lunges have gotten such a bad reputation for causing knee, hip and lower back problems. However, in most cases it’s not the squat that causes pain but rather how it’s performed.
In the video below I share some tips to help prevent knee pain during squats.
The truth is that the squat is a poorly understood exercise. Squats are an excellent exercise for strengthening the hips and knees but, unfortunately, most people do not perform them correctly even though think they do.
There are some common mistakes I have identified in individuals whose knees hurt squatting. Just one of these mistakes is enough to feel knee pain during squats:
1. Weight on the toes: This happens a lot when using too much weight which tends to pull your body too far forward. Other times it’s simply a lack of awareness of how to distribute one’s body weight.
2. Knees moving forward while squatting: This is another common example of using too much weight. It can also be the result of the quadriceps (thigh muscles) overcompensating for weakness of the trunk stabilizers, hips and hamstrings.
3. Thighs and lower back muscles doing most of the work: This happens when the core, glutes and hamstrings are weak. When you lack proper core and hip strength muscle imbalances often result in the quadriceps and lower back over working. This is one of the main reasons for knee pain during squatting.
4. Abdominal stabilizers and hips are weak: These muscles need to be properly strengthened in order to eliminate knee and lower back pain.
5. Trunk collapsing too far forward: This is a sure-fire sign of weak core muscles and/or quadricep and lower back overcompensation. Typically, weakness in the abdominal and hip muscles are the problem.
After you watch the video leave me a comment and let me know what you think about knee pain and squats.
Why Your Knees Hurt Squatting & How To Correct It
href=”http://www.statcounter.com/drupal/”
target=”_blank”>
alt="drupal statistics module" >
I have watched this video yesterday, and it revolutionized the way I do squats. I have recently included squats in my work-out, and my knees were hurting even with very light weight. Watching your video helped me understand that it is not the quads that are the primary working muscles, but rather the glutes and hamstrings. The way you demonstrate the hips forward movement has helped a lot. Thank you!
@Janski
Thanks for the comment. I’m glad the video helped you out.