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kyleb
12-26-2009, 11:05 PM
Hey Coach,

I'm a 26 year old male (6'0" 255 lbs) who followed SS to the letter for 6-7 months and ended up with 1RMs of the following:

Squat: 365 lbs.
Deadlift: 410 lbs.

This was with no belt and no wraps.

After the novice phase of SS, I sought a powerlifting coach and found a great private place to train in downtown Seattle. He put me on a Westside-type program and I tested my 1RMs after a month and ended up putting up these numbers with a belt on:

Squat: 435 lbs.
Deadlift: 500 lbs.

Unfortunately he raised the rates and I'm now stuck back working out at home. Over the past month I've been slacking off and not getting as much work done on the intermediate phase as I'd like, and I've settled on getting on to the Practical Programming Advanced Novice workout to see how far I can take some linear gains again. However, my right knee has been killing me over the past two weeks when I was doing squats of just 315 lbs. It's anterior pain and it feels like an inflamed and angry patellar tendon.

I backed off a bit and took a bit of a break and tried to nail my form down. Recently I took two videos from two slightly different angles to see if my knees are shooting forward at the bottom of the squat and to diagnose any other form errors. Today I narrowed my stance a bit and put on my right knee sleeve, and while I still have a bit of discomfort, it's not terribly painful. It could be residual pain or it could be due to today's workout. Not really sure.

Anyway, I'd love if you could take a look at these videos. Pain only exists in my right knee; not my left, and the sleeve I have on is fairly loose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xGIV2-KL7I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl9aKC0KwDw

(second rep in the second video is definitely high)

Thanks for all your help. I want to start squatting and deadlifting heavy weights again ASAP in preparation for the upcoming baseball season.
Mark Rippetoe
12-28-2009, 10:39 PM
The two glaring problems I see involve back tightness. You're not holding your chest up/back angle constant as you come out of the bottom, and your low back is loose too. I can't see anything aside from general sloppiness that would contribute to a knee problem. I'd take this up with the coach.
kyleb
12-28-2009, 10:50 PM
The two glaring problems I see involve back tightness. You're not holding your chest up/back angle constant as you come out of the bottom, and your low back is loose too. I can't see anything aside from general sloppiness that would contribute to a knee problem. I'd take this up with the coach.

Great, thanks! I'll work on that. Not sure WTF the deal is with the knees, but I no longer see that coach. Oh well. I'll keep banging away.
Steve in ATL
12-28-2009, 11:07 PM
Here's what I saw, and I'm willing to be wrong:

In the first video, he's dive-bombing it so fast that at least his right knee is moving forward at the bottom as he starts up. This is clear to me on the first and especially the 2nd rep.

In the 2nd video, his right knee collapses in at the bottom on the 2nd rep.

These may either be contributory to or indicatory of his knee issue.
progressiveman1
12-28-2009, 11:11 PM
Hey Coach,
He put me on a Westside-type program and I tested my 1RMs after a month and ended up putting up these numbers with a belt on:

Squat: 435 lbs.
Deadlift: 500 lbs.


what did your program look like during this month?
Brad Davis
12-28-2009, 11:39 PM
what did your program look like during this month?
I think you're thinking the same as me: a lot more weight in a very short period of time = something in the knee has been overstressed before it could adapt.
kyleb
12-28-2009, 11:39 PM
what did your program look like during this month?

Four-day splits. Lots of squatting and related assistance work (box squats and the like) on Mondays, bench press / upper body work on Tuesday, pulling Thursday, and strongman stuff on Saturdays (my request).

Worked in quick lifts when I could, but I still suck at them.
Polynomial
12-29-2009, 03:28 AM
What's going on with the feet in the second video? It almost looks to me like you're putting your weight on the outside of your foot for a moment.
kyleb
01-03-2010, 09:46 PM
Coach,

I have a new video up for you to take a look at if you'd be so kind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXpuHJNMhKY

My thoughts:


I am pleased to report that I have no knee pain after these squats! I tried to keep my lower back tighter by doing the unthinkable: Looking up at the ceiling rather than down at a spot on the ground 15-20 feet ahead of me. It worked very well, as did the 5 lb. standard plates under my heels. As you can see, the depth is good and the knees do not shoot forward as a result of the lower back loosening up. These squats were substantially easier with these changes, and I can't wait to get some lifting shoes (whenever Rip's models are freed from Panama or wherever).
Mark Rippetoe
01-03-2010, 11:11 PM
You back looks loose to me, not arched particularly well, and your depth is borderline. Maybe you should lower the bar a little, and try looking down and holding your chest up as I suggest.
kyleb
01-04-2010, 12:21 AM
You back looks loose to me, not arched particularly well, and your depth is borderline. Maybe you should lower the bar a little, and try looking down and holding your chest up as I suggest.

I seem to have a problem simultaneously looking down and holding up my chest / keeping a decent arch. Thank you for the comments and your time, and I will see if I can't address these problems in future workouts.

Hope your shoes are released from prison soon!
JayvH
01-04-2010, 08:54 AM
Coach,

I have a new video up for you to take a look at if you'd be so kind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXpuHJNMhKY

My thoughts:
You're now standing on little weight plates, I don't think that's a good (safe) approach for your problem.