Real big set back in squats

[fpr]

So about 4-5 months ago after posting some videos of my squats on here I found out that my squat form was poor... extremely poor.

I was squatting at the knees instead of at the hips... and had been doing so for about 10 months at around ~275 - 300lbs. As soon as people mentioned that I was prone to injury it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm assuming it's my IT Band that's killing me (it's right at the hip joint). Whenever I lower I get this sharp pain in my hip.... it's gotten much better but is still there despite my resting /stretching it for the past 4-5 past months, and really intensifies the next day after doing leg exercises. I mentioned it to my physician but he was like "those sort of things happen when you try and lift heavy weights.... try and do 10-12 reps with lighter weights" was his response. I have to go through him to get a referral for an ortho doc anyhow.

Anyhow... I've been trying to do body squats (no weight at all) with proper form and my hip adductors feel like they're being stretched like hell and it gets a bit painful as I get closer to parallel --- which I actually cant' achieve yet. Anyone else get this... is it merely stretching that will resolve it? What types of stretches do you guys do? I am fairly flexible... I can bend over and touch the floor with my fingers... but I still seem to have tight adductors/hammies.

Any idea what I should do about this and the hip? Time for a visit to the doc? Think cortizone shots will help?

Even when I was squatting with bad form I built up my leg muscles quite a bit... they've atrophied so much :( help!

[BigTallOx]

I've been trying to do body squats (no weight at all) with proper form and my hip adductors feel like they're being stretched like hell and it gets a bit painful as I get closer to parallel --- which I actually cant' achieve yet. Anyone else get this...


Absolutely. Been there, slowly getting past it. When I first started squatting with a wide stance ( ie proper powerlifting form ), my hips wouldn't let me get down to parallel, this is slowly changing for me lately though.




is it merely stretching that will resolve it? What types of stretches do you guys do?


I stretch, alot. I squat down with no weight with the widest stance I can and stay down at the bottom and try to loosen my hips up by pushing my knees apart. Lately, I do this with bands around my knees. I also do seated abductor/adductor hip exercises with bands around my legs. My hips are sooo much stronger now, and I can squat to parallel with pretty form.



I am fairly flexible... I can bend over and touch the floor with my fingers...

Yeah, me too, but that's not the flexibility that's needed for squats.



Think cortizone shots will help?


No, no, no. That's not a long term solution. I've never had one, but from what I understand they will ultimately make you weaker.




Even when I was squatting with bad form I built up my leg muscles quite a bit... they've atrophied so much :( help!

Do you mean atrophied=can't do as much weight with good form? Don't worry about that, get your form right.

[fpr]

Thanks for the response, Ill give some of that a shot. I meant the size of my legs have atrophied from not doing squats for such a long time.

[ehubbard]

Get yourself a foam roller or use the one at the gym and hit your IT band, quads, hips, and adductors hard with it. If you have never done this before it SHOULD hurt like hell. See below.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/feel_better_for_10_bucks