Front Squats and Pain above knee- opinions?

[Travis Hall]

Hello everyone,

I've started front squatting regularly, 2-3 times a week. I have noticed a mild pain developing just above my knee on the top of the leg. It is not my knee, but maybe a muscle or a tendon above it (?). I am assuming it is not serious. It does not affect my strength or squatting ability or hinder me physically in any way. It is just sore during squatting or similar leg ROM/bending movements- Not while running or walking. It has only occurred after squatting. It is only my right knee. Unfortunately, I don't have a camera or anything to post pictures of my FS form.

I squat below parallel, but not A2G. I am working on flexibility and not allowing any butt tuck. I am within a few inches of the ground. Elbows are high and from what I can tell my knees are following my feet. My knees are quite forward though, in line with my toes. I do not feel like I push through my heels, but more through the 'center' of my foot. I have not squatted heavy at all. Only BW- 165lbs. As I am concerned about the knee...


I've attached a picture pointing at the general area that is sore.

I have an appointment with a sports doctor about something unrelated and will bring it up with him too, but that's in a few weeks.

I'm just curious if anyone has any ideas what may be causing this. Is it simply a flexibility issue I am unaware of? Or something more serious.

Thanks.
I apologize if this should be in Recovery. I wasn't sure. I figured it was probably technique..

[Steven Low]

Generally, if it's that tendon it's overuse.

Rest, ice, massage

[Travis Hall]

So it probably is a tendon? hmm.

Overuse. This surprises me. I went from doing problem free high rep bw squats, 50-100- if not more- a day, to doing 3x5,5x5,7x1 with weight and I get an overuse injury? Doesn't make sense to me...

[Steven Low]

No, I'm asking if it's on the tendon?

If it's not then it's probably not overuse.

It's possible that your muscles are tight too causing pain. ART/foam roll/massage quads would be good as well.

[Travis Hall]

I misunderstood you.

Honestly, I don't know if it is on a tendon. That's why I included the picture- I hoped it would help someone who was more knowledgeable then I.

I will try the massage. Are there any kind of stretches that you would recommend I look at if it is a tight muscle issue? I am assuming anything that stretches the quads/top of the leg?

Thanks Steven. I appreciate the advice.

[Steven Low]

I can't really tell what your picture is pointing at. It's too vague.

Quad stretches work.


All this is just random guess work unless you can provide more accurate information, or actually go to a professional.

[Travis Hall]

Yes, you're right about the vague part. I will be seeing a professional- only it's two more weeks away.

I was hoping it was one of those 'common' injuries.
ex.I would mention pain in this area and a few people would immediately recognize it and say, "It's because A is not B. I had that, do this, and, poof! Gone!" or some such thing. I can see it isn't so common though.

Thanks for trying to help though. I'll just wait it out and see what the Doc says.

Travis.

[Jeff Gray]

I think a lot of knee pain around the patellar tendon is due to shin angle and not keeping the quad muscles active during a squat. Maybe try some box squats and see if you still get the pain, as they allow you to greatly reduce shin angle and make you sit back into the squat more. Just an idea.

[Steven Low]

I think a lot of knee pain around the patellar tendon is due to shin angle and not keeping the quad muscles active during a squat. Maybe try some box squats and see if you still get the pain, as they allow you to greatly reduce shin angle and make you sit back into the squat more. Just an idea.
Poor recruitment of the hamstrings (knees too far over toes -- not enough "sitting back") leading to some maltraction of the patella. Certainly a possibility.

[Alex Nowasell]

tendon damage isn't as likely at the top of the knee as any other part of the knee. i had a problem about like this when i started upping my front squatting, its probably a tight muscle or some.......it just went away after awhile with plenty of icing and foam rolling. although it might be quite a bit different from mine since my knee is screwed up do to soccer.

[Arien Malec]

i had a problem about like this when i started upping my front squatting, its probably a tight muscle or some.......it just went away after awhile with plenty of icing and foam rolling.

Same here - for me, this is a clear early sign that I need to take a couple back-off days.

[Alex Nowasell]

i find that if i backed off to get rid of all the discomfort that i couldn't build up any work load. i think u just need to make sure the pain isn't pain that tells u, u need to stop or completely damage area

[Aaron Gainer]

Take a week off, do some relaxed stretching of all leg muscles along with massaging the lower body, and try again.

More than likely, your quads are super tight. I have the same problem, and find the above do wonders for it along with smart training!!!

[Steven Low]

If it's tendonitis, it should respond to this protocol

http://www.eatmoveimprove.com/2009/08/on-tendonitis/

I still doubt that's tendonitis though, but can't hurt. The stretching/massage should be good for it regardless.

[Jonas Lind]

Really hard stretching of the quads and hips has worked wonders for my quad-tendon problems.

[Travis Hall]

Thanks for all the replies. It is probably from a host of factors- bad technique being one of them, I'm sure.

I saw a sports doc. He had a look at it and played with my knee a bunch and made me flex and push at different angles. His conclusion was mild tendinitis. He said it was the kind normally caused by impact. For example when stepping down from up high and the quad/leg adsorbing the shock on landing.

This surprised me as I couldn't think of anything I had done lately that could have brought this about. Just one of those things I guess...

His exercise/rehab recommendation was to get into air squat position and let my body 'fall down' and then 'catch/stop' the drop just before I felt the pain. So instead of a controlled squat, I would let gravity take over, maintaining proper form of course. I don't know if that is a clear description or not...

It has been a while now and I can do full air squats painlessly again. However I have been doing sets of five just to be careful. I used to do sets of ten pistols :(

Patience.

I will be seeing him again tomorrow to check up on some other things. I will bring up shin angle and see what he says.

Kind of turned me off squatting though. Maybe I will try high bar or low bar once I'm healed.