Topic: Knee Pain

[Matt Erdman]

It all depends on what you can handle. As long as I avoid the deep squat position, I can train with pretty high volume and/or intensity. I squat with a narrow stance and stop about 3 inches from the bottom position. This seems to avoid making my knee sore for the most part. Also power snatched/cleans don't bother it. The meniscus can tear in various places, so it is hard to be certain what movement will aggravate it. Squat cleans are by far the worst for me.

Having said that, here is my basic squat plan:

"Light" day - 50-69% for a total of 60-80 reps
Medium day - (pick one) 70%x5x5, 75%x4x6, 80%x3x7
Heavy day - 80-90%xRMx1-3

Naturally you will want to ease into the volume. I do the same thing for presses, just with lower volume.
The light day with high volume has really helped my squat take off. I got the idea from Medvedyev. It isn't likely to be how he would program it, but it really works.

For PSN and PC the average intensity will need to be high since they are higher velocity movements. Of course you will have to figure out how you respond to doing them.

[Arturo Gómez]

Have any medical diagnostic recently?
Any mechanical study of knee stability?

[Andy Dick]

No Arturo, no health insurance or money to cover it out of pocket.  Plus do not want to get it tested outside of having insurance because then insurance companies can deny me coverage because of a "preexisting condition."

[Arturo Gómez]

So, is better you be more prudent. Those cases need rest until hurt dissappear. After that, progresively strength the legs, and so begin with lifting.
I see your squat, the heels rise and the lumbar curves because the cues are very low: is better 3 or 4 cms.
2 cms cues are only for privilegiated anatomys. We, mortals, must use more cue.
Wraps for powerlifting give a great safety in heavy squat training.

[Andy Dick]

Arturo and Matt, so are you guys saying I should stop full squatting?  Would this be a permanent switch or just until I am healthy?  Would this have a negative effect on full versions of the lifts?

Another issue, is finding what makes them sore.  Often times soreness is not sudden onset (besides just recently).  It will occur towards the end of a workout, following a workout, the next day, during a workout and within 30 min to 1 hour it feels fine, it will vary.  For example right now they feel 100% but most likely they are not I just haven't done anything in days.

[Arturo Gómez]

I say stop with everithing until no hurst.
So, begin with only deep squat with very, very little weight, and progressive linear regime, if no hursts.
Example:
1 training: squat: 3x8 x 20 kgs
2 training: squat: 3x8 x 30 kgs
3 training:idem, adding more 10 kgs.
......
until, in a month, you were lifting your normal weights without pain. So, begin with weightlifting again.
These regime was our solution and it result.

[Matt Erdman]

That depends. There is always some level of discomfort in my knee. There has been for years now. I have my training set up so that it mostly stays at the discomfort level and does not progress to all out pain. This is the best it gets right now. If you have a meniscus issue, then you will likely be in the same boat until you can get good medical intervention. However if taking time off will alleviate the problem entirely, then that is the way to go. Once it is better then you can work out a plan to keep it from returning.

Two strategies can help prevent problems. One is to workout 3 days a week, so that your knee always has a day off. The other is to not perform deep knee bending exercises back to back.

[Arturo Gómez]

No pain, so, is "under control", but this is equivalent a "pain that functionally is  no pain". I trained 7 years with a broken menisc, I must manipulate the knee everyday to avoid accidents. But this problem had no influence in the intensity of training.

I Thought that the level of this pain disturbed a correct training.