Avoid knee pain when squatting

ATG always

This is not an in-depth discussion on the functional anatomy of the knee in squatting motions, but simply a useful solution to knee that you can implement in your training straight away. Lets say your squat looks great. Form is solid and you have no mobility issues, however your knee still hurt when you squat. Possible cause= a weak vastus medialis obliquus (VMO)

Solution to knee pain

If you have been told not go below parallel or to not let your knees go over your toes when you squat, you have been told a lie.

You must now:

1. Forget what you have been told about the knee & squatting below parallel.
2. Read below & watch the video by Charles Poliquin on how to perform a peterson step up correctly.

Knee pain can hinder a lot progress in squatting strength and leg development.

One of the common causes of knee pain stems from a weak vastus medialis obliquus (VMO).  The main functions of the VMO is to extend the knee & also to maintain correct tracking of the patella (knee cap). The VMO is also notoriously difficult to recruit for most people, causing it to weaken over time.

The Peterson Step up.

The Peterson step is a great exercise to effectively target the VMO. Check out world renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin (Strength Sensei) as he talks through the correct execution of the Peterson step up.  

Putting it into practice.

I use the Peterson step up as both a warm up & an assistance exercise with my clients.

• Warm up: Use  your bodyweight & focus on contracting your VMO. 3 sets of 10-15 reps is sufficient.
• Assistance work: Perform in the same manner as the warm but once you can perform 15 reps with bodyweight, then we can begin to load the exercise with dumbbells or a barbell.

Perform at least 2-3 days per week for best results. If you really struggle with recruiting your VMO, Peterson step ups can be performed daily. I still recommend incorporating Peterson step ups into your program even if you have no knee issues. It is better to prevent an  injury rather than trying to rehab an injury after it has occurred. Throw them into your training program & let me know how you get on. If you have experienced the benefits of the Peterson step up beforehand, I would like to hear from you, so comment below. Look. Feel. Perform. Mark O’Dwyer (AKA MOD).