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:
- Forget what you have been told about the knee & squatting below parallel.
- 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).
How to train for a muscle up
The muscle up is simply a pull up with a transition into a dip. It technically isn’t a gymnastic skill but rather just a movement used to get above the rings. This does not discredit how difficult it can be for people to achieve, especially those who are new to gymnastic strength training. So you have tried a muscle up and failed. You know what the movement looks like but you just can’t ‘get it’, the majority of the time it is just down to a lack of strength.
Get strong
Follow a process that is designed to meet your goals rather than taking a ‘hit and miss’ approach. I often see this problem with the muscle up, people achieve it by chance rather than training for it and others fail until they follow a proper system. If you struggle to do 3 pull ups or you can’t hold a false grip then forget the muscle up for awhile. Break the movement down and build strength in these movements. The muscle up will come to you much faster this way. We always start by building a foundation. It will save you a lot of future pain, injury and frustration.
False grip
Neutral vs. false grip
The false grip involves a grip that places the wrist on top of the rings rather than below, this facilitates an easier transition between the pull up and the dip in a muscle up. It will be uncomfortable at first but get use to it as it is vital for more advance movements and the piecing together of multiple movement for a routine. You need to be able to hang in a false grip before you can do a muscle up. For more on the false grip click here.
Movements to strengthen
- False grip chin up (to sternum).
- Front support.
- Dip to front support.
What is strong enough?
- False grip chin up : 5 x 5 reps.
- Front support : 30 second holds.
- Dip to front support : 5 x 5 reps.
Meeting these requirements won’t guarantee you a muscle up, it will probably require additional work such as on the transition, but it will certainly get you closer than ‘attempting’ the muscle up every time you set foot in the gym. So the next time a muscle up comes to mind, look where you are weak and work on that.
What it looks like when its put all together.
Stay tuned for part 2 where I will go through common sticking points, such as the transition phase.
Email info@movementbymod.com if you have any questions on training or nutrition. Mark O’Dwyer
