Pistol squat vs Barbell squats and knee health

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For people who have knee issues and are trying to play it as safely as possible, especially as far as stability is concerned, is there any difference between the risks posed by pistols and barbell squats?

Already asked a doctor, and the answer I received wasn't a clear victory for either -- pistol would be dangerous if your form is wobbly, squat has a lot more weight on your back if something goes wrong.
 
Barbell squats.
 
Skip the squats all together and focus on biceps and abs.
 
Already asked a doctor, and the answer I received wasn't a clear victory for either -- pistol would be dangerous if your form is wobbly, squat has a lot more weight on your back if something goes wrong.

Sounds pretty correct.
 
Isnt goblet squats the best for natural form with no weird pressure from a bar or awkward angles?
 
Isnt goblet squats the best for natural form with no weird pressure from a bar or awkward angles?

There's no way to put proper load on it, though?

I used to do pistols. Can't do them now because somethings weird with my knees. Still used to do some back and front squats but I have stopped doing those, too, as I got pain on the inner knee. Now I'm experimenting with lunges. Those are definitely wobbly and if I dont concentrate on stability, even there I get pain in my left knee.

:( Hope it will get better. Lunges seem like they would give me some improvements because its crazy how quickly my glutes and hips cramp up. Obviously something has been missin there in my muscle strength and coordination.
 
Isnt goblet squats the best for natural form with no weird pressure from a bar or awkward angles?

Yeah, I'm curious what the safest variety of heavy leg lift is for knees. Box squats are one that I've also heard mentioned a lot.
 
There's no way to put proper load on it, though?

I used to do pistols. Can't do them now because somethings weird with my knees. Still used to do some back and front squats but I have stopped doing those, too, as I got pain on the inner knee. Now I'm experimenting with lunges. Those are definitely wobbly and if I dont concentrate on stability, even there I get pain in my left knee.

:( Hope it will get better. Lunges seem like they would give me some improvements because its crazy how quickly my glutes and hips cramp up. Obviously something has been missin there in my muscle strength and coordination.

Look into split squats. They’ll give you a lot of the benefits of lunges but provide more stability
 
Good point. With goblets i can do about 60% of my body weight. Going much higher... arms would give out before my legs.
 
safely as possible would be the leg press with a painfree rom.
do you absolutely need to squat?
can you deadlift without pain?
 
safely as possible would be the leg press with a painfree rom.
do you absolutely need to squat?
can you deadlift without pain?

Deadlift I'd been advised not to do because of a shoulder issue that's slowly healing up. It's like safety whack a mole -- always another problem popping up.

That being said, are deadlifts significantly better on the knees than squats?
 
Which knee injury are we talking about here? Tear? Pre/post op? Pain at rest/activity?

Pistols require greater stability, mobility and especially ankle range of motion (ROM). There's more forward knee travel so you it can be a compromising position if you have anterior knee pain. However how you respond also depends on various factors like your technique, ROM and the muscle strategies you use during the movement.

Squats are more stable yes. You can also change where the load is placed, meaning a hip dominant back squat (perhaps even low bar squat) will place more weight on your posterior chain (hamstrings and glutes) and might alleviate some pain if you are experiencing anterior pain during squatting. It depends on what the cause is though. A front squat or highbar will obviously place the weight more anteriorly, but there's not always a direct correlation between knee pain and angle. As a general rule, engaging the posterior chain and using less load/ROM is a good idea to get into it again if you have patellofemoral pain (anterior knee pain). If it's the meniscus or 'wear and tear' this may not apply.

Deadlifts takes this a step further and puts even more load on your back and posterior chain. There is also far less forward knee travel. This means that for some, it takes the strain away from the knees and feels better.

None of the exercises are inherently risky or non-risky as a blanket statement. It depends on the volume you use and the person. Generally I'd say that Deadlifts > Squats > Pistols when it comes to knee stability requirements and chance of strain though.

PS: You sound like you need some actual professionals to walk you through this. What is the issue with your shoulder and how does it effect your deadlifting?
 
I get really bad patellar tendinitis from squats and ended up just deadlifting 3x a week with heavy light medium. Box squats delayed the inevitable, but it came to a point where even then I couldn't do them. But since you can't deadlift maybe try box squats with a safety bar? That seems to allow a more vertical shin. Or maybe try low bar squats as that takes a bit of tension off the knees

~DaViD~
 
find out how to do things correctly.

like most everything else in life, the risk is when you do things wrong.
 
Boxsquats with vertical shins is the safest variation according to most lifters.
Puts more force on the hips and back compared to a more upright oly style.
 
I get really bad patellar tendinitis from squats and ended up just deadlifting 3x a week with heavy light medium. Box squats delayed the inevitable, but it came to a point where even then I couldn't do them. But since you can't deadlift maybe try box squats with a safety bar? That seems to allow a more vertical shin. Or maybe try low bar squats as that takes a bit of tension off the knees

~DaViD~

Do you train leg curls for the lower hamstring at all? Just a thought as that saved me from giving up on squats etc.
 
Do you train leg curls for the lower hamstring at all? Just a thought as that saved me from giving up on squats etc.
Thanks for the recommendation. Yah I did curls extensions and leg press too on fridays. I actually had a really hard time doing the curls and could only do the smallest clip on the machine for two years

~DaViD~
 
I have terrible petellar tendinitis, I've been previously diagnosed with petellar chondromalacia, and micro fractures. I thought my athletic career was over, but I was able to 'relearn' how to move, long story short I was extra quad dominant. My legs clearly showed the quad development was much better than my hamstring and glute, but I was too ignorant to see how crappy my lifts were. Luckily, I had access to some phenomenal physical therapists.

I also worked my way back with box squats, once I was using my hips and back more to squat (high bar). I removed the box. Couple things have really helped bring my squat and leg strength back up. Lifting shoes, 7mm knee sleeves, and perfect technique. I only do back squat, zercher, and lighter weight front squat, chained squats? (Standing between two 20in boxes, weight on a chain between the 2). These are my 'quad' lifts. I completely avoid anything single leg focused. With my knees there is no chance I'd do anything too far past parallel, and I'd guess pistol squats would seemingly be one of the most stressful movements possible on the knees.

I highly recommend you check out YouTube to hone your squat technique. Max Aita, Mark Bell, Ben Pollock, and a ton of other reputable sources make great demonstrations. Max Aita and Chad Weasley Smith have a 5 part series on the topic that I thought was great. I squat mid 400's with crap knees and literally when I stop squatting I am in more daily pain.
 
Not saying this is superior to the other types of lifting, but I would recommend squats / deadlifting with a hex bar. Less strain on the lower back and pretty stable.
 
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