Hip Pain while Squatting

[ShredNutz]

Hi everyone,

Longtime lurker here...finally have a question. I am doing full (as full as I can go) squats and at the very bottom I get a sharp twinge on both sides of my hips. I only get this pain while squatting. I am not pushing alot of weight here, infact this pain has made it extremely difficult for my squats to progress. I am squatting a little over half of what I'm deadlifting, for instance.

I have always had low flexbility, and I am almost certain my back rounds slightly at the bottom of the squat as a result. Could the pain in my hips be in connection with a strain on my lower back, or do I have some weakness somewhere that is being overstressed?

What are your thoughts?

 

[Klotz]

Try narrowing your stance.

 

[grrthetree]

dynamic stretches first

do squat stretches (bottom portion of squat, hold for 10-50 sec)

warm up

 

[Donut62]

Tight hip flexors.

EliteFTS - Superior Products and Knowledge for Lifters, Athletes, Coaches, and Trainers

You can also try it with the back foot elevated for a deeper stretch.

 

[Sherpa]

Tight hip flexors.

EliteFTS - Superior Products and Knowledge for Lifters, Athletes, Coaches, and Trainers

You can also try it with the back foot elevated for a deeper stretch.

This stretch does not disappoint. Doing this helped my hips tremendously.

 

[BlondeWarrior]

You didn't mention where the pain is in the hip. Does it feel like a joint pain, or is it more in your hip flexors?

Try playing around with your stance, and where your feet are (i.e. the angle your feet are making... you might want to point your toes out while you're trying a narrower stance).

My first guess is that your knees are coming in, and you're putting unreasonable strain on your hips. With lower weight, you're not going to kill yourself, but you could do some serious damage when you aim at a 1RM. Get someone to watch you, and/or get a video from the front to see what your knees are doing as you squat.

 

[ShredNutz]

It seems to be more of a joint pain. I'll adjust my stance and re-analyze my form. Maybe it is time I bring a camera and film some of my lifts, I've been meaning to for a while.

 

[theNuge]

Joint pain can definitely result from tight muscles.

It's funny that you started this thread now. I've just figured out that a problem I've had with foot tingles was a result of hip flexor tightness most likely due to shitty squat form when I first started lifting.

 

[Fedorable]

I have hip joint pain also. Kind of hampers things.

 

[Sherpa]

If nothing else works, get briefs and squat in them.

 

[megaseth7]

I used to get hip pain and then I figured alot of it had to do with my poor technique and excessive weight. Hell yeah I used to knock out 10 reps with 365 but WTF good was that when it gave me hip pain. What I had to do was drop the weight and learn proper technique. For me it was important to drop the total weight and work on form. Its hard to add to that advice without seeing some vid of you squatting. I'm still not back to 365 for more than a rep or two but my form is much improved and my hip doesnt hurt.

 

[megaseth7]

The best way to fix squat problems is to...squat. I think that alternating the three great
variations (back, front and overhead) as well as occasionally adding the "old" lifts like
Jefferson or straddle the bar squats or Hip Belt Squats (a special belt with chains is
attached to the weight and you simply squat up and down) is the best way to fix
problems. Overhead squats teach the arch of the lower back better than any drill, as well
as providing a superior back isometric. Front Squats certainly push the stress more to the
quads as well as demanding increased flexibility. Back squats clearly help the other two
variations by pushing the load higher. So,...if your struggling on one: focus on the others!
To Summarize:
1 Sit "between your legs"
2 Minimize shin movement
3 Keep a big chest and big arch in your back
4 Everytime you get hurt, not sore, squatting...have someone watch your shins; they
shouldn’t be coming forward very much at all.
5 Done correctly, squats may be the single exercise you need to do for success in
sports. Done correctly
Next, the Bulgarians teach the clean, arguing it is simpler than the snatch. This parallels
my learning experience, too. Growing up with the Ted William's Sears cement filled
barbell, we all cleaned and pressed as young lifters.

From the DanJohn.org site

 

[megaseth7]

The best way to fix squat problems is to...squat. I think that alternating the three great
variations (back, front and overhead) as well as occasionally adding the "old" lifts like
Jefferson or straddle the bar squats or Hip Belt Squats (a special belt with chains is
attached to the weight and you simply squat up and down) is the best way to fix
problems. Overhead squats teach the arch of the lower back better than any drill, as well
as providing a superior back isometric. Front Squats certainly push the stress more to the
quads as well as demanding increased flexibility. Back squats clearly help the other two
variations by pushing the load higher. So,...if your struggling on one: focus on the others!
To Summarize:
1 Sit "between your legs"
2 Minimize shin movement
3 Keep a big chest and big arch in your back
4 Everytime you get hurt, not sore, squatting...have someone watch your shins; they
shouldn’t be coming forward very much at all.
5 Done correctly, squats may be the single exercise you need to do for success in
sports. Done correctly
Next, the Bulgarians teach the clean, arguing it is simpler than the snatch. This parallels
my learning experience, too. Growing up with the Ted William's Sears cement filled
barbell, we all cleaned and pressed as young lifters.

From the DanJohn.org site there is a ton of great info on it. Thanks for the previous poster who turned me onto it in this very thread. Contributions like that are a big reason why I keep coming back to Sherdog.

 

[cracker518***]

Count me in on the hip joint pain also. In my case Im slightly bow-legged so it throws me all off. I was using the close stance and was having some success but just threw my back out doing that last week...Sciatic nerve or whatever.Gl

 

[Danielsan]

hgh

 

[TEAM PJN8TOR]

Count me in on the hip joint pain also. In my case Im slightly bow-legged so it throws me all off. I was using the close stance and was having some success but just threw my back out doing that last week...Sciatic nerve or whatever.Gl

Sciatica is often caused by a tight piriformis muscle, which is deep to glutes, and is a external/lateral hip rotator. Squatters tend to have probs with this muscle, which lies directly over the sciatic nerve. In some people (20-30%) the sciatic nerve actually pierces right through the piriformis muscle belly. Rather than me explaining the stretches, Google "piriformis stretch" and/or see a massage therapist who does trigger point release work.