How does someone develop patellar or quad tendon tendon pain? To answer this question, we first have to discuss a little anatomy. A tendon is essentially a fibrous band of tissue that connects muscle to bone. The patellar tendon runs from your kneecap (patella) to the tibial tuberosity (the prominent bony part of your shinContinue reading Fixing Patellar & Quad Tendon Pain
Poor movement patterns (i.e. bad technique) is one of the most common reasons barbell athletes develop knee pain. Problems with knee control can sometimes be very glaring (such as an athlete who shows a significant knee collapse while performing a clean & jerk). Other times the problem can be very subtle and difficult to recognizeContinue reading How to Fix ‘Knee Cave’
For the past few weeks we’ve been discussing knee pain. We started with an article on IT Band syndrome and followed it with another on patellar tendon pain. Today, we’re going to examine another common knee injury sustained by barbell athletes, patellar compressive syndrome. This injury can be broken down into two categories. Excessive lateralContinue reading How to Fix Patellar Compressive Syndrome
Welcome back to Squat University! For the past 2 weeks we’ve been discussing common causes of knee pain when barbell training. In this article we’re going to dive a little deeper into IT Band Pain (also called Iliotibial Band Syndrome) and show you how to fix this problem. IT Band Anatomy 101 So what exactlyContinue reading How To Fix IT Band Pain
Welcome back to Squat University! Today I want to introduce a simple guide to help you figure out which type of knee pain you may have. When most people develop knee pain while barbell training, they’ll receive a vague diagnosis from the doctor of “Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome” (PFPS). Unfortunately, this is a junk term thatContinue reading What Kind of Knee Pain Do You Have?
This week we’re going to continue our previous series on common squat injuries by opening up a discussion on the topic of knee pain. The knee happens to be one of the one of the most injured joints in all of sports.(1) In fact, I’m sure most of you have sustained a knee injury or haveContinue reading Common Squat Injuries: Knee Pain
The single leg pistol squat is a difficult movement for many people to perform. It requires a good amount of ankle/hip mobility, a ton of body coordination and excellence balance. Often athletes work tirelessly on perfecting this movement and still struggle with it. No matter how hard they try, they just can’t seem toContinue reading 6 Steps To Perfecting Your Pistol Squat
The knee needs to stay in perfect alignment with the toes when we squat. Any wobble from this position decreases our ability to produce strength and power. Instability also causes harmful forces to be placed on the structures deep inside our knee. This instability not only decreases our potential for performance but also increases our susceptibility for injury. Today I want to introduce to you my 3-step process for improving knee stability.Continue reading How to Improve Knee Stability
Most athletes do not have an issue in achieving full knee flexion. The main problem we see is the inability to control the knee during dynamic movements like the squat. When I say unstable, what I mean is that often athletes have a difficult time keeping their knee in a steady and unwavering position.Continue reading How to Screen for Knee Stability
