# Can't squat but wanna compete



## Itburnstopee (Jul 2, 2015)

Knee is fixed just have to let it heal. Doctor says I can do full squats if I want to come in for surgery again. Half squats are the deepest I can go without damage. If I do a meet do I have to do all three lifts or could I just bench and deadlift?


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## DocDePanda187123 (Jul 2, 2015)

You could do bench only or push/pull with bench and deadlift


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## Assassin32 (Jul 2, 2015)

ItBurnsToPee said:


> Knee is fixed just have to let it heal. Doctor says I can do full squats if I want to come in for surgery again. Half squats are the deepest I can go without damage. If I do a meet do I have to do all three lifts or could I just bench and deadlift?



You can't squat for how long? What surgery did you have?


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## Itburnstopee (Jul 2, 2015)

Assassin32 said:


> You can't squat for how long? What surgery did you have?



Forever. I had a torn meniscus that was torn all the way rather than a simple tear or small rip; it was also covered in cyst. There was also early bone damage. I'm pretty bummed about it but I can still do leg presses and other stuff.

I'm talking about competing in another four months depending on if I've hit my goals.


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## finacat (Jul 2, 2015)

there are push pull meets
honestly squatting half way is much more taxing on knees then going past depth


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## finacat (Jul 2, 2015)

competing in bodybuulding or powerlifting?
bodybuilding you can get away with it probably work around, mens physqiue i mean your set LOL
powerlifting = push/pull


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## Assassin32 (Jul 2, 2015)

A friend of mine that played D1 football has fully torn both meniscus' as well as both ACL's and MCL's 2 or 3 times on each knee.  He still squats a ton of weight. I don't know why your Dr. says you will never be able to squat again. Was there other complications involved?


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## Itburnstopee (Jul 2, 2015)

Assassin32 said:


> A friend of mine that played D1 football has fully torn both meniscus' as well as both ACL's and MCL's 2 or 3 times on each knee.  He still squats a ton of weight. I don't know why your Dr. says you will never be able to squat again. Was there other complications involved?



Just that there was minor bone damage that required reshaping of the bone. He says if I do squats again it will tear the meniscus more which will require even more removal, and he already had to remove a lot. I don't really understand why it will rip even more but I'd rather not risk it.


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## Assassin32 (Jul 2, 2015)

I would definitely get 2nd and 3rd opinions from Orthopedic Sports Knee Specialists


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## snake (Jul 2, 2015)

For now, Doc gave you the answer; Push/Pull. For the sake of your future, Assassin is on the money. I wouldn't risk not being able to squat on one Doctor's opinion. Don't let your pride get yourself hurt but don't sell yourself short either.


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## Itburnstopee (Jul 3, 2015)

Assassin32 said:


> I would definitely get 2nd and 3rd opinions from Orthopedic Sports Knee Specialists



Lol that's who gave me the first opinion/ did the surgery


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## Assassin32 (Jul 3, 2015)

ItBurnsToPee said:


> Lol that's who gave me the first opinion/ did the surgery



I'm saying go see other knee specialists. It doesn't sound right. A torn meniscus should not keep you from ever squatting again. My 1st back specialist told me not to deadlift at all anymore. I told him to go kick rocks.


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## PillarofBalance (Jul 3, 2015)

How can you leg press but not squat?


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## Tren4Life (Jul 3, 2015)

PillarofBalance said:


> How can you leg press but not squat?



Yea a fukkin leg press is way harder on your knees

Fuk a leg press


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## DocDePanda187123 (Jul 3, 2015)

Steelers4Life said:


> Yea a fukkin leg press is way harder on your knees
> 
> Fuk a leg press



No, no fukking of the leg press machine. It makes a great coat hanger or spot to lean over on after a heavy set of squats


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## Itburnstopee (Jul 4, 2015)

Alright here's what I understand:
This is my Meniscus pre-tear: D
The straight part in the D is what got torn, and then chewed up by the bone until the bone wasn't cushioned by it. He had to remove that part completely whereas a normal year would require a small part to be scraped. So now my meniscus looks like this: € the lines being how much the shortened it.
There is nothing there to protect the bones.
Idk why a leg press is different but he says I can do everything els. Other than squats. I'm not thrilled about it but I'd rather not destroy my bones. It's hard because two weeks ago all I thought about was having a heavy squat one day and know I think about how I can't do it again


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## Strength athlete (Nov 22, 2015)

I'm with the others on this for many reasons. My first surgery was when I was 16. A torn medial meniscus. Removed and fully recovered. At 18 a discectomy(told me I could never lift heavy again...proved them wrong). Most recent was a full tear of the lateral meniscus. Ortho said I would never be able to squat heavy again (proved him wrong). My point being, do not take the first opinion as gospel. I would seek another opinion just as the others have stated. The half squat, and leg press are more strenuous on the knee btw. A few others have pointed this out, and it is true. I would listen to their advice. Don't be discouraged, and give up all hope just yet. In most cases, if there is a will, there is a way.


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## Itburnstopee (Nov 23, 2015)

Strength athlete said:


> I'm with the others on this for many reasons. My first surgery was when I was 16. A torn medial meniscus. Removed and fully recovered. At 18 a discectomy(told me I could never lift heavy again...proved them wrong). Most recent was a full tear of the lateral meniscus. Ortho said I would never be able to squat heavy again (proved him wrong). My point being, do not take the first opinion as gospel. I would seek another opinion just as the others have stated. The half squat, and leg press are more strenuous on the knee btw. A few others have pointed this out, and it is true. I would listen to their advice. Don't be discouraged, and give up all hope just yet. In most cases, if there is a will, there is a way.



Well, he said I could do legs again the other week, stressing once again no squats. I still had to try it so I used just the bar, mostly for form check purposes. 12 reps with just the bar and good form and the knee started to hurt, not a soreness but pain like I had ground the bones. I'm not happy about it but I can move on. Besides deadlifts are ****ing cool as shit and I can still do those!


also, how did you fully recover from meniscus removal? Dr. told me that it doesn't grow back, or could it have been a partial removal?


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## AlphaD (Nov 23, 2015)

Push, Pull........meh.


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## John Ziegler (Nov 23, 2015)

Mr. Burns your doctor knows best. He's the one that is looking at the x ray's and has seen the problem first hand. If he say's you need a second surgery to fix it then do it. He's basically saying that your ok to walk around on it but you don't have a reliable full range of motion.


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## Strength athlete (Nov 23, 2015)

I suppose I could have been more specific. The medial was a partial removal. I was able to recover from it without any reoccurring issues. When i say that i had a full recovery i meant that i have been able to move on without any issues. Not that it healed, because you are correct in saying that it does not grow back. The lateral meniscus was a full removal. I was told that I could never squat heavy or run for any distance ever again. I would be lying if I said that I never have pain. Squatting can be painful depending on my level of activity for the day, but it hasn't limited me. It has taken some hard work, and intellegent training to return and hit a pr(over a years time)We are all individuals however, and I'm aware that we all react differently to injury and training. If you DO decide to go against doctor recommendations, take it slow, and listen to your body. You know your body better than any of us. Do not push too hard too soon. I wish you the best, and a speedy recovery.


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## GYMBRAT (Nov 23, 2015)

I tore both ACL's badly back when I raced professional motocross. I was also told I'd never squat or do a ton of normal thing's again with my injuries. Since, I've been able to do everything again BUT I took it extremely slow and extremely careful. Worked my way back into it and never looked back..

Be patient and a speedy recovery to ya


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## jennerrator (Nov 23, 2015)

GYMBRAT said:


> Be patient and a speedy recovery to ya



hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...............................


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## gymrat827 (Nov 23, 2015)

my shoulders snap, crackle & pop.  lifting above my head is just terrible for me, but i still use machines & light weight.  Iso movements before hand to exhaust those muscles a bit.

just try to find way to beat em up a bit without really doing the full movement.  I played hockey for 11yrs and now have to deal with some injuries, it could be worse, but it sure aint pretty.  

belt, knee braces or wraps & joint supps.  Do light workouts and see how they go.  Also see anohter Doc or 2, get their full opinion and ask about lifting, contact sports, etc.


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## Itburnstopee (Nov 29, 2015)

Alright people, here's what just dawned on me as I sit here on the shitter:

No matter how hard we try, we are going to age and some of us will age better than others but there will undoubtedly be a day when we all cannot do things that we once could. Simple things such as having the flexibility to stretch to the backseat of the car to grab something from the front seat. More complex things such as do a perfect squat. I'm young and I'm at an age were I look back and say to myself "but I was just a kid so recently," able to recall events of playing on playgrounds vividly. I don't want to become an old man and look back and say "I was so young but what fun was it?"

I ****ed up my knee. It's forever not 100% but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't enjoy my youth and give it my 100%. I'm going to start squatting this next week, and I will do some research on safety for shitty knees, and make sure I take it slow. Even if I have to live on Advil I will do it. My knee is going to develop arthritis anyway so why not just have as much fun as I can while I can. Thank you guys for helping me come to the conclusion, you guys who kept with it seem happier than someone who didn't.


And, as a side note, do any of you with bad knees/similar issues have experience with doing oly lifts? I want to start doing cleans but that part where you're lowest during the lift looks brutal on knees.


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## DocDePanda187123 (Nov 29, 2015)

ItBurnsToPee said:


> Alright people, here's what just dawned on me as I sit here on the shitter:
> 
> No matter how hard we try, we are going to age and some of us will age better than others but there will undoubtedly be a day when we all cannot do things that we once could. Simple things such as having the flexibility to stretch to the backseat of the car to grab something from the front seat. More complex things such as do a perfect squat. I'm young and I'm at an age were I look back and say to myself "but I was just a kid so recently," able to recall events of playing on playgrounds vividly. I don't want to become an old man and look back and say "I was so young but what fun was it?"
> 
> ...



Cleans only hurt my elbow and forearm bc I couldn't get my one arm to be vertical from past injuries. That part you're referring to is basically a front squat after the bar has been cleaned onto your shoulder girdle. It's a very technical lift though and it's best learned under the trained eye of a good coach.


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## Angrybird (Nov 29, 2015)

If your knees are bad, my experience is that a knee wrap helps big time, even if it's a light wrap and not an inzer super tight competition wrap. Also instead of oly squats (if that's your style) use a PL style squat incorporating more hip and hamstring. For me when I went heavy and kept the bar high on my back and my stance narrow (more bodybuilding or oly style) my knees felt like they were gonna blow off for a couple days.

I have a bad right knee and it fills with fluid when not kept in check, these are the techniques I've used to keep them healthy. Jus my 2 cents brutha, good luck and lift smart!


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## Strength athlete (Nov 29, 2015)

ItBurnsToPee said:


> Alright people, here's what just dawned on me as I sit here on the shitter:
> 
> No matter how hard we try, we are going to age and some of us will age better than others but there will undoubtedly be a day when we all cannot do things that we once could. Simple things such as having the flexibility to stretch to the backseat of the car to grab something from the front seat. More complex things such as do a perfect squat. I'm young and I'm at an age were I look back and say to myself "but I was just a kid so recently," able to recall events of playing on playgrounds vividly. I don't want to become an old man and look back and say "I was so young but what fun was it?"
> 
> ...



I would use caution with beginning cleans too soon. You said that you were experiencing pain during a normal back squat. Regardless if you use a low bar or high bar position for the back squat, there is still less knee travel over the toe than the front squat or full depth catch portion of the clean. As I'm sure you know, the greater travel of the knee over the toe, the more stress placed on the knee. I would keep in mind that you will also be catching a weight in a position where the knee is already in front of the toe.
I don't have exact numbers to reference, but the stress being absorbed by the knee at that position MUST be greater than a normal back squat, and even front squat. If you are still suffering from any limited range of motion, I would focus on improving it to your maximum capability, and then slowly work in to some front squats before considering adding cleans. Just as doc said, the oly lifts are highly technical exercises, and it would be wise to learn under an experienced coach. My best wishes to you in your training, and best of luck.


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## Dex (Nov 29, 2015)

Assassin32 said:


> A friend of mine that played D1 football has fully torn both meniscus' as well as both ACL's and MCL's 2 or 3 times on each knee.  He still squats a ton of weight. I don't know why your Dr. says you will never be able to squat again. Was there other complications involved?



The physician told him that he shouldn't squat ever again...I bet he told him that he shouldn't ever use gear either. Damn physicians.


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## Itburnstopee (Nov 29, 2015)

Strength athlete said:


> I would use caution with beginning cleans too soon. You said that you were experiencing pain during a normal back squat. Regardless if you use a low bar or high bar position for the back squat, there is still less knee travel over the toe than the front squat or full depth catch portion of the clean. As I'm sure you know, the greater travel of the knee over the toe, the more stress placed on the knee. I would keep in mind that you will also be catching a weight in a position where the knee is already in front of the toe.
> I don't have exact numbers to reference, but the stress being absorbed by the knee at that position MUST be greater than a normal back squat, and even front squat. If you are still suffering from any limited range of motion, I would focus on improving it to your maximum capability, and then slowly work in to some front squats before considering adding cleans. Just as doc said, the oly lifts are highly technical exercises, and it would be wise to learn under an experienced coach. My best wishes to you in your training, and best of luck.



Just for the sake of not having another screw up, I'm going to stick to basic back squats for a while and then if I still want to try cleans I will work on my front squat. If I'm still interested then I will swiftly from my commercial gym to this real one with a coach. But until then, I'm just going to take it nice and easy with squatting.


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## Itburnstopee (Nov 30, 2015)

Hey guys just did squats and it felt good way. I did 4x5 with super light weight. I think the goal for me is to go slow, have good form, and to do low reps. I've read numerous times that people have seen others obtain injuries from doing high reps vs low reps.


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## Strength athlete (Dec 1, 2015)

ItBurnsToPee said:


> Hey guys just did squats and it felt good way. I did 4x5 with super light weight. I think the goal for me is to go slow, have good form, and to do low reps. I've read numerous times that people have seen others obtain injuries from doing high reps vs low reps.



That's great to hear brother. Just listen to your body. Don't fall into the trap that so many of us do and become overzealous on the days when the weights feel light. Know when to push, and when to back off.
 Steady progression brother. I'm so happy to hear that your able to squat again without pain. Even if the weight IS light. That's a HUGE step forward. Congrats.


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## saltylifter (Apr 3, 2016)

Itburnstopee said:


> Forever. I had a torn meniscus that was torn all the way rather than a simple tear or small rip; it was also covered in cyst. There was also early bone damage. I'm pretty bummed about it but I can still do leg presses and other stuff.
> 
> I'm talking about competing in another four months depending on if I've hit my goals.



I've had my meniscus tone all the way and shattered my tibia bone requiring a cadaver bone put in its place with screws and plates. It took me years to recover. I can squat but not super heavy and I need to warm my knee up very well.
Hope u have a speedy recovery man. Lift smart.


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