FIX KNEE VALGUS (knees caving in) DURING SQUATS?!

[@LostInLeiden]

I have this problem when I pistol squat. People tell me it's a muscle weakness in the glutes

[@Boti98HUN]

Don’t forget to mention this puts a lot of stress on the knees and damages your knee cap health over time significantly more than squatting without knee caving

[@SimonsterStrength]

I didn’t forget to mention it. I didn’t mention it because it’s not true. Lifting weights puts stress on your knees but applying this stress to your body is literally how you get stronger. It does not damage your knee health! If you’re going to make such a claim, provide some evidence to support it.

[@Boti98HUN]

@@SimonsterStrength never ever have I seen top lifters squat with caved knees. Please show me 1 example of a top athlete squatting like that. I’m talking about over 5-600 pound squats, not gym lifts and lightweight category lifters

[@SimonsterStrength]

@@Boti98HUN perhaps the world record by Amanda Lawrence shown in the video you’re commenting on… or many Olympic champion Chinese lifters.

[@Boti98HUN]

@@SimonsterStrength all these instances are still within an acceptable range. Their knees still close a vertical line. My original point was about extreme knee cavings where one’s knees look like an X. How is that a healthy stance??

[@SimonsterStrength]

@@Boti98HUN I think Amanda’s is pretty significant and that’s about as extreme as I’ve seen during very heavy squats. I understand the visceral feeling that it’s bad or wrong or inefficient, but the data says otherwise. The fact that knee valgus is common during world record lifts suggests this is the strongest pattern for many people. I have no doubt Amanda could avoid knee valgus with lighter loads. If you’re going to make the claim that it’s dangerous at a certain level, you should be able to explain when and why. Many make the same claim about knees going forward over the toes, but I think you’d agree that knees over toes is fine? If knee valgus is bad during squats, at what point does it become bad rather than helpful? Is it fine to do with your bodyweight? What about a broomstick? At what load and degree of valgus does it become wrong and why? I’m confident that the body can adapt to pretty extreme postures and loads. If someone feels strongest and safe with extreme valgus, has the control the avoid it with lighter loads, and progresses gradually over time, I see no reason why they couldn’t squat 600+lbs with this posture safely.