Left leg/foot points out

[Itburnstopee]

I've been training for about 7 months now and my only exercise that I can easily increase is my bench. My squat is still only 95-125lbs. I have noticed that my left knee hurts all the time since I started squatting and the pain sometime travels through my leg, my right leg is slightly larger than my left, and my left knee will pop sometimes. I've read about it but people only have similar problems not the exact issue I have.
When standing and sitting my left leg turns out. When I walk/run it is the same. When I go to squat I struggle to keep it pointed straight and this causes pain on the knee. I'm about to start deadlifting this week and I dot know what I should do. I think my leg is messed up because I walked like a duck as a child for 3 months and I can't remember why, this became a habit I guess. What stretches would you have me do? Does anyone have any insight into this problem? I just want to squat and deadlift heavy with a form that won't bring injury or pain.

 

[PillarofBalance]

Well a few things are possible here.

Usually a foot pointing out means you have a tight glute. Not being able to add weight and having pain when squatting means you are most likely performing your squat with poor form.

You should get in to see a physical therapist. They can evaluate your range of motion and find where you are coming up shoRt. From there they provide a plan to get you back to normal ranges.

 

[snake]

I second the therapist recommendation. Get this fixed now because once you start adding weight to your squat and DL, it's just going to exacerbate the problem. You can spend the time now or spend the time later after an injury. Good luck and please keep us posted on the outcome.

 

[Pinkbear]

I say break it and make it striaght
But what do I know I'm not a doctor

 

[Itburnstopee]

I'm going to make an appointment with a therapist. I will update after

 

[Ezskanken]

Any updates? Sounds like tight hips to me. Lots of good videos of YouTube to open them up. Look up Kelly Starrett, he's got a bunch of videos to help. I started doing some of them, and now realize how tight my hip flexors are even with my ROM being pretty good. If you can, get a cheap foam roller and get used to it, practice how to get around on it, and feeling out knots. I use the Rumble Roller, and look like I just finished cardio after I'm done rolling around on it lol! Stuff hurts, but feels so good!

 

[Itburnstopee]

I was actually just about to update yesterday. My appointment is next Friday and I'm going to see what he says.
So I stopped squatting since I posted this thread. I would still get knee pain at work from standing all day. It slowly became less and less but never completely went away. Then I started deadlifting for the first time a week after I stopped squatting and experienced some pain but it wasn't as bad as the squats. The pain wasn't there until a day or so later. I stopped forcing my feet to point forward an found that this greatly reduces the pain. Sumo stance has no pain at all but I do conventional anyway.
I figured out some stretches and it seems to work great. Throughout the day I'll grab my ankle and push the leg against my butt while standing on the other and that completely gets rid of any pain for a while. I also put one leg on a bench or chair while stretching the other away and leaning into the one on the bench.
Okay, now my favorite part about this: I squatted again yesterday and while I didn't try to go heavier, I was able to squat 125lbs with no pain! A few hours later the pain came back just as bad as it was at first. Lasted until this morning. I did squat with my get slightly pointed out but not so much that it is like a penguin. Do you guys think this is okay to do? Will I be able to build mass and strength with this form?

 

[Itburnstopee]

Any updates? Sounds like tight hips to me. Lots of good videos of YouTube to open them up. Look up Kelly Starrett, he's got a bunch of videos to help. I started doing some of them, and now realize how tight my hip flexors are even with my ROM being pretty good. If you can, get a cheap foam roller and get used to it, practice how to get around on it, and feeling out knots. I use the Rumble Roller, and look like I just finished cardio after I'm done rolling around on it lol! Stuff hurts, but feels so good!

For sure! I've only used one once but it was the best feeling I ever had!

 

[Itburnstopee]

Update: went to doc and they want me to take a week off leg work and then go light and baby it. I wore chucks (just to wear not to lift in) for the first time today, and now it appears my left leg turns inward when I walk rather than out. It also feels like my leg is being twisted while I sit unless turning the foot to the left. I now believe despite thinking my form was good that my left leg/knee buckles when squatting but I will have to wait until next week to say for sure. Is this easily fixed or do I just concentrate on not allowing the leg to buckle?

Edit: it also feels like I'm swinging it rather than bending my knee when I walk

 

[PillarofBalance]

Update: went to doc and they want me to take a week off leg work and then go light and baby it. I wore chucks (just to wear not to lift in) for the first time today, and now it appears my left leg turns inward when I walk rather than out. It also feels like my leg is being twisted while I sit unless turning the foot to the left. I now believe despite thinking my form was good that my left leg/knee buckles when squatting but I will have to wait until next week to say for sure. Is this easily fixed or do I just concentrate on not allowing the leg to buckle?

Edit: it also feels like I'm swinging it rather than bending my knee when I walk

Went to doc of physical therapist? Any therapist whose solution was to take a week off is a ****ing moron.

Your external rotators are pulling on your femur. Trying to straighten the leg out really just results in you twisting your tibia medially. The femur remains externally rotated. Therefore all the tendons and ligaments are stretched to unhealthy ranges. You need to loosen the glutes, tfl and IT band then gap the knee. Then start strengthening the adductors.

 

[Itburnstopee]

Went to doc of physical therapist? Any therapist whose solution was to take a week off is a ****ing moron.

Your external rotators are pulling on your femur. Trying to straighten the leg out really just results in you twisting your tibia medially. The femur remains externally rotated. Therefore all the tendons and ligaments are stretched to unhealthy ranges. You need to loosen the glutes, tfl and IT band then gap the knee. Then start strengthening the adductors.

It was a doctor. The knee got so bad last Sunday that I couldn't even try to stretch it to relieve pain let alone walk without a limp so I got lucky with a walk in appointment.
What does it mean to gap the knee?

 

[PillarofBalance]

It was a doctor. The knee got so bad last Sunday that I couldn't even try to stretch it to relieve pain let alone walk without a limp so I got lucky with a walk in appointment.
What does it mean to gap the knee?

Gapping a joint is a way to create space in the joint to reset it's angle or to relieve inflammation in the tendon. I had maintenence man do this recently.

Take a towel rolled up and kneel down. Put the towel behind the knee joint. Then put ass to heels. That's gapping. There are ways to do this with a partner or yourself where you gap the knee and then with your hands rotate the tibia. Think of it almost like spinal traction.

Not to be confused with gaping as in joliver's butthole.

 

[Itburnstopee]

I tried it and it works! Got a foam roller and ball and I can say that if I use them then there is 0 pain for the rest of the day. Thanks

 

[JonSupps]

Foam rolling is great, also seeking a professional is good. I have the same problem, but on my right foot.