The squat is a basic exercise that develops your legs, hips and abdominals. If you are experiencing sharp or sudden pain, stop exercising and see a physician. While it is natural to experience some discomfort while exercising, any sharp pain is a warning sign that should not be overlooked. You may be able to lessen your discomfort, but caution is always necessary.
Squat Basics
The barbell squat requires you to balance a barbell on your upper back and bend at your hips, knees and shoulders until you cannot go any lower with good form. You then stand back up by pushing your head and shoulders back until you are completely upright. A squat heavily works your legs, but will also strengthen your joints because it is an exceptional load-bearing exercise. The squat, like many other forms of heavy resistance training, will significantly contribute to increases in bone density.
Mechanics of the Squat
Squatting is a skill as well as an exercise, and to do it properly, you need to develop all aspects of your squat. Differences in both stance and technique can strain your hips more. If you wish to minimize hip strain, keep your feet at no more than shoulder-width apart. A wide stance can recruit your hips more. When squatting, do not push your hips back; sit straight down, keeping the bar, your hips and your heels in one line at all times. Any attempt to keep your shins vertical without forward knee travel can increase the strain on your hip joint.
Muscular Development
If you are not descending all the way down, your muscles may not be developing properly. The main muscles of your hips are stressed more the further you descend. If you do not train your muscles properly, they will not develop accordingly and you can cause stress on your hip joints. Your lower back and hamstrings need to be developed along with the rest of the muscles used in the squat, so specific exercises for these areas such as deadlifts and good mornings can help strengthen weak muscles.
Technique
If your knees are collapsing inward on your squat, this can be a source of pain in your hip area. Push your knees out to the sides when descending, and push out even harder on the way up. If one knee has a tendency to move inward, this is a sign of muscular imbalance, and you may need to either modify your stance or do extra work for the weak area, such as hamstring strengthening for the weaker leg.
References
- "American Journal of Sports Medicine"; A Comparison of Tibiofemoral Joint Forces and Electromyographic Activity During Open and Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises; Ken E. Wilk, et al.,;July-August 1996.
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; Changes in Bone Mineral Density in Response to 24 Weeks of Resistance Training in College-age Men and Women; Harold C. Almstedt, et al.; July 2010
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; The Effect of Stance Width on the Electromyographical Activity of Eight Superficial Thigh Muscles During Back Squat with Different Bar Loads; Antonio Paoli, et al.; January 2009.
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; The Effect of Back Squat Depth on the Emg Activity of 4 Superficial Hip and Thigh Muscles; Andre Caterisano, et al.; August 2002
