Unfortunately, using the smith machine when you're inexperienced will only serve to ruin your form
Freeweight squats, or leg press for those who are UNABLE
Stepped my squats up over the weekend, slowly but surely. Up to 132.5kg for a minimum of 4 sets of 5 reps, ATG of course lol
oh also
specifically WHERE on your knees do you experience pain? Personally I'm getting some pain on the top of my patella, around about where I'd assume any ligaments are attached. Primarily on my right knee, on the right hand side of the patella. Hurts a bit if I rub the spot I get the pain, kinda as if I bashed my kneecap on the edge of a desk or something.
It's definitely not an internal thing, so I'm not overly concerned there (though it's still pain, so I'm slightly concerned nonetheless). Anybody got any ideas on this one? I'm thinking ligament(s) being over-stressed, or possibly something similar to the underside of the same kneecap - when I was MUCH younger and playing soccer, whenever I'd go through a growth spurt of sorts the muscle between the bottom of my patella and the top of my tibia would actually tear away at the tibia, causing abnormal bone growth at the site as well as a very similar pain.