it hurts to squat

[Res Judicata]

It could be some incidental weakness in the various muscles from your time off. It can be achy for a lot of reasons.

Progression is your friend, not just in terms of weight but also in terms of exercise selection. You may want to try single-leg progressions. Step-ups with progressively taller boxes. Or rear lunges, front lunges, walking lunges, walking with dumbells, walking with barbells. Those sorts of progressions.

Also, the front squat is your friend. You can use lower weights and get equivalent benefits to using higher weights with the back squat. You can also do box squats with progressively lower height boxes.

Physical therapists are almost pathologically fearful of the squat-my wife is one; I horrify her at the gym.

[judoka_uk]

Stupid question, but how are you on deadlifts?

Because that might relieve some of the stress on your knees whilst still providing much better leg training than a leg press.

[Lindz]

Not great because I'd rather be cleaning or snatching than dead lifting. I haven't done them without doing squats in the same session so I don't know if they're ok or not.

Actually the physio suggested them as a possible substitute. Will give them a try

[judoka_uk]

Not great because I'd rather be cleaning or snatching than dead lifting. I haven't done them without doing squats in the same session so I don't know if they're ok or not.

Fair enough. I don't do Oly lifts, because I don't know the technique and so err on leaving them out than doing them badly. Have finally managed to find somewhere local that teaches them, though, so will be down there asap.

Actually the physio suggested them as a possible substitute. Will give them a try

For me if I couldn't squat, I would deadlift. Sure it doesn't hit the legs in quite the same way as the squat, but if you physically can't squat then deadlifts are surely the next best thing.

[LI GUY 1]

Could just be time that is needed. How often a week do you squat? May be too much volume. What are your sets and reps per session?

Also, try barbell lunges, sumo deadlifts (which place more emphasis on the quads/glutes), hack squats, etc and see how these feel. They are all great for strength training and may allow you to train pain free.

The thing to find out is wether this is a pain caused by the movement, as in your body can no longer safely perform due to the injury and surgery....
Or is this a pain due to improper rehab. The tendons/ligaments take a long time to heal and you may need to focus on specific exercises/routines for them beyond the normal squat/deadlift.

Look into massage, stretching, rolfing, foam rolling, rehab/prehab, etc, etc and see what helps.

[LI GUY 1]

Also I'd say to head over to a powerlifting forum where you are certain to find guys who still squat without or with recovered ACL's and any other joint/ligament/tendon issue you can think of