Posted this on Facebook but was suggested posting it here. I pulled a hip abductor about a month ago and then did it again about a week later because I wasn’t very careful. Since then I’ve been doing some lights squats, the hip abductor machine to try and strengthen it and some stretching. I’m nervous about doing it again because it happen (twice) while squatting lighter weights. I think Jordan Feigenbaum had the same injury a few years ago. So my question is how do you know when it is time to add more weight? It does not hurt now when I squat but I can feel it and it feels weak. I’m supposed to compete at the end of July so I can’t afford to mess it up again right now.
Yes, I had an adductor (inside of the leg) issue twice in the last three years. If yours is an abductor, or located in that area (outside of the hip), that would be different, though the management is similar nonetheless.
Our general approach is to:
- Find an entry point with exercises the person was already doing (e.g. tempo squat, box squat, etc. instead of the regular squat)
- Reduce load via tempo, higher rep range, lower RPE
- Gradually increase load every few weeks as symptoms allow via altering reps, tempo, and/or RPE, aiming to be conservative
- Directly target injured area if possible with “special” exercises, e.g. copenhagen planks for my adductor strain.
While those are the bones, it is admittedly hard to guide someone through this process via a single forum post. It sounds like you may benefit from some additional guidance given your timeline and experience so far, A few resources that may be useful for you:
Jordan, thanks and yes I’m on the outside. I have noticed when I did some pin squats I could do heavier weight because I only feel it once I get to a certain point in my squat right about at parallel so I was thinking of maybe doing heavier pin squats to try and keep some strength up while I work on the other issue. Does that sound like a decent idea? I also check out the other sources you have here. I was mostly trying to figure out was it possible to rehab it and get back to regular training to get me ready for the competition. I guess worst case I’m already signed up I could just do bench and deadlift I’m only competing for fun anyway.
I don’t think I would recommend heavy pin squats at this time, as I think keeping weight on the bar is likely holding you back from healing ( discussed in the 3 Biggest Mistakes article). I’m not sure about the timeline for the meet, but I suspect this can be readily solved in ~ 4-6 weeks with a dedicated rehab approach. As you know, that window can stretch longer if the prescription isn’t well-suited for the individual.
Jordan, appreciate your help and your guys straight forward approach to advice. I guess it’s better to be able to squat for my meet even at a lower weight than to mess it up again and either don’t compete or just do bench and deadlift. Maybe I’ll have a meet where my deadlift is heavier than my squat for once 
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