I've been doing squats on a Smith machine as part of an effort to transition from my PT regimen to full on free weights. I started out on the leg press machine where I only experienced little or minor DOMS but since moving on to the Smith, I am sore for up to 5 days. I've tried doing a biking warm up, body squat warm ups beforehand but no matter what, I am extraordinarily sore the day after. Upper body with similar sets x reps and intensity, I am fine but my legs just kill. I am performing 3x6-8 sets. I am going to try next day biking to see if that reduces the discomfort but can anyone suggest anything else?

Interestingly, because of the pain, I can see what my doctor means now by how I am displacing the load away from my muscles around my knees when I walk and why I needed to do a lot of knee muslce isolation.

A lot of things play a role in developing soreness and subsequent recovery. Probably the most important (IMO) is a sound diet and proper rest/sleep.

If you've got those two squared away, you might consider doing some recovery specific stuff. I've found that foam rolling (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/feel_better_for_10_bucks) helps me out. I've also heard positive feedback from icing the sore area down as well as doing some light activity the day after in order to get blood flow to the sore areas. I personally don't have much experience with those two, though.

Increasing the frequency of squatting may also help out.

Maybe cut down the number of sets and work your way back up....but honestly, soreness will lessen once you get used to the squats. The worst soreness I ever had was when I took a month off from lifting (because I was moving), decided to "take it easy" and do some machine hack squats. Holy crap, I couldn't walk for a good week afterward. Walking up stairs was a nightmare. Emphysematous 100-year old ladies with walkers and oxygen tanks were making it up the stairs faster than I was. It was horrible.

Walking up stairs was a nightmare. Emphysematous 100-year old ladies with walkers and oxygen tanks were making it up the stairs faster than I was. It was horrible.

My freshman year of high school the first time I ever squatted was like that. We had stairs to get from class to class and I had to ask to use the elevator because people were complaining about how long it took me to get up the stairs.

Scientists still don't know exactly what causes DOMS. It is probably (the most agreed upon issue) due to damage to muscle cells. After this initial cause the theories branch out in many directions, and is likely caused by many of them in combinations, and varies from person to person. This is primarily supported by the fact that there are people who are more susceptible to DOMS than others. The theory most college students learn is that calcium leaks out of the cell due to damage. The now interstitial calcium causes an inflamatory response and indirectly causes sensitization of free nerve endings (I've tried to simplify the biochemistry). The free nerve endings are irritated by the inflamation causing DOMS. Also, occasionally accompanying pain from DOMS is force production loss of muscle tissue. Much of this force loss depends on the severity of the DOMS. To date, few remedies have shown significant reduction in DOMS in sample populations. NSAIDs like Tylanol and Advil work by blocking pain. Caffeine has also been shown to work for mild cases of DOMS. your best bet is to test out other different remedies such as cryotherapy (icing), massage, and light PA.

My freshman year of high school the first time I ever squatted was like that. We had stairs to get from class to class and I had to ask to use the elevator because people were complaining about how long it took me to get up the stairs.

I think I must have jinxed myself with that post. Yesterday, on my final warmup set for squats, I feel a massive pop in my left leg (upper quad) and instant pain. Injured the same leg about 8 months ago. Walking is a bitch -- I'm hoping it is a strain and not a tear. :bang:

Famous Zen Quote: "When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."

Rest. You will get better able to tolerate squats. They're hard and they take time. Your joints will thank you if you don't squat again until the pain goes away, and you will see incremental improvements with each workout.

Getting your body on a schedule takes adaptation. Adaptation requires repeated stress. Just stick with it and be patient!

I suffered from pretty bad leg DOMS after squatting for the first time in 5 weeks (due to extreme whether and commute to gym). I think DOMS is the bodies way of saying feed me and train me more often.

I think I must have jinxed myself with that post. Yesterday, on my final warmup set for squats, I feel a massive pop in my left leg (upper quad) and instant pain. Injured the same leg about 8 months ago. Walking is a bitch -- I'm hoping it is a strain and not a tear. :bang:

That sucks, man. Hope it's just a strain and you're back at it sooner than later.

I think I must have jinxed myself with that post. Yesterday, on my final warmup set for squats, I feel a massive pop in my left leg (upper quad) and instant pain. Injured the same leg about 8 months ago. Walking is a bitch -- I'm hoping it is a strain and not a tear. :bang:

OW! That sounds really painful.

I'm told that you can sometimes not tell if you have a pull, but that a tear is unmistakably really, really painful.

Good luck with it. Not being able to walk is one sure-fire way to make life miserable.

That sucks, man. Hope it's just a strain and you're back at it sooner than later.

Thanks George. I think it is just a strain. I'm still limping around though. I actually had a guy come up to me today and say "hey, aren't you the guy that used to walk around here with a walker?" What the...??? :lol:

I'm told that you can sometimes not tell if you have a pull, but that a tear is unmistakably really, really painful.

Good luck with it. Not being able to walk is one sure-fire way to make life miserable.

Thanks man -- Yeah, I can tell it is already gettin' better. I'm planning to take a coupla weeks off from squatting and start back light.

I actually had a guy come up to me today and say "hey, aren't you the guy that used to walk around here with a walker?" What the...??? :lol:

Ouch.

Ouch.

Tell me about it...lol. Leg is still swollen, but at least I'm walking normally now. :)

Man, sorry to hear this post jinxed you!!

I was back in the gym doing squats yesterday and I did a thorough warm up and build up. I did 10 reps on the Smith with just the bar, then threw on 20 lbs and did 10 reps, then 50lbsx10, then 125lbsx10, then I did 2 sets of 200lbsx8. Today, my legs feel a slight soreness but nothing that prevents me from walking up or down stairs. My knee already seems to be adapting well and my legs are already getting rock solid and toned looking...now if only my midsection would fall in line ;)

Thanks for all of the feedback!!