I had a knee problem a few years ago, pretty sure it was a slight miniscus tear or strain. Discomfort went away with rest. I have been doing regular weight training for about a month, mostly machines. For legs I've been doing leg press, leg extension(quads) and leg curls. Some posters don't like the leg extensions. I've started interval walking on treadmill. For healthy knees, what should I be doing or not doing, including technique suggestions. Thanks for any help.
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dos and dont's for old knees
- Thread starter stymie72
- Start date
Leg extensions and leg curls are not the best exercises for building muscle, but they are very good for rehibilitation and injury prevention when done properly.
I tore the miniscus in both my knees, one bad enough that I had to have most of it surgically removed. I started leg extensions and leg curls immediately after surgery. First one leg at a time, 100 reps, minimal weight, slow steady movements, slight pause at the full flex. I gradually added weight over a period of years until I could do 12-15 reps with the entire stack on most leg extension machines. The heavier the weight got the less pain I had in the knee joint. Once I got to the point where I could do them again I added squats and deadlifts, supplemented with leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls, good mornings, hyperextensions, etc, as well as stretching. For 25 years I was mostly pain free.
I tore the miniscus in both my knees, one bad enough that I had to have most of it surgically removed. I started leg extensions and leg curls immediately after surgery. First one leg at a time, 100 reps, minimal weight, slow steady movements, slight pause at the full flex. I gradually added weight over a period of years until I could do 12-15 reps with the entire stack on most leg extension machines. The heavier the weight got the less pain I had in the knee joint. Once I got to the point where I could do them again I added squats and deadlifts, supplemented with leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls, good mornings, hyperextensions, etc, as well as stretching. For 25 years I was mostly pain free.
It really depends on the injury. I wouldn't do leg extensions, maybe not curls. Extensions place a lot of stress on the knee, specially on the ACL, so if you have an ACL that is bothering you, leg extensions might not be a good idea. On the other hand, you could say that if your ACL is bothering you, you should load it so it becomes stronger. It's a tough choice.
You could always experiment, figure out what causes pain (sometimes you might have to wait until the day after to find out if something caused you pain, this is from my own experience with lower back and knee problems) and then don't do what causes you pain. That's a pretty standard way of doing it.
You could always experiment, figure out what causes pain (sometimes you might have to wait until the day after to find out if something caused you pain, this is from my own experience with lower back and knee problems) and then don't do what causes you pain. That's a pretty standard way of doing it.
Ideally you should probably steer away from the machines, as they really aren't a great option. They have their place, but because they isolate muscles, and because they force movement in one plane (not really normal), they can be problematic.
One of the best things you can do for your knees is strengthen your glutes. Strong glutes do wonders to stabilize your femur, which lets your knees track properly. I'm a big fan of Romanian deadlifts for this, both the single and double leg versions. Kettlebell swings are also a great exercise.
Good luck!
Elsbeth
One of the best things you can do for your knees is strengthen your glutes. Strong glutes do wonders to stabilize your femur, which lets your knees track properly. I'm a big fan of Romanian deadlifts for this, both the single and double leg versions. Kettlebell swings are also a great exercise.
Good luck!
Elsbeth