Lower Body work & Squats -

Fitness-Mom

Fitness-Mom

Cathlete
Is there any type of workout that I can sub for Squats? I know this is the best overall exercise for your thighs,quads and such, but they kill my knees...just tonight doing them I heard a loud pop. My knee is now sore & swollen, but nothing major.

Will the machines at the gym...Leg Press, Abductor & Adductor work just as well for lower body, thigh work instead of squats? Will they give me the same results?

Thanks for any suggestions you can give

"Today is a Gift, Have Fun"

~Jennifer~

:)
 
I've been doing a exercise using the Stability ball against the wall. It's called a hack squat in the book I'm using. Just press your back against the stabilty ball that is against the wall, holding dumbells or a band while doing a squat. This might put your knees at a safer angle.

Here is an example using bands.

bandwallsquathold.gif


http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/sports/barbell.gif ~Dallys~

www.picturetrail.com/keeponthesunnyside
 
How about doing leg extensions a little heavier? As well as hamstring curls.
Can you do lunges on the Smith machine? Done on the Smith, it is easier to maintain good form.
They say squats are the king of lower body exercises, but alot of us have trouble with them, I cannot go to 90 degrees because of a bad hip. So I modify and do more leg extensions and seated leg curls!

The Leg press used to be my very favorite machine in the gym. You can play with the way you place your feet on the platform to target different areas of the buttocks and thighs. Higher up, farther apart, you tend to hit the upper glute area, closer together and lower down, overall legs and butt, etc...experiment and see it this bothers your knees. I would think its better than barbell squats.Just remember like with all leg exercises, to really concentrate holding your core tight, it really seems to help me maintain overall form.
On another note, you can even work your calves on the leg press, what a great machine!

The Hack squat machine is good to, but only if you remember to keep your lower back pressed against the pad, otherwise its really hard on your low back and knees. You can play around with foot placement with this machine as well.

At the end of the day, I would experiment with leg extensions and leg curls, maybe some floorwork and let your knees rest and recover for a week or so. Then see what machines work for you. Good luck and all my best to you swollen knee.:)

Edit: I just saw your pic, you go girl with your tiny little waist and cute figure!:D
 
Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. I am going to give my knee a break for a few days before I start up running again also on the Treadmill.

I always hated squats, but I knew they were the best overall exercises for your quad..etc.. I don't have a Smith machine @ my gym I belong to (Planet Fitness), but I will concentrate on using the press, and leg extension. I also use the Bar Method, I can always feel a good burn in my thighs/glutes doing this as well!

Take Care ~

"Today is a Gift, Have Fun"

~Jennifer~
 
>I would advise caution with leg extentions as they are known
>to be hard on the knees. I would start with light wts at
>first. If you go too heavy you will definately feel pressure
>on the knees.

Yes, definitely be careful with extensions. And in addition to starting with a light weight, don't bend your legs excessively at the bottom of the move. Keeping the knee at a bit more open than a 90-degree angle is less risky than bending to 90 degrees or tighter. (Actually, the best thing is to NOT to leg extensions).

A safer quad exercise (which is also used in PT for knee problems) is quad sets. Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you. Bend one leg, foot on floor. Lean back onto your elbows (you can also lie all the way down if that is more comfortable). Now, take the straight leg, press the back of the knee down into the floor to flex the quad, keep the flex as you raise the leg to about 45 degrees. Hold at the top for a count of two, then slowly lower down. Repeat for reps. As you progress, you can add ankle weights, a little at a time. You can target the Vastus Medialis (inner quad by the knee) a bit more by turning the toes out about 45 degrees and keeping that position throughout the move).

If this is still to hard on your knee, try this version: put a rolled towel under the knee of the straight leg, press down into it with the back of your knee and hold the flex for a count of 10. Increase reps and counts as you progress.

Be sure to balance quad work with hamstring work (such as ball roll-ins) so that hams are anywhere from 50% to 80% as strong as quads (the 'normal' range, though I think 70% is a good goal, as the lower range may not offer enough protection).

As for your current knee pain : I think a "pop" followed by pain and swelling isn't really 'no big thing.' DefinItely at LEAST something that should be treated with RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation).
 
You are very right about the leg extensions (going heavy) I remember when I was recovering from my knee surgery years ago, my therapist had me do lighter weights on this machine to get those muscles around the knee strong and flexible again, but I did not use heavy weights at that time....:) And you are right, you need to place yourself correctly on the machine, too far forward and its killer on the knee joint.
 
If you have Shape It Up, part of the Slim Series, the move that Kathryn was talking about is done in Shape It Up & it does hit the quads good & Debbie mentions while doing them that if you have any knee problems that a PT would recommend you do that move so you'd be getting a workout & strengthing your knees! :)
 
I think the Leg press would be a great sub for Squats, lunges are also good for the overall leg but they might also bother your knees.

I have always thought leg extensions were the best for strengthening all around the knee. Not with heavy weight unless you slowly work up, but as a runner I contribute the fact that I have not had knee issues to doing leg extensions and balancing those out with leg curls...:)
 
Definitely the leg press. Also deadlifts.

Leg extensions are more for working & defining the quad rather than working the glutes. In fact as far as I know leg extensions don't work the glutes at all. In my leg routine I focus on going really heavy w/squats, lunges & presses trying to build & shape my glutes, but do high reps/low weight on extensions to get that teardrop effect on my quads.
 
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