Peculiar legs

[Mariela]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Nov-02-02 AT 09:37PM (Est)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Nov-02-02 AT 09:35 PM (Est)[/font]

Maribeth or someonelse that knows about exercise physiology...

My legs are somewhat peculiar; when standing straight my knees get locked. Does that make sense? I wonder if that can change the effectiveness of an exercise. When I do squats and lunges I feel them more in my calves than in my quads, glutes, and hamstrings, though I use good form and concentrate on using them and my weight is on the heels.

 

[Mariela]

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[Mariela]

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[Mariela]

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[Maribeth]

Mariela,
You may have a condition known as genu recurvatum--knees that move past full extension into hyperextension when you straighten them as much as possible--fairly common in females. To avoid the "locked knee" position, don't push as far as possible into extension. Instead, maintain the knees soft position, which keeps the muscles engaged and takes the extra stress off the joints.

You may feel the squats and lunges in your calves because they are tight. You can try the heels elevated version of a squat--if this allows you to feel less in your calves, we have the culprit.

Let me know what you find.
Maribeth