Preventing knee trouble

[messyjess]

Yesterday I did p90x's plyo cardio and it was a toughie more than what I expected because I've been doing cathe's workout for a couple of years and I figured that this wasnt going to be bad boy was I wrong!!! Anyway I could feel the impact on my knee's and although my knees did not hurt or prevent me from going on I dont want it ot get to that point. So what should I do ?? Can I ace bandage them up while I'm working out bengay them up a little? I did take some advil after I was done just in case but I was fine this morning.
I've also read on this forum that p90x only does legs once a week and that some people also incorporate a cathe leg workout but I have to say that with this plyo x cardio it was also a leg killer. Anyway thanks!!!

 

[Beavs]

Speaking for myself, I have IT band issues that bother my knees. I regularly do stretching and do various stabilizing exercises on a rebounder. After a work out I put some ice on my knee which, combined with my excises recommended by my physical therapist, makes the ol' knee feel pretty decent.

 

[kathryn]

The surface you are working on is important.

The best surface is wood with give.
Cement floors (even with carpet on ) are the worst.

You can improve the surface by using puzzle mats.

Or you could take many of the moves to a rebounder.

Interestingly enough, I found that Plyo X didn't bother my knees the way some of Cathe's workouts do (and I only modified two moves, both 'high jump' moves à la Cathe, which I either did on the rebonder, or modified with lower impact).

 

[maddiesmum]

Further to what Beavs sais, the best thing to prevent knee pain and injury is to copy the exercises runners do to protect their knees. Make sure you do not have a strength imbalance between anterior and posterior muscles of the lower body, i.e., do not train your quads at the expense of hamstring and glutes development. A lot of the exercises Cathe does for glutes do not train the outer glute muscles, so lying bridges and single leg squats can help with this. Also, stabilization exercises are crucial for preventing knee pain and injury. You can use a bosu, wobble board or just learn some single leg balance exercises to help with this.

Clare

 

[SirenSongWoman]

Further to what Beavs sais, the best thing to prevent knee pain and injury is to copy the exercises runners do to protect their knees. Make sure you do not have a strength imbalance between anterior and posterior muscles of the lower body, i.e., do not train your quads at the expense of hamstring and glutes development. A lot of the exercises Cathe does for glutes do not train the outer glute muscles, so lying bridges and single leg squats can help with this. Also, stabilization exercises are crucial for preventing knee pain and injury. You can use a bosu, wobble board or just learn some single leg balance exercises to help with this.

Clare

I read in THE NEW RULES OF LIFTING FOR WOMEN that, in women, the quads are usually twice as strong as the hams & glutes, which causes and imbalance that pulls the knee cap off-center. This would partly explain why women, in particular, have so many knee issues. But I have a question: What ARE "single leg" squats? I need to do everything I can to work my hams/glutes and get my knee caps back where they belong. And aren't you a physical therapist?

 

[kathryn]

I have a question: What ARE "single leg" squats?

Try these first without any weights (they are very effective even with just body weight).
Stand on one foot, or with the toe of the lifted foot just barely touching the ground for balance, and sit down into a squat position (it's often difficult to go down as far as with regular squats, especially at first).

If you do the version with the toe touching, try to lift the toe up whenever you can (especially on the push upward).

 

[kathryn]

I read in THE NEW RULES OF LIFTING FOR WOMEN that, in women, the quads are usually twice as strong as the hams & glutes, which causes and imbalance that pulls the knee cap off-center.

I've read that for good muscle balance, the hams should be about 65-75% as strong as the quads. Less (or more!) than that increases risk for knee injury.

 

[maddiesmum]

Stacey D:

I'll share with you 2 exercises I have been doing at PT recently that combine the single leg squat with balance control. Both are excellent for working the outer glute muscles, the quads and the entire hip area. Strengthening these areas will help prevent knee injuries. Since they also require balance, they work on your stabilization also, so it's a total win-win.

The first time I did these, I was falling all over the place, but after a couple of sessions, I could do all sets of each without putting my foot down once. So, they are not easy, but you can do them, and they work! When you can finally do them and never put your foot down, it's such a sense of achievement.

1. Single leg squat with oblique twist:
Start holding a pair of 5 pound dumbells, one in each hand. (Work up to 8 pounds and beyond as you get stronger.) Stand on one leg. (I find it easier to bend the non-working leg at the knee and keep it there, hanging behind me. If it rests near the ground, the temptation to put it down is strong!) Squat on standing leg, say the left leg. When down in the squat, make a small twist of the torso to the left side: the oblique twist. Straighten up to centre while still in squat, then stand up, keeping balance all the while. Do 15 reps on same leg, without touching hanging leg to the ground. Repeat with right side. Work up to 3 sets of 15.

Tell me how your hip and glute feel in the morning!

2. Single leg squat with stability ball/weighted ball:
Take a ruler, tape measure, yard stick of some kind and place it on the floor, vertically, in front of you (like the needle of a compass pointing North). Stand just at the end of it, so behind it, holding stability ball over your head, with both arms at full extension. Lift right leg, bent at knee, as before. As you squat down on left leg, gradually bring your arms down to left side of the ruler/tape, and touch the ball gently to the ground, or close enough. Still, on one leg, lift ball back up over your head as you rise up out of the squat. Still on left leg only, squat down to touch ball gently to the floor on the right side of the ruler/tape, then stand back up out of the squat, raising the ball back over your head. This is one rep. Do ten on left leg. Switch legs. Do second set on each leg.

Don't try and rush this exercise. I often do it facing a mirror, or the window at night where I am back-lit, so I can watch myself and measure carefully how to lower the ball without the ball crossing in front of my face and sending me off balance while I am lowering into the squat. Once you try it, you'll see what I mean here. So, give it a go and find the pace of lowering the ball that works best for you. I say, slow and controlled.

This second exercise is tougher, but more rewarding when you balance really well. It really burns out that glute/hip area, better than any exercise I have ever done on any of Cathe's DVDs, and if you go down far enough in the squat, you really work those quads too. What you find when you start out is that your feet will hurt a lot doing this exercise because the foot is constantly moving in the shoe, trying to get a grip on the ground, to aid in balance. Just work out the kinks at the end of each set before starting on the other side.

At home, I do this exercise not with the stability ball, because my ceilings are not high enough to hold the ball overhead with arms extended, but with a medicine ball. What I have found is that with the weighted ball I can go down deeper in the squat and get the quads involved more.

It's a great exercise. It hurts good, but I love it! Please do write me a post and let me know how you do with these exercises, OK? Single leg squats are not the same as static lunges (though often called that, mistakenly, in my opinion) and they are not that hard to do. They give great results.

Clare

 

[Vee]

Clare,

I plan to try both your exercises tomorrow. Thanks for posting.

Vrinda

 

[maddiesmum]

Vee:

you're most welcome and write back on this thread, or another and let me know how you like them, OK?

Clare

 

[nspire]

Clare,

I've been reading what you wrote because I've been having serious knee issues for the past few weeks. I think a lot has to do with pounding on cement garage floor while doing certain jumping movements. I saw the two e-cises you reccommend, but am having a hard time trying to do them, especially the second one.

With one legged squat, can you put the non-working foot on a chair or something behind you?

 

[kathryn]

I've been reading what you wrote because I've been having serious knee issues for the past few weeks. I think a lot has to do with pounding on cement garage floor while doing certain jumping movements.

Nspire,
Cement is probably the worst surface to work out on, even if you are doing a low impact workout, and even with puzzle mats (unless you have some super mats that absorb a lot of impact).

If you can't change your workout location, see if you can't make an aerobics floor (Chris gave some directions in the STS forum a while back).

(and, I'm not Clare , but I would modify the 1-legged squat by not going as deeply, or by barely touching down with the toe of the opposite foot. It's best not to modify it TOO much, IMO, for best results. If your "trouble" doing it is because of balance issues, you could try holding onto a dowel--and only using it as a balance tool, holding on lightly and not putting your weight on it).

 

[maddiesmum]

nspire:

Patience! When I first did these my balance was terrible, I was all over the place. I as PMS-ing and cried in front of my therapist because I was so frustrated by my inability to do these exercises that "look" so easy. They are not. But they will give you great results because they are not easy, if you stick with them and keep trying. Keep it real slooooow to start with.

Remember that these exercises are progressive. Do the first one described for two weeks until you get stronger in the glute/hip area, and your balance improves, then introduce the second one. Since these work the same areas and are tiring, only choose one of them per exercise session. And, just so you know, this exercise is always the last one I do during my leg session.

As Kathryn suggests, as you learn the move, keep the squat more shallow, but you want to go deep enough that you are feeling this in the glute/hip area by the end of the 10 reps.

I think, though, that if you rest the back leg on something behind you, you will have changed this move into another one altogether. It will then resemble a split squat/lunge which Cathe does on several of her DVDs and you will not be able to stop yourself from putting weight on that "resting leg" and bring the front of the quads of the "resting leg" into the movement. When this happens, you will no longer feel it in the target area of the outer glute/hip area, not to mention that it will no longer function as a stabilization exercise, which is its main point. Sorry!

I wish you luck as you keep trying,

Clare