Question about lunges

D

DJS

New Member
I've been lurking on this forum for several months, but I've felt a little too intimidated to post until now. I've had knee problems since high school (about 25 years now). For some reason, I don't have a problem with doing side lunges or squats but I can't do any other type of lunge or dip without irritating my knees. Can I get the same kind of workout if I do side lunges and squats instead of the other lunges and dips? I suspect I'm doing the other lunges wrong, but I don't know for sure. I guess I should say that I'm doing a PS upper body rotation. I've only previewed the legs tape so far, I haven't tried that one yet.

Thanks in advance if anyone can help.

Doris
 
Maribeth can help you with this one, but lunges is the worst on my knees as well. I think it is because one leg (or knee) at a time has to take on all the weight. It is more intense that way than a squat.

Maribeth posted for me about needing perfect form. However, I have pretty good form. But I lowered my weight for one legged lunges and that helped a bit. It is the very heavy weight that exacerbates my problem as I suspect it is for you if lunges are causing you pain. Get the tips off this forum on form and make sure you are doing them right. Other than that I try to stretch a little more and last time I did legs I did the warmup twice in S&H since that warmup is so lacking in effect. That helped. Make sure your muscles are very warm before doing the lunges and lighten your weight.

As adamant as Maribeth is on this forum about knee problems I would have to say that her passion is not shared by many of the doctors I have spoken with. The general consensus with them is RICE and if it isn't swollen and you can barely walk they tell you to go home and pop a few ibuprofen. Nothing gets done about your bad knee until it is totally blown out. I actually have a doc appt today and I am going to ask him about mine. We will see what he says. I will let you know.

Hopefully Maribeth will chime in here. I will try to BUMP my post in the main forum for you. It is about S&H and heavy weights. Check it out!!!

Good Luck to you!!

Janice
 
I've had some knee problems with lunges as well. And to add to that, I don't like them. But I kept up (6 months), using no weight and holding onto an old broomstick to get me past that catchy spot that hurts. I can do them, now, with no pain at all, while holding 20 pounds dumbbells. (I still don't like them, though.) Yippee!!!

But do check with the doctor first--just in case. Mine tells me, after examining me, that if it's something I don't like, it's probably what I need most. (She's my age, and one of those irritating doctors that eats right, exercises, etc. herself, so it's harder to argue with her or ignore her.)

Good luck.
 
Went to the doc yesterday. He said that the reason I had been feeling all these "aches and pains" lately (shin splints, tweek in the knee, etc) was in fact because I had gone off of my anti-inflammatories.

He palpated my knee at various angles...told me what he was checking for, don't remember what it was....but then told me that "structureally" (sp?) my knee was intact. He said that since that was the case and that because my knee was not swollen out and unbearable that it was probably just a twinge of an overuse injury. I don't even know if her surmised that far or if that was just my take from what he was saying. He did not tell me to stop doing any exercises and basically asked why I had gone off the anti-inflammatories. I said I did because initially I was taking them for my back and that I felt they were not helping so I discontinued their use. He said "Go back on them". So, that is what I am doing. Taking the generic for DAYPRO 600mg. I think once a day. Does that sound right, Maribeth??? Do you think that is enough??

I did express to him my concern that it was not good to take AI's to mask pain that is supposed to tell you to slow down. He did not seem concerned though. My doc really is a nice guy so I know it is not because he does not care.

Well, that is what I found out....


Janice
 
I had the same problem a few months ago and it was suggested to me by Lisa Kay at the Firm site that I do dips instead of lunges and lighten my weight. She also said to check my form, etc., but my form was good. Now that I've strengthened those muscles, lunges, leg presses, etc. are no problem even with 30 lbs. ! I wouldn't have believed it if you told me back when I was feeling the pain, but my leg muscles just weren't strong enough yet. I had been exercising for months at the gym and thought that 8-10 lb dumbbells were no big deal. Live and learn!

Liz
 
I have to be careful with lunges to avoid knee problems. I don't do the lunges in slow and heavy because it seems to put more stress on my knees. I don't do forward lunges (unless they are onto a step) because they also put more strain on the knee. I will do backward lunges and static lunges, making very sure to keep my forward knee in a position that makes the lower leg perpendicular to the ground or angling back at the top, never with my knee going forward. I also make sure to press through the heel.

If any of these variations don't work, you don't have to do lunges at all.
 
anti-inflammatories

Hi Janice,

Do some homework on indefinite anti-inflammatory use. While 600 Mg isn't pro athlete dosage, it's fairly high. At a minimum, read the side effects & warnings.

I think your instincts questioning the masking of pain rather than dealing with the cause are correct.

Debra
 
knee friendly lunges

If your gonna do lunges no matter what the dr says and you just want to know which ones to do--I recommend doing back lunges they are the safest!Also when you want to start progressing to a variety of lunges-- First make sure you have stretched your entire leg properly to warm up the area---do front lunges on a 8" step--then go to 6" then to 4" then you'll eventually be ready for the floor version--always make sure that your knee goes over your "ankle" when lunging forward--not over your toes--you can also do reverse lunges on a step with the same increments on the step--stationary lunges work with this too- you can also do front curtsey lunges and back curtsey lunges for variation( these can be done on the step as well) if your gonna try side lunges I recommend starting off with using your step as a guide! These are not to be used all at once--just some modifications for you to do when the dr gives you clearance to workout---Start with once a week and do other activities to take the pressure off of your knees so that they can heal properly---try wearing a knee brace when working out only for support---also do leg extensions to prime the area and keep it functioning--nothing strenuous just 2 sets of 15 a day--of course no ankle weights til the aches are gone!Your friend in fitness~~Francine
 
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