Weigh Lifting with Knee Replacement

Shamrock9377

I've just found EM2WL and am reading the New Rules of Lifting for Women. There are so many exercises with squats and lunges.

I've had one knee replaced in February 2012 and am having the other knee replaced in November 2012. I've been on MFP since November 2011 and have lost 72-73 pounds. But was getting very tired of 1200 calories. That's when I had a friend hook me up here. I started my metabolism reset this week. Am loving being able to eat again!

My questions: What can I do in place of the squatting and lunging? I know I can do leg presses, but are there any other exercises I could start out doing to strengthen my bad knee before surgery and at the same time not injure my knee? I'm bone on bone.

jingoace

I am also interested in responses to the OP question.
My knees are bone-on-bone also & I am scheduled to have TKR on Sept 11th.
I wanna keep doing as much as I can too. J

Noor13

Jen, one of our mods ad a knee replacement and I know she is lifting heavy.
I hope she will see the post, or better I will shoot her a message, to give you guys some answers.

harlanJEN

Hey everyone. OP ...I "knoww" you : ). I've owed you an answer, but I've been in a mess with moving. This is move 8 in 20 years, but first time I've tried to pack myself. I waaayyyy underestimated the job. I can't sleep, movers be here in 4-5 hrs and I have 4-6 hrs of packing still to do. Anyhoooooo ..the question.

I'm 48 , had my right knee replaced last March (2011). which was the catalyst for my finally getting with it to lose weight. first of all ..don't fear the surgery. Get a GREAT surgeon and do it. The pain I was in before was simply terrible. After ..it's great. I finished PT in 5 weeks then moved into fitness. They had me on leg press, abductor and adductor machines before I left PT. I moved Io fitness immediately. Biking, elliptical and weight machines . Then I moved to free weights. I lift heavy. I was lifting before I found NROLFW so I didn't do the program outlined in the book. Plus ..I modify due to my knee. I'm younger For TKR so I must do what I can to make knee last as long as possible without revision. Lowering body weight was a biggie. I don't run or jump. I don't squat or lunge ..with or without weight. My legs are very strong so they are not suffering from not doing those things. Ive done and or do these leg exercises: Leg press. I've don vertical and straight. I press 460. Abductor , adductor and prone hamstring machines. On cable machine I do forward/ cross/ back on cable with weights. this is better than adductor/abductor machines. May need to work up to it. I do wall sits/squats. I do deadlifts ..but I modify and do straight leg and lift from a rack at knee height.

I do anything else I want. I let pain be my guide. If it hurts, I dont do it. If i dont run, jump, lunge or squat , or step up/down repeatedly ... No pain. Will say leg press wil cause inflammation in my right knee a d sometimes discomfort. Mostly if i "overdo it" as im apt to do. I choose to accept that. I'm not hurting the knee. I may be creating discomfort for ME, but it isnt pain and not hurting knee joint. I choose to accept that for the gain of strong quads which HELPS my knee and my mobility. It's a balance and you must
be your own guide.

I hope this helps.

Jen

harlanJEN

Before surgery. Anything to strengthen quads and hams wil be very helpful in recovery. Hip flexors ...strengthening those good too. My quads were pretty strong going in so I'm sure that really aided me. I left hospital a day early. Didn't use walker at all once home. Was up cooking a meal on Friday after my Monday surgery. Had full range of motion by week 3. Mine were strong from years of walking, which included lots of hills. If your pain is like mine, not able to do much. I had no lateral meniscus and dislocated/malaligned knee cap. Not just bone on bone, but bone crushing and sliding over bone. Yes...it was beyond painful and i had very very limited mobility. However, if u can ... PT can give u home exercises thor quads. Can google them too. I remember the CLAM and reverse CLAM. At gym or home ...wall sits. leg press if at gym. Adductor/abductor machines if at gym.

jingoace

WOW HarlanJEN - THAT WAS GREAT INFORMATION! I, for one, Really appreciate your suggestions! I do not fear the surgery, it is almost a relief to be looking forward to it - wierd, I know, but Pain has limited me for so long, and the Euflexxa injection no longer help, so I am seriously ready. BUT, the afterward "time off" does scare me... it is good to know that the PT was only 5 weeks, and that you were able to go back to lifting & losing weight.

I like your comment - " I choose to accept that. I'm not hurting the knee. I may be creating discomfort for ME, but it isn't pain and not hurting knee joint." That is SO ENCOURAGING for me to hear... now, to apply it.

So, no jumping or running, no squats or lunges, and lifting from rack-height not the floor are the modifications for knees?

Thank you immensely for sharing with us. J

harlanJEN

hey all I just go to the new location - an hourish ahead of the moving van - and what do I do? Sit down to catch up on MFP. LOL

Every person is diff. My surgeon was awesome and he wants and encourages folks to be active afterTKR - but to exercise common sense. In fact - activity is good for range of motion, strength and keeping weight down. Every pound you lose is 4 lbs. of pressure off your knee joints. He says he struggles to get folks to be active and to lose weight. But again, TKR patients are usually older. He was pleasantly surprised when I went in for my 1 yr. appt. and had very noticeably lost weight. I made up my mind to do it - I suffered so much pain , I appreciate good knees now and I'm going to do all I can to protect them. ANd ... I made up my mind that I was knocking recovery out of the ballpark. I knew to expect pain. Honestly, my pain after surgery was MUCH MUCH less than presurgery. And the pain I had - was productive pain - pain in healing as opposed to destructive pain. SO! Make up your mind to GET WITH IT - and kick butt after surgery with PT. I used a CPM machine after surgery and that helped with gaining range of motion and it also helped with pain. If my leg was moving - it hurt less.

If I was 70 - my precautions may be diff since the replaced knee would likely live out with the life expectancy of said 70 yr old. So if I was 70 and wanted to run on my replaced knee --- Ehhh why not? Go for it ! Since I need to make mine last without repeated revisions - I need to take extra care of mine. So .. that means limiting impact. Oh ... I'm physically ABLE to do it - just isn't smart to do it. Squats - I COULD do them - but A. They hurt me B. Too much stress on the knee and it's not necessary. I'm supposed to refrain from lifting and CARRYING over 45 pounds ( is a diff between lifting and lifting and CARRYING) and to minimize higher impact activities. So .. DANG IT - there goes my basketball career - and I was doing so great with those dunk shots !

Good luck with surgery - go in with a positive attitude and it will be a breeze. I truly was not "down" - I thought I might be after the horror stories I'd read - but NAH. Walked up and down the hallway on day 2 without a walker - just held on the therapist's elbow
In fact, when we were loading the moving van today - my walker was in the garage. LOL. They wouldn't let me go home without one.