Glute exercises with knee problems

Soxiez · April 2013

Hi all!

I have Osgood–Schlatter in my left knee from a pretty active childhood, and it's getting in the way of my workouts! I always want to work out my glutes and thighs, but I find almost all exercises for this involve squats. Squatting is just too harsh on my knee. I can't put all my body weight on it whilst it's bent (i.e lunges are do-able but uncomfortable, and I worry about damage), kneel completely flat, and it's quite weak due to years of not being able to use it properly for years.

I am generally fairly fit and strong, but this holds me back big time! I was just wondering if anyone had any exercises for toning glutes and thighs that are either low impact or avoid things like squatting entirely? Thank you for your help

pennydreadful270 · April 2013

Ugh those bridge things where you lie on your back, shoulders touching the ground, and try and hump the ceiling.

They are apparently extremely good for activating glutes. You can even use a weight, like a medicine ball to make them harder.

ravengirl1611 · April 2013

I also have knee issues and my trainer worked really hard to find things that I could do that didnt aggravate my knees. We started out with glute/ham raises and worked up to the other usual ones on the machines (cant for the life of me remember what they're called - basically lifting the bar thats across your ankles up or on the other machine pushing it down) until those became easier then got to the leg press and now I'm doing box squats. For me lunges were out of the question and so were anything that involved stepping whether on the stair machine, stepping up and down on a box or the bosu ball - we worked slowly and steadily and the improvements have been fantastic! If you arent working with a trainer I'd highly recommend working with one even for a short time to find a program that works with your issues - well worth the money to me!

Soxiez · April 2013

Great ideas guys, thanks! I will definitely be doing the humping the ceiling technique haha! Where do you suggest to hold the weight? The position I'm thinking of in my head involves your arms by your sides on the ground?
I have a trainer when at home, but I'm currently abroad at the moment and it'd be difficult for me to understand one here! So for now it's at just excercise home an cardio outside, but when I'm back in a proper gym at home I will try those. Never thought just stepping could be so beneficial, I usually avoid that machine but I'll pay more attention to it now for sure! So good to know that the old knee thing isn't necessarily a lost cause, I'm 21 and I'll need walking sticks by the time I'm 30 at this rate haha. Glad it's helped you!

AvisonMaher · April 2013

Are you using good technique i.e. weight through your heels, sticking your bum out and not allowing your knees to go past your toes?

Have a look at the following exercises for glutes and hamstring:
- Straight legged deadlifts
- Good mornings

For you thighs:-
- Bulgarian split squats (similar to lunges but you're focusing on the up and down movement, no forward or backward momentum)
- Leg press (try and place your feet higher on the plate to focus on your quads)

With all these exercises keep a strong core, stick your chest out and keep your shoulders back.

Soxiez · April 2013

I can't profess to doing it perfectly but I try to keep the right position! I have a background in dance and we used to get that drilled into us haha. Those straight leg exercises especially sound great! Never heard of good mornings before, but they look like they'd be fine for me to do! Many, many thanks! Can't wait to get back into the gym with these

Are you using good technique i.e. weight through your heels, sticking your bum out and not allowing your knees to go past your toes?

Have a look at the following exercises for glutes and hamstring:
- Straight legged deadlifts
- Good mornings

For you thighs:-
- Bulgarian split squats (similar to lunges but you're focusing on the up and down movement, no forward or backward momentum)
- Leg press (try and place your feet higher on the plate to focus on your quads)

With all these exercises keep a strong core, stick your chest out and keep your shoulders back.

purpadillo · April 2013

I'm actually in PT right now for my glutes. So, the exercises my PT has me doing to strength them: bridge (someone else already mentioned it), clam shell (google it), and donkey kicks. One I like from Ripped in 30 is to be in a plank position and then squeeze the glute and lift your straight leg. My PT has me doing it, too, only not in the plank position (I have to do it over my top stair so my foot can stay flexed properly to avoid engaging the quads).

MercenaryNoetic26 · April 2013

I second those bridges. Put a barbell across your hips and you will feel that booty squeeze.

fayeonherway · April 2013

I asked a similar question and got tons of great suggestions! I cannot do squats or lunges. Even doing them properly with assistance.

Here's the link to my post and some great ideas that are easy on my knees. I love donkey kicks, Romanian Dead Lifts (regular and one legged). The bridge thing kicked my *kitten*! But I guess that's a good thing!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952141-favorite-moves-for-legs-booty-that-isn-t-a-squat-or-lunge

iAMsmiling · April 2013

Roman Chair
Squeeze those glutes as you rise up.

3foldchord · April 2013

Not sure how MUCH it works glutes... But when an do bench dips with raised legs my glutes really feel it the next day!!

Hendrix7 · April 2013

I second those bridges. Put a barbell across your hips and you will feel that booty squeeze.

^^ this

http://bretcontreras.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-hip-thrust/

Danny_Boy13 · April 2013

Glute bridges with some weight will work great. I will say though that as long as lunges are performed correctly (knees over the foot and not past the toes in the down position) should not hurt much if any. Honestly IMO you should work on strengthening the muscle systems to help support the knee. The hamstrings are a key group with supporting the knee so be sure to hit those hams. Straight leg dead lifts, squats with quads at or below parallel with the floor will hit those hams. I would recommend Strong Lifts or some other form of strength training. There are literally hundreds, maybe even thousands of stories of people on stronglifts.com with knee issues and doing some strength training alleviated the pain.

meerkat70 · April 2013

I have hypermobile joints, and consequently a lot of knee difficulty too. Squats will actually help, long term. But you need to go below parallel to really feel their benefits - then the pressure *isn't* in your knees - it's in your glutes, where it belongs.

Try doing bodyweight only for a while, to get form right. Do them facing a wall, going as low as you can, without touching the wall. Build up till you can do a fair number and then start to add weight - goblet squats first, before moving to the bar.

Roman chair (and similar machines) will, in my experience, kill your knees. But that might just be me!

kcrxgirl · April 2013

Lean towards and put your hands on the wall. Then raise your knee up to your chest. Then extend leg backwards/out/up (however it makes sense to you

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Ladyslippers · April 2013

Bumping to read later for more good exercise ideas. Thanks!

Loftearmen · April 2013

Box squats. Sit back until your knees are actually slightly behind your ankles. This will overload your glutes and take the stress off of your knees simultaneously.