Leg press machine hurts my knee

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withchaco
withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
First of all, I'm not in serious pain or anything. Just worried because it might get worse over time if I keep doing leg presses.

Will squats and lunges be easier on my knees? I haven't been doing those because my form might be off... But if those are my only pain-free options to work on my glutes (which I really need!), I might have to just pay up and have a trainer teach me how to do them right.

What other exercises can I do to work my glutes?

Replies

  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
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    Diva Derriere

    http://t-tapp.com/articles/divad/default.html
  • carolinarollergirl
    carolinarollergirl Posts: 63
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    I think you're a woman. Knee pain / problems in women is the result of one of two things: being overweight or imbalance in your quads / hamstrings.

    Women tend to be VERY quad dominant which puts A LOT of stress on the knee. Make sure you build up those hamstrings / glutes to balance out those strong quads.
  • carolinarollergirl
    carolinarollergirl Posts: 63
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    Great for glutes and hammys: deadlifts and good mornings. Trust.
  • DiamondRubyMom
    DiamondRubyMom Posts: 147 Member
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    To protect your knees while squating always keep your knees behind your toes. In other words stick out your butt like you're about to sit in a chair. You ankles should not be moving, just your knees and hips. I hope this helps.
  • poustotah
    poustotah Posts: 1,121 Member
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    If you question your form, have someone at the gym show you how to so the exercises correctly. The things that have helped me are working the hamstrings and building up the quad muscles. I had knee surgery a few years ago and still had pain afterwards. Now, my pain is completely gone.

    Knee pain is NOT something to mess with.
  • simone_84
    simone_84 Posts: 22 Member
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    Are you maybe using too much weight on the leg press? Just because you can press more doesn't mean you should necessarily start there. If you aren't accustomed to it, while the large muscle groups might be able to handle it doesn't mean the joints or connective tissues are there yet. You might try using less weight and higher reps which will still help you get stronger and more toned.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    Thanks for the suggestions! Taking notes :smile:

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