Strength Training for bad knees??

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girl_afraid82
girl_afraid82 Posts: 178 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

I'm desperate to get some good strength training into my fitness routine (which at the moment consists of Zumba and not a lot else!) as I really want to avoid being the dreaded 'skinny fat' once I reach my goal weight.

However, I have really bad knees which creak and grind whenever I try to do anything involving squats or lunges. They get quite sore underneath my kneecaps, and tend to jar if I do any sudden movements (eg running for a bus).

I've been wanting to do 30 Day Shred but it's too hard on my knees. Looked into Body Pump classes at my gym too, but I know they'll also want me to do various squats and lunges with weights, which I just won't be able to do!
For some reason Zumba seems to be okay on them, but I have a feeling that's because the loud music means I can't hear the awful grinding sounds!

I already take Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements, as well as fish oil.

Does anyone have any suggestions of exercises/DVDs/classes I could do that won't involve the dreaded squats and lunges? How can I tone up my legs without these moves??
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Replies

  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    I don't know what they're called, but you can work your quads by placing weight between your flexed ankle and shin and raising your ankles from the bent at 90 degrees position to almost straight out in front of you in a seated position. Gyms have machines for this, but I've used sandbags at home. This is probably the worst description of an exercise ever by the way.
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    you'd be sitting on a chair or similar to do this.
  • girl_afraid82
    girl_afraid82 Posts: 178 Member
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    Oooh good call, I hadn't thought of that one! I'd seen people on that machine at the gym but hadn't tried it myself yet.

    Thanks :)
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Romanian Dead Lifts, you use a locked knee with these, they work the gluts, and some quads.

    Other than that, find a leg extension machine for the quads if you don't want down pressure on them, the leg extension machine is the best way to do it.
  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
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    Other than that, find a leg extension machine for the quads if you don't want down pressure on them, the leg extension machine is the best way to do it.

    I think that's what I was trying to describe. Just don't lock your knee out at the top.
  • xjlishey1
    xjlishey1 Posts: 286
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    DITTO TO WHAT THE OTHERS SAID. YOU CAN FIND MACHINES IN THE GYM THAT WILL NOT PUT STRESS ON YOUR KNEES. THERE SHOULD BE TRAINERS TO ASSIST YOU IN YOUR GYM WITHOUT CHARGE.
  • donna9089
    donna9089 Posts: 87
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    I have had two ACL replacements in the same knee. After telling me the knee "will never be normal", and it isn't....my surgeon suggested putting the stability ball against the wall, leaning up against it with the small of my back and doing squats like this because it is much easier on the joint. As strange as this seems, he also had me walking backward on the treadmill. I do get some strange looks in the gym when I do this, but I don't care if it will help the knee. I also do the extensions mentioned and seated leg curls (in a sitting position and pulling back toward the chair). I do these with light weight, 3 sets of as many as I can do each. These can also be done with a stability ball by planting your feet on the ball, lifting your butt off the ground into a bridge and then pulling the ball back toward your hips with your heels. Hope this wasn't information overload, but I have been working this now since Dec '10 and am finally getting some definition back in the left leg.
  • girl_afraid82
    girl_afraid82 Posts: 178 Member
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    Great suggestions! Thanks so much everyone! I'll give all these a go... the trainers in my gym are more than slightly unhelpful, but I'll see what they suggest too!
  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Same problem. I used a DVD called "Strong Knees", which is basically a collection of physical therapy exercises. It's about $10 on Amazon, or available through Netflix if you have a DVD subscription. After doing it 3x a week for about a month, I was able to start doing squats and lunges. Still working on the form though...
  • girl_afraid82
    girl_afraid82 Posts: 178 Member
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    Same problem. I used a DVD called "Strong Knees", which is basically a collection of physical therapy exercises. It's about $10 on Amazon, or available through Netflix if you have a DVD subscription. After doing it 3x a week for about a month, I was able to start doing squats and lunges. Still working on the form though...

    Oooh, sounds interesting!
    I have Netflix, but unsure if that title is available in the UK, will have a look.
    If not I'm sure I can find it somewhere! Thankyou!
  • Tina180130
    Tina180130 Posts: 127 Member
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    bump for reference:smile:
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
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    Romanian Dead Lifts, you use a locked knee with these, they work the gluts, and some quads.

    RDL's are done with slightly bent-knees, not locked
    Other than that, find a leg extension machine for the quads if you don't want down pressure on them, the leg extension machine is the best way to do it.

    Leg extensions are TERRIBLE for your knees.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I always thought I had wonky knees because I'm hypermobile, always hurt myself, and my joints sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies. But since strengthening my muscles, my joints are sooooo much better than ever before.
  • deestew58
    deestew58 Posts: 8 Member
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    I have the same problem with my knees
    I looking into water aerobics with weights
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    I have had two ACL replacements in the same knee. After telling me the knee "will never be normal", and it isn't....my surgeon suggested putting the stability ball against the wall, leaning up against it with the small of my back and doing squats like this because it is much easier on the joint. As strange as this seems, he also had me walking backward on the treadmill. I do get some strange looks in the gym when I do this, but I don't care if it will help the knee. I also do the extensions mentioned and seated leg curls (in a sitting position and pulling back toward the chair). I do these with light weight, 3 sets of as many as I can do each. These can also be done with a stability ball by planting your feet on the ball, lifting your butt off the ground into a bridge and then pulling the ball back toward your hips with your heels. Hope this wasn't information overload, but I have been working this now since Dec '10 and am finally getting some definition back in the left leg.

    These are all excellent exercises for the OP.
  • deestew58
    deestew58 Posts: 8 Member
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    thanks, I'll look for that DVD
  • Astrowife68
    Astrowife68 Posts: 79
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    I also have bad knees, and I do the 30 DS. I just don't go as deep in the squats and lunges. And I have been able to do them better as I have gone along in the program. :-}

    Good Luck in your journey.

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  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Romanian Dead Lifts, you use a locked knee with these, they work the gluts, and some quads.

    RDL's are done with slightly bent-knees, not locked
    Other than that, find a leg extension machine for the quads if you don't want down pressure on them, the leg extension machine is the best way to do it.

    Leg extensions are TERRIBLE for your knees.

    Not necessarily. In this case, the symptoms indicate a condition where open-chain exercises are indicated--at least at first. If you modify the range of motion and concentrate only on the last 30 degrees of extension, leg extensions can be an essential part of rehab and a reliable intervention for overuse injuries such as "runner's knee" (patello-femoral syndrome).
  • eschwab855
    eschwab855 Posts: 258 Member
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    Romanian Dead Lifts, you use a locked knee with these, they work the gluts, and some quads.

    RDL's are done with slightly bent-knees, not locked
    Other than that, find a leg extension machine for the quads if you don't want down pressure on them, the leg extension machine is the best way to do it.

    Leg extensions are TERRIBLE for your knees.
    +1 on the leg extensions they tear the knee apart really bad
  • lovelee79
    lovelee79 Posts: 362
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    bump

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