leg strength - not squats or lunges
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meerkat70
Posts: 4,616 Member
could anyone recommend some leg strengthening moves that don't involve squats or lunges. I've tried and persisted with these, but i have enduring knee problems (rooted in hypermobile joints) that mean squats and lunges cause considerable knee pain.
i run, and have quite strong legs but want them to be stronger to support my running. i do lift, but for the last few months have focused on upper body and core because of the pain squatsunami and lunges cause.
i know this post will inevitably attract suggestions i persist with squats and attend to form. i have done this with an experienced litter, who has checked my form and helped me a lot. but not enough that i don't still get a lot of pain. i can do unweighted squat without too much pain, but even there i get twinges.
i run, and have quite strong legs but want them to be stronger to support my running. i do lift, but for the last few months have focused on upper body and core because of the pain squatsunami and lunges cause.
i know this post will inevitably attract suggestions i persist with squats and attend to form. i have done this with an experienced litter, who has checked my form and helped me a lot. but not enough that i don't still get a lot of pain. i can do unweighted squat without too much pain, but even there i get twinges.
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ps the pain predates running, and the running has reduced it - running isn't the problem. :-)0
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Today I'll be doing sprints. And box jumps, if I can find a box.0
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quads: step up (with dumbells / barbell to increase resistance when necessary)
hamstrings: leg curl
calves: calf raise
Really you are looking to do two things: strengthen the supporting structures around the knees to ease reliance on them as well as remedying any muscle imbalances you have which can cause injury when running.0 -
What about the leg press or deadlifts?0
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Have you tried pilates?
My favourite video site is Blogilates, and Cassey really kicks my butt!
You can find some of her workouts focused on legs here: http://blogilates.com/legs-thighs0 -
Hamstring curl using a stability ball0
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I'm doing leg press at the moment. It works your Glutes and your Quads at the same time.0
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I second leg press, you can really play around with your foot placement to change they way it feels in your joints. I was getting bad pain in my knees and had to stop squats for a year or so, and got by on leg extensions, leg curls, and leg press.
Another option that worked for me was moving from free squats to smith machine, by putting my feet about a foot in front of me when i got under the bar, it took a lot of the pressure off my knees that i felt when i did free squats.
Good luck.0 -
Cycling... I tore my acl at a baseball game and the next week I was told I "could not have torn an acl because I could semi-walk" after an mri I was told by the doc that my quads/hamstrings were so strong it made up for the torn ligament, they were shocked. I was riding about 500 miles a month at the time.0
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Car push0
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I second pilates. You can do things like sideline bicycle, leg lifts, bridges and a ton of other exercises that dont stress the knees.0
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Car push
These are great if i reckon it's what i was doing on the treadmill the other day!0 -
Thanks for all the suggestions - I'll have a look at hamstring curls, and step ups (I do unweighted calf raises often at home and work, but will try adding some weight at the gym).
I do use the leg press - but it's the kind where you push your body weight backwards into the seat (rather than pressing your legs away... not sure if that makes sense?). Will that be sufficient?
I also cycle - but again, I need to be quite careful with this - sometimes it's fine and sometimes it hurts.
I have similar problems with deadlifts to squats and lunges - but not quite as severe, so may well be worth persisting with.
I could try the smith machine - I thought there were issues with naturalness of movement with the smith, though?
Like this, IS? :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqJ-RkKrENE
Ultimately, I'm hoping to build my strength enough that I *will* be able to go back to squats and deadlifts - I just know it's not right for me right now.0 -
The hill isn't really steep enough and it's supposed to be for distance.
I like heavy dumbbell setups but it would depend entirely on your injury whether that's a good idea or a horrendous one.
If you can do a type of squat without pain, I'd just add 2.5kg every week or two. It could still be a form, morphology or headology issue.
Seat moving leg presses count as leg press. Foot position determines targeted muscles, lower position targets more quads/extension muscles.
Leg curls on a ball could counter issues found with the leg curl machine, which seems to be the hardest one to set up right. Plus single leg curls keeping strict form is fairly nails.0 -
Can I weight a plie squat? Those are relatively painless.0
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Horse Riding!
I reckon i could break a man in 2 with my thighs (LMao!)
I think swimming is also good for your legs? not sure though.0 -
IS, by the way, I can actually identify the point where the pain kicks in (even unweighted). It's on the way down, about 2/3 en route down. I used to think it was as I was pushing back up, but it isn't. Not sure if that helps.0
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I'm still thinking muscle imbalance and you should see if you can get a physio referral.
It would explain why natural squats hurt but plies are painless, and your knees caving on the way up.
Did you try banded squats to practice strict knee alignment?0 -
Straight Leg Deadlifts.0
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Pilates? Ballet?0
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