I’ve always been able to bend my knees further back than most…here’s a picture, it doesn’t really show how far back my knee can go, but I don’t like to go farther back than this on purpose:
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Accipiter22/legbackwards.jpg
So for something like stiff-legged deadlifting if I lock my legs my knee is actually below my ass rather than the rest of my body. I never really thought about this before, but will that cause joint/ligament problems later in life?
Do you ever get pain from SLDLs?
not right now, no. I’m just not sure if there’s some way this is effecting my form that may lead to later problems.
On occasion I DO get get this weird feeling inside one knee or the other. It’s like there’s a band inside that feels extremely tight, like it’s about to snap, like a rubber band stretched to the max. It only feels like this every few months or so, and only for a few minutes.
The picture didn’t work for me but I know what you mean. From a physics standpoint it’s possible that deads could put excessive force on your knees. I’d be careful and consult a doctor/physical therapist as I’m no expert. There’s plenty of them on these boards and hopefully one will chime in.
Definatly check with a doctor. Had a coworker who was 6’10" and after playing some basketball he was standing at the sidelines when one of his tendons snapped and his knee went ‘backwards’ as he reached down to that knee the other tendon tore and both knees went backwards. He ended up face down on the floor with his legs folded up underneath him.
Doctor told him he had to much strain on them when he was growing in HS and thats why they eventually wore out. Took him 6 months of bed rest and a heck of a surgeon in LA to fix it.
I’d play the safe vs sorry.
oof…wow…my knees have always bent backwards, nothing new really. The occasional tense feeling inside the knees really only started after I began going to the gym…
http://www.pediatric-orthopedics.com/Topics/Walking_AFOs/Back_Knee/RecurvX2.jpg
Its called genu recurvatum or back knee. I Don’t know much about it but those terms should help you find info. Hopefully you don’t look like that poor little bastard in that photo.
Holy crap!!! not even close…that’s unbelievable
I can’t see the pic anymore, but my joints can back slightly in the other direction. It’s called hyperextension. Not a bad thing, usually just means your pretty flexible. But I wouldn’t be caught dead doing deadlifts with my knees locked in hyperextension. Doctors say you don’t wanna stand with you knees locked if you’re standing in place because it places undo pressure on the knee. I’d imagine it’s much worse if you place a load on them(ie deadlifts).
Even for still leg deadlifts I’d have a very slight bend in my knee, just so I’m not locked.