I have been reading a lot lately about squats, lunges and other types of lower body strength builders. I just started doing squats a while back after years of listening to stupid people telling me that with bad knees I should not squat. Then I find this wonderful place where I find that the best thing for underdeveloped knees is, Suprise!, squats.
Now my question is about lunges. I started doing them to help build muscles to better my squat, but it seems that when I do them it outs a lot of strees on my knees. Is this because I am using to much weight? Should I do them for a while with no weight and see what happens? Or are lunges in and of themselves hard on the knees?
Should someone with a history of knee probelms, although since I have started squating my knees have not been in any kind of pain other than directly after the workout, avoid them and find another excersise that does the same thing? And if so, any sugestions?
I’d say that lunges are by themselves no tougher on the knees than squats, in fact just like you I rehabbed myself from pretty bad knee pain (ie jumper’s knee) with nothing but 3X8 lunges. In fact I’d say they are easier on the knees, and if you take a long stride are use more hips than knees.
Where exactly is the pain? If it were me I’d guess it were a flexibility problem.
My suggestion would be to start out with high reps of bodyweight at the end of your workout and slowly add weight and decrease the reps as long as there is no pain.
And is that sculpture in your pic based on a real statue? I remember seeing that somewhere.
If your foot is out past the knee it’s a lot easier on the knee and emphasizes the glute/ham junction. If the foot is under/behind the knee, you’ll be using the quad to straighten up which stresses the knee somewhat.
It also may be that your quads are bound up. Some ART on the quads may reduce the knee pain.
Most of the pain i feel is directly behind my kneec cap. That is where most of my problems lie. When I hit my growth spurt, my knees did not grow with me. Causing patellar movement problems, and meniscus problems. In highschool I tore my LCL in my right knee, and burst my bursea sac in the other one. Like I said since I have been doing squats, mainly ATG squats, my knees have felt great.
As for the sculpture question…It was done by a woman by the name of BOBBIE CARLYLE. Her is her website. www.bobbiecarlylesculpture.com. New to all this lifting nomenclature, What ART in the quads mean skidmark?
Back off on the weight. Pay as much attention to proper form on your lunges as you do on your squat. Lunges are probably better for re-habbing a knee than squats.
Slow and total control. Overhead with DBs are good as are lunge and press the DBs.
20 walking lunges(10 each leg) with complete control. No wobbles. Then increase the weight.
I found reverse lunges to be alot easier on the knees when i’ve had problems. I think because you’re not coming down with all the weight on your leg each stride, either way it wouldn’t hurt to try.