Question Regarding VMO

can someone give me some advice on some movements that will help strengthen the vastus medialis muslce on my legs, i have knee pain due to weak muscles there and was told to do lunges by a doctor but can’t seem to do them properly, i would seek out more help but i work the oil patch in alberta and time is not a luxury i have, any help is greatly welcomed, thanks in advance!

Says to do the last 20 degrees of motion for leg press and single leg extensions.

I’m doing these in physical therapy along with ‘wall slides’ (half squat with back against a wall) and some simple stair steps.

Deep squats. Everything under parallel helps the VMO greatly, from what I’ve read.

bits_archives/ifpa_fitbits_Building_Bigger_Stron

ger_Thigh_Muscles_Quads.htm

The vastus medialis is most active during the final 15 degrees of knee extension.

Otep, next time you don’t know, don’t post. And you need to read more, from everything I’ve read.

Good advice, JayPierce.

I found something interesting using the search function.

[quote] Some guy wrote:
Is the mechanical advantage near lockout the reason people don’t develop impressive VMOs from 1/4 squats?

Thibs answered:
Not really, the real reason is that it has been demonstrated that to be maximally stimulated a muscle must undergo a certain stretch before the contraction. In a 1/4 squat the VMO isn’t stretched enough to get the maximum out of the movement.[/quote]

http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1198827&pageNo=2

Later on in the article someone spouts the idea that deep squats work the VMO, most likely due to the stretch they acquire.

This cat believes deep squatting prevented him from tearing his entire VMO when an accident struck

http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2105543

Thibs wrote an article directly addressing the VMO, among other leg-development ideas

http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1198794

By the way, JayPierce, I dig your avatar.

I’ve never been against doing full squats, and I can’t wait to get back to them. I have no doubt they are a great way to build and maintain flexibility and to prevent injury.

This, however, is a condition that needs to be rehabilitated. Since the patella is not tracking correctly, full (deep) squats will only aggravate the situation until the problem is resolved.