I have a question about this TKE’s. Am I suppose to lockout at the end of the movement?
I wasn’t sure where to post this but I figured I’m building a better body(more pain free) with these, it might go here. Inform me if it doesn’t, thanks.
Yes you need to “lock out” in order to get the full effect of this exercise. Typically this is an exercise used in knee rehabilitation to target the VMO. Why are you using this in a workout routine?
[quote]walrus wrote:
I have a question about this TKE’s. Am I suppose to lockout at the end of the movement?
I wasn’t sure where to post this but I figured I’m building a better body(more pain free) with these, it might go here. Inform me if it doesn’t, thanks.[/quote]
Yes, you want to go to lock out (terminal extension), it is one of the few leg exercises where the risk of locking your knee is countered by the weight load trying to unlock it. Unlike a squat/leg press where if you reach lockout your body wants to continue past that point (ie bend the wrong way).
What else are you doing for legs? Is this part of your rehab program?
Yes this is part of my rehab workout.
I’ll start the story from the begining about my knee. It takes place 2 years ago and I didn’t know much about working out at the time and have a weight bench with a knee extension/curl(it’s been taken off) and one day I was doing 50lbs on it with ease. I get to my third set and my right vmo got pulled and hurt. I iced it and it was alright for the next 2 days but then my knee began to hurt like hell with the feeling it was not stabilized at all, almost like it was falling out of place. Barely able to walk for the next month without pain, it eventually got better but never great.
Checked into rehab 4months after the injury. The physio gave me the worlds worst exercise which did more damage to the knees then helped. Took up biking that summer(last year) and the knee got better.
This year I took up biking again to improve the knee while doing lots of gluteal work; bridges, lunges, step ups, bird dogs, side bridges and foam rolling with stretching. My knee was feeling better but never great and eventually biking started to make it hurt. I stopped working out for a while(a month’s time) checked into the school’s rehab and they told me my knee was pretty much fine. I have the worst luck when it comes to picking doctors and what not.
Not too long ago I stumbled upon the TKE’s in one of Dave Tates articles and after 2 days of doing these my knees have felt better than they have in 2 years.
I plan on starting to do step-ups again and gluteal bridges as I’ve been working my lower abs with dead bugs and feel I can be more erect and contract my glutes better.
Foam roll hip flexors
Dead bugs - 20 reps, 3 sets
TKE’s - 20 reps, 3 sets
Stretching
I’m taking it slow to start with. I’ll be adding in step-ups and bridges with more core work when I feel my lower abs and knees becoming much stronger. I’m also thinking of building a DARD for my dorsiflexion. Do you know if that will help my ankle flexiblity?