Recovery

[Pure Power]

My knees gave out once, and they are fully healed now but still weak. What do you think is a good way to help get tham back in the game my current path is deep squats with verry little weight and not fulling extending my legs so the knees dont' lock.. it has like no gains involved but works it out. Any sugestions?

[bex]

I would if i were you is to just stick to leg ext and leg curls for a while untill they get a bit stronger.

[dumbells101]

Unless you want a bigger rear then cut your squats to just below parallel. There is no benefit deeper other than a larger hind end. If you don't have any pain then I'd gradually work into the squats. For the time being if you're working the quads more than 1x per week then pick a less stressful exercise like leg press to do the 2nd session. Make sure you warm up the knees real well and stretch a bit before training. Depending on the type of injury you had it won't hurt you to ice your knees after training either.

Be careful and good luck

[Pure Power]

good call i'll try the ice.. i did feel it in my ass too good call. I knew it was working it but i needed to get a wider fuller ext rather than just the same one.. do you what kind of weight would be safe for leg ext i was doing 180 with one leg roughly 7 times.

[dumbells101]

If leg extensions don't hurt then try half weight for double reps and increase it as you feel fit. Don't be too much in a hurry, muscles have memory so you'll get it back fast enough....just do it injury free.

[Titanium2]

For a warm up on the treadmill walking, then extensions.... Leave the squats alone for now......

If you wanna do leg presses, push with your heal, and pull your toes up, this will reduce knee strain.......

When you back to squats, don't go much below parallel.... Also have someone watch from the side. The knees should never break the vertical plain with your toes..... If they come past your toes, your form is bad, and you should correct that before going heavy.......

[Pure Power]

Usualy when you are sore I use a hot pack/bath, but for an injury you normaly use ice. Inflamation must play a part but dosen't the heat make the blood go there to recover faster? I stand at work also, I sell footwear keep the comments to yoself, anyway got any ideas on how to take stress from the joints on concrete and ladders? I knwo alot abotu a working human body but when it comes to a broken one.. I'm lost.

[dumbells101]

Originally posted by Pure Power
Usualy when you are sore I use a hot pack/bath, but for an injury you normaly use ice. Inflamation must play a part but dosen't the heat make the blood go there to recover faster? I stand at work also, I sell footwear keep the comments to yoself, anyway got any ideas on how to take stress from the joints on concrete and ladders? I knwo alot abotu a working human body but when it comes to a broken one.. I'm lost.

Yes heat is good for improving blood flow. However for joints since there is usually very little blood flow the ice helps with the inflamation and when taken off the area gives you a flood of blood flow. With muscles...after the initial 24 hours then heat is the way to go.

As for your concrete issue, I know what you're saying. My first facility was built on slab and it would kill my feet by the end of the day. I switched to running shoes and put better insoles in my shoes. It helped a lot. It also helps to massage your feet a few minutes in the middle of the day if you can.

[Pure Power]

My feet haven't had 1 min of sorenesssince i broke in my 1st pair of birkenstocks, though they look funny i';m bigger than my boss and customers. And the ladies dig the relaxed look. posture is greatly improved but.. they offer no softness for my knes I gues I will just switchs schoes half way through they day.

[ryan26]

TITANIUM. When you say that your knees shouldn't break the vertical plain with your toes, don't you mean your shoulders shouldn't break the vertical plain with your knees?

[Tobey]

Unfortuneatly ( If I understand the questions correctly) there is no exercise to combat bad jouints. Try getting a glucosimine supplement. This will rebuil the fluids in your joints and the cartiledge in them as well. As far as squats are concerned I would never break a 90 degree plain. Deep squats are tougher on your already injured knees and they do little for the overall developement of the thigh as opposed to regular squats.
IC

[steelblazin]

no way man. if you have already had knee probs, you should probably nix the extentions. those put way too much shearing force on the knees. that grating sound you hear..hah, that ain't muscle working. IMO, leg presses, smith machine squats down to just above parallel.
the glucosamine addition could work for you too. you won't know till ya try it i guess.

just me adding my .00002ths

-steel

[Pure Power]

No pain so far guys.
I am using the chondriton and gluclosamine and fish oil therapy.

[THE BIG RED MACHINE]

I’m with Steelblazin on nixing the extensions. They can actually put more stress on your knee’s that squats would. I would stick to the Leg press as the major exercise, but for a warm-up, why not try some low impact cardio machine followed by some light dumbbell lunges. When you start to feel more comfortable with that, then maybe move back into the squatting and what not. The gluclosamine is definitely a good idea, but I believe that you have to take quite a bit of it and often for it to be effective.