Big Dude In Gym Does Weird Stuff

jmh80 said:
I think most people at my gym think I don't work out legs. I lift on Saturday's - usually late, maybe 8pm or so.
So - very few people see me working them out.

Plus - my left knee is still giving me trouble. I can't use more than 70 lbs on the leg extension without pain. I basically do hamstring/deadlift/calf exercises for the most part.
I really don't increase the strength as fas as upper body - because I don't want to create a serious muscle imbalance in the leg area.

My legs look like crap compared to my upper body.
Click to expand...

What's wrong with your knee/s? I have bad knees too. After some time off on squats, leg presses or any heavy quad movements for that matter I have just recently gotten back into working them out hard again. I've noticed that warming up with high rep leg extensions and doing walking lunges have really helped a lot (that’s all I did for quads during that time). I now work quads twice a week doing front squats, one legged leg presses, lunges, leg extensions and sometimes I'll mix in some back squats as well. I've seen a huge improvement in just a few months. I still have some pain, but it’s not as sharp or as bothersome as before. The weight keeps going up and the legs keep looking better. Amazing how fast you get your strength back after a long layoff.
 
natedogg said:
What's wrong with your knee/s? I have bad knees too. After some time off on squats, leg presses or any heavy quad movements for that matter I have just recently gotten back into working them out hard again. I've noticed that warming up with high rep leg extensions and doing walking lunges have really helped a lot (that’s all I did for quads during that time). I now work quads twice a week doing front squats, one legged leg presses, lunges, leg extensions and sometimes I'll mix in some back squats as well. I've seen a huge improvement in just a few months. I still have some pain, but it’s not as sharp or as bothersome as before. The weight keeps going up and the legs keep looking better. Amazing how fast you get your strength back after a long layoff.
Click to expand...

Back before I really made gains in my legs a couple years ago, my quads just weren't strong enough to push much weight on the sled and walking lunges were the one thing that greatly increased it. I did tons of walking lunges with dumbbells, and also some step ups on a bench with dumbbells.
Once I gained a little strength, hacks and leg presses weren't an issue and the knee pain went away for good.
 
Dr Packenwood said:
Back before I really made gains in my legs a couple years ago, my quads just weren't strong enough to push much weight on the sled and walking lunges were the one thing that greatly increased it. I did tons of walking lunges with dumbbells, and also some step ups on a bench with dumbbells.
Once I gained a little strength, hacks and leg presses weren't an issue and the knee pain went away for good.
Click to expand...

You know I really believe the lunges have helped a great deal. I actually read an interview with Mark Dugdale in some magazine a while back and he said that high rep, low weight leg extensions paired with walking lunges helped his knee problems a great deal. I decided to give it a shot and I haven't looked back since.
 
natedogg said:
What's wrong with your knee/s? I have bad knees too. After some time off on squats, leg presses or any heavy quad movements for that matter I have just recently gotten back into working them out hard again. I've noticed that warming up with high rep leg extensions and doing walking lunges have really helped a lot (that’s all I did for quads during that time). I now work quads twice a week doing front squats, one legged leg presses, lunges, leg extensions and sometimes I'll mix in some back squats as well. I've seen a huge improvement in just a few months. I still have some pain, but it’s not as sharp or as bothersome as before. The weight keeps going up and the legs keep looking better. Amazing how fast you get your strength back after a long layoff.
Click to expand...

I get pain somewhat below the kneecap - but mostly right above it (where the tendon/ligament connects to the quad before it goes under the kneecap).

The pain occurs at the start of an extension movement (or at the bottom of a squat). Basically when the angle between my calf and quad is 90 degrees or less.
I can some partial reps starting at the top (full squeeze) if I go maybe half way down with minimal pain (speaking of leg extensions).

I've been to 2 doctors around here - no help.
I suppose I should try another.
I was hoping mostly laying off of stuff that hurts the left knee would help it heal. This has been going on for about 2 years though. :sick:
Time off has been pretty much what has worked with every other injury I've had (had something similar in my right knee about 2002 or so).

Probably need something like Alflutop - I've taken at least 200 grams of Super Cissus plus Celadrin and Micro Lactin.
I think I'm about to give up on supplements for this....
 
jmh80 said:
I get pain somewhat below the kneecap - but mostly right above it (where the tendon/ligament connects to the quad before it goes under the kneecap).

The pain occurs at the start of an extension movement (or at the bottom of a squat). Basically when the angle between my calf and quad is 90 degrees or less.
I can some partial reps starting at the top (full squeeze) if I go maybe half way down with minimal pain (speaking of leg extensions).

I've been to 2 doctors around here - no help.
I suppose I should try another.
I was hoping mostly laying off of stuff that hurts the left knee would help it heal. This has been going on for about 2 years though. :sick:
Time off has been pretty much what has worked with every other injury I've had (had something similar in my right knee about 2002 or so).

Probably need something like Alflutop - I've taken at least 200 grams of Super Cissus plus Celadrin and Micro Lactin.
I think I'm about to give up on supplements for this....
Click to expand...

I have pain in the same areas (mostly below the kneecap, but above the kneecap as well) and I remember when 70~ pounds on the leg extension machine hurt me. I took maybe a month or two off of working quads at all. Then I started to slowly incorporate high rep (20+) and low weight leg extensions along with light weight walking lunges (BW up to maybe 35 pounds). Slowly but surely my knees began hurting less and less. Eventually I was able to add in some other exercises and now I’m doing lunges with 105 pound dumbbells. For me warming up for about 10 minutes on the treadmill (10+ incline at 3.5 to 4.0 speed) and beginning with leg extensions (start at about 80 pounds for 20 reps) has helped a great deal. I take nothing for the pain by the way. I really think the key to alleviating knee pain is strengthening the muscle and tendons around the knee. If there is no structural damage around the knee you might have to suck it up a bit and work through the pain. I did, and it’s paying off.

Does it always hurt or just when you do squatting movements and what not? I remember just going up stairs (or down them) or sitting up from a seated position hurt.
 
kwyckemynd00 said:
Wise choice since its the NSAIDs that land bodybuilders on dialysis.
Click to expand...

That and I feel that painkillers just mask the pain. If there is some damage to the knee the chances of cutting a workout short due to pain or the indication of there being something wrong is reduced. For instance, a couple of weeks ago I was doing one legged leg presses and I noticed some really sharp pain in my left knee so I just cut that exercise short. No harm, no foul.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top