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2005/11/22, 03:47 PM
I played tennis on a daily basis in the spring and summer, so I had just started working my lower body again this fall. I made very good progress in all lower body areas. The one exercise I made the most progress on was leg presses. I went from 2 plates on each side to 7 on each side. I must also add I go running 2 or 3 times a week for about 1.5 miles. Recently my knees have been very achy. I assuming it is because my muscles developed faster than my joints. I assume I should take a break from running and certain exercises. But for how long and is there anything else I should do?
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2005/11/29, 08:03 PM
No, it could be that you are using a leg press.
The leg press itself could be the cause of your injury. With the leg press, the knees tend to travel forward of the toes, putting alot of excess stress on the patellar tendon of the knee. With distance runners, this tendon is already subjected to a great amount of stress. That is why most runners should avoid leg press and the smith machine.
The best medicine is prevention. For this, we squat. With good form. That will strengthen your other tendons in relation with your patellar tendon. Squatting is one of the best forms of prehabilitation for the knees, regardless of all the bad rap it gets. If you squat with good form, you can prehab the knees and hip joints well. However, you are past that point.
I would take a break, especially from the leg press.
When you come back to training legs, put a special emphasis on hamstring training. This will strengthen not only your hamstrings in relation to your quadriceps (a common muscular imbalance), but will also strengthen your posterior ligaments and tendons. With the leg press, these tendons don't get enough work, and this causes an imbalance that puts even more excess stress on the patellar tendon, because it starts to take most of the load to compensate.
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If you smoke or don’t wear your seatbelt, please don’t tell me the deadlift is dangerous.
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Quoting from 7707mutt:
The squat cage is holy ground.
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2005/11/30, 01:47 PM
Alright I am going to take the rest of this week off from leg exercises, then starting on the weekend I'll give smith squats a try. Maybe I'll see ya around the RIT gym.
Thanks for the advice.
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2005/12/04, 02:53 AM
Smith machine is quite possibly worse.
Free weight with good form is the way to go. The smith machine puts the same kind of stress on you knees.
Check out the powerlifting forum for more squat info. Theres only about 5 regulars to that forum, but all of those members really know what they are talking about it.
If you do see me, and you need help learning form for how to squat, dont hesitate to ask. My partner and I are usually more than glad to help. After we finish our workou that is.
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If you smoke or don’t wear your seatbelt, please don’t tell me the deadlift is dangerous.
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Quoting from 7707mutt:
The squat cage is holy ground.
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2005/12/04, 02:56 AM
to see how the smith machine is usually viewed, check out the powerlifting forum and look for a thread by menace about going to the dark side.
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If you smoke or don’t wear your seatbelt, please don’t tell me the deadlift is dangerous.
============
Quoting from 7707mutt:
The squat cage is holy ground.
============
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2005/12/04, 03:14 PM
o ok, misread the whole avoiding it, thanks
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2005/12/05, 01:04 AM
the smith machine is unnatural. It causes you to lean back into the bar. Look at any good squatter, they lean forward, not back. Pushing into the bar puts added stress on your knees, and forces your body through an unnatural plane of motion. It is best used for mobility drills and hanging my towel on in between sets. Just letting you know, if I see you in the gym and your on the smith machine, theres a good chance my partner and I are laughing and making fun of you in between sets.
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If you smoke or don’t wear your seatbelt, please don’t tell me the deadlift is dangerous.
============
Quoting from 7707mutt:
The squat cage is holy ground.
============
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2005/12/05, 06:44 AM
I really enjoy the guys doing 1/4 reps on it for squats and then trying to look "oldschool" or even (gasp) "Hardcore"!
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Less Talk, More Chalk!
The Men and Boys are Separated by one thing: The Squat Cage!
7707mutt@freetrainers.com
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