It seems I have injured my knee(s)?

[struck]

2 weeks back, I felt a slight pain in my right knee which I ignore and carried out with my heavy sets of 3x5. The next week, it was intolerable so I skipped my squats and switched deadlifts to stiff-legged version for some time. Subsequently, I bought a knee support bandage to keep the knee tight and carried out with the squats and deadlifts, sometimes putting more stress on the left knee. I used to feel soreness in my knee area after the workouts which I ignored again.

Today I tried to get back to squats again - without knee support - and to my surprise it's my left knee that had a sharp pain while the right knee had slight pain.

It seems that I have managed to injure my left knee too .. How long of a rest should I go for? Do you think 2 weeks should be enough for the recovery?

[WavyGravy]

I have knee problems too, and there are a few important things you should do:

1. Rest from leg exercises until you don't feel any pain, working through pain for a knee exercise is a huge mistake.

2. If they are sore after a workout, ice them.

3. Before your leg workouts, warm up for about 10 minutes on an elliptical or something and then really stretch you legs. DOn't just go through the motions, some knee problems are due to muscle inflexibility and tightness. Not just your quads and hamstrings, but your IT band as well.

4. Be damn sure you know you are squatting properly - knees not coming way past your toes, weight on heels etc etc. When you get back squatting, don't go down all the way, make sure you can squat without pain. If your doc says you have patella-femoral syndrom, you won't be going to parallel until you are symptom free.

Good luck.

[struck]

3. Before your leg workouts, warm up for about 10 minutes on an elliptical or something and then really stretch you legs. DOn't just go through the motions, some knee problems are due to muscle inflexibility and tightness. Not just your quads and hamstrings, but your IT band as well.

I already do a 7-8mins light warmup, but I will try stretching. Do you have any favorite stretching exercises?

4. Be damn sure you know you are squatting properly - knees not coming way past your toes, weight on heels etc etc. When you get back squatting, don't go down all the way, make sure you can squat without pain. If your doc says you have patella-femoral syndrom, you won't be going to parallel until you are symptom free.

Recently I have been squatting with a wide stance, maybe that's where the trouble is. I do ATG back squats so I guess I will have to stop going all the way down.

Ugh. I already miss squatting.

[struck]

P.s. I wanted to know if anyone would recommend against treadmill cardio? I workout at 5-6 with few bursts of 8mph, for less than 30 mins.

My knee was bothering me on treadmill and I had to stop and massage quite a times. arggh.. I was cutting! any other suggestions for cardio?

[Chris0288]

P.s. I wanted to know if anyone would recommend against treadmill cardio? I workout at 5-6 with few bursts of 8mph, for less than 30 mins.

My knee was bothering me on treadmill and I had to stop and massage quite a times. arggh.. I was cutting! any other suggestions for cardio?

Stationary bike

Treadmill will be causing impact and putting stress on your kness aswell as the weight training, I seem to be having problems with my knees atm too.

Get proper running shoes atleast if your using treadmill, just bought myself some Asics GT's, seem brilliant.

But yeah stationary bike, or those ski machine things I suppose would be cardio

[WavyGravy]

or those ski machine things I suppose would be cardio

Yes, I find the elliptical trainers are very knee friendly.