More Def in Legs

[chipmunk77]

Looking for other exercises besides squats and lunges....I tore my ACL in my right knee twice so I gotta be careful with what exercises I do....Gotta little def but want MORE...lol

[Mindi911]

if you can do them try leg extensions

and lying hamstring curls

[noho]

Deadlifts, hmmmm; assuming the squats are (joint) pain free, those are still your best. Leg press is okay; I'd be cautious with the leg extension though. I'm in a similar boat, as in I tore both right and left ACLs (severe meniscus damage to boot!) and the PT gave the green light on everything except leg extensions -- they tend to put more strain on the ligament, and I tend to be extra careful about that.

[Mindi911]

Originally Posted by noho

Deadlifts, hmmmm; assuming the squats are (joint) pain free, those are still your best. Leg press is okay; I'd be cautious with the leg extension though. I'm in a similar boat, as in I tore both right and left ACLs (severe meniscus damage to boot!) and the PT gave the green light on everything except leg extensions -- they tend to put more strain on the ligament, and I tend to be extra careful about that.

interesting I didn't know that

[darkangel]

I've also heard about the dangers of leg extensions with a bum knee.

Try hamstring ball roll outs for the hams.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/489738...mstring_curls/

Can you do lunges? Static or rear lunges might be an option.

[marilynny]

Step-Ups are KILLER! And make those quads POP!

[Mindi911]

Originally Posted by darkangel

I've also heard about the dangers of leg extensions with a bum knee.

Try hamstring ball roll outs for the hams.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/489738...mstring_curls/

Can you do lunges? Static or rear lunges might be an option.

I will definitely remember that from now on

[ten2go]

Originally Posted by noho

Deadlifts, hmmmm; assuming the squats are (joint) pain free, those are still your best. Leg press is okay; I'd be cautious with the leg extension though. I'm in a similar boat, as in I tore both right and left ACLs (severe meniscus damage to boot!) and the PT gave the green light on everything except leg extensions -- they tend to put more strain on the ligament, and I tend to be extra careful about that.

This past November I had knee surgery that included a meniscus repair and a microfracture (I was missing cartilage) and my PT also said to stay away from the Leg Extension FOREVER. He doesn't believe anyone should be doing that exercise and he said he never does it. Just his opinion, but I'm following it.

[Twerp]

I'm so happy to read that people are saying to avoid leg extensions! Unnatural range of motion for resistance purposes - they should be avoided whether your knees are healthly or injured!

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1306675

OP! 2 ACL Tears! Yikes... How did you do it? A good friend and teammate just tore his ACL in our first preseason game... I thought I tore mine last year, but it was a partial tear of the PCL. Scared me half to death. Anyway, I guess my question is can you squat? If so, what's the range of motion (i.e. above 90, 90, parallel, full flexion)? Most rehab programs now for ACL tears do primarily involve squatting and deadlifting, but I'd be an ******* if I said jump in the squat rack and get after it right away.

What about Squat Variations? The Variations I'd recommend are;
1. Front Squats;
2. Split Squats;
3. Box Squats (especially with a bum knee);
4. Zurcher Squats (if you want to try something new)
5. Stability Ball Squats

Deadlifts would benefit you as well as I've read that ACL stability is related to hamstring strength (trying to find article). All Hamstring work would benefit you, to be honest, but I'd still suggest sticking to the core stuff - i.e. deads & good mornings. I'd probably also recommend single leg work, to be honest. Single Leg Deadlifts & Single Leg Leg Press to name a couple.

Are you taking glucosamine & fish oils? Do you have a knee sleeve?

[bachovas]

Look into isometrics for those exercises you can't perform without pain.

Also, hammer the sh*t ouf of your glutes and hamstrings, females have a higher predisposition to ACL injuries because of the hips and pelvic tilt. Work on mobility and stability before wanting to jump on heavy leg exercises.

[Twerp]

Right, so isometrics is a good idea in principle, but I'm struggling a little. The isometrics I'm familiar with would be like either holding a weight in a fixed position for a period of time or pushing/pulling against an immovable object for a fixed period of time. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I think you need to explain how you mean isometrics. Are you talking about a deadlift isometric, or a leg press? If she can't do a squat, then she probably still can't hold a weight in an effective squat position (i.e. lower than 90).

That's half jibberish - I like the suggestions, but walk the OP (and me too) what you would advise her to do.

[Mindi911]

Why is your name suddenly Twerp?

[Twerp]

Decided to change it...don't know why.... if you knew me personally, you'd think it was a good fit as well....

[Mindi911]

Originally Posted by Twerp

Decided to change it...don't know why.... if you knew me personally, you'd think it was a good fit as well....

LOL twerps are usually not

[bachovas]

Originally Posted by Twerp

Right, so isometrics is a good idea in principle, but I'm struggling a little. The isometrics I'm familiar with would be like either holding a weight in a fixed position for a period of time or pushing/pulling against an immovable object for a fixed period of time. I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I think you need to explain how you mean isometrics. Are you talking about a deadlift isometric, or a leg press? If she can't do a squat, then she probably still can't hold a weight in an effective squat position (i.e. lower than 90).

That's half jibberish - I like the suggestions, but walk the OP (and me too) what you would advise her to do.

Right, however, certain angles of the full ROM can still provide some stimulation, not everybody squats ATG, yet they still grow. IME, and considering she has gone through the rehab process before, she could start with something as easy as a wall squat reclining against the wall and increasing the ROM over time as her strength and stability improves. Hold 30secs, if no pain, hold 60 secs, go a little lower, hold 30 secs, an so forth.

Couple more things, foam marching: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v1rz1CuZ3o

And keep working your healthy leg as normal. There are some positive neuromuscular adaptations that will occur in your 'bad' leg if you keep working hard your good one. One legged squats or bulgarian split squats are good choices.

[ironman1964bc]

If you have a hard time cutting your legs up, I doubt doing any weights will help much, unless your diet is perfect.

I used to do heavy squats and front squats, but my legs look alot better now just doing sprints, hill runs, and sled drags.

Your knee will probably prevent you from running, but you could find a nice hill and walk with a weight vest on or maybe even a slow jog. Biking is good too if your knee can take it. Even dancing is good too, just check out the legs on the ballroom dancing chicks.

I love weightlifting more than anybody, but I could never get as lean and cut as I wanted without doing the exercises mentioned above.

[Twerp]

As a note, my cousin just won his provincial bodybuilding show without doing any cardio whatsoever - 16 weeks and not one second on a treadmill or elliptical! You can easily get cut without cardio. Diet is most important, I agree, but I can't agree that sprints, hill runs and sled drags are better. I don't understand why it's so hard to grasp that weights are better for burning fat than cardio. Yes, sprints and sled drags are good, but weight training is better! There's certainly a place for all that cardio, but it's to support a good weight loss weight training program!

[marmadogg]

Hamstring curls on a swiss ball are fantastic:



Bulgarian split squats are great for the quads, gluts, and hams: