Help with quad issue!

[ChubbsPeterson]

What's up fellas? I've been visiting this site for a long time now and really appreciate the lengths you guys go through to help each other out. This is my first post and I could really use some help/advice. I'm 5'8" 157 lbs, I train extensively-cardio 4-5x/week AM and split train ~5x/wk PM. I'm coming off of a hip replacement back in '11 due to a car accident and all is going well expect for my right quad, the one which was operated on. It seems to me that the vastus lateralis is much, much bigger than the medialis...I know it can't be good, I try and try but can't seem to get the weaker one to catch up and now I'm beginning to experience knee pain while sitting. Upon standing/walking/running I'm good but it can't be healthy and I'm concerned about problems that could arise further down the road. Does anyone have any experience with a similar issue or ideas on how to isolate/activate the inner quad?

I'm sorry for the long post and hope I'm in the right section lol. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Chubbs

[BZBantam]

Front squats, leg extensions, leg press, step ups...you can try pointing your toes out a bit for emphasis on the inner quad or "teardrop". If you feel one leg is stronger than the other and is thus taking over in the lift, you can try some single leg presses and extensions etc.

[ironwill2008]

What's up fellas? I've been visiting this site for a long time now and really appreciate the lengths you guys go through to help each other out. This is my first post and I could really use some help/advice. I'm 5'8" 157 lbs, I train extensively-cardio 4-5x/week AM and split train ~5x/wk PM. I'm coming off of a hip replacement back in '11 due to a car accident and all is going well expect for my right quad, the one which was operated on. It seems to me that the vastus lateralis is much, much bigger than the medialis...I know it can't be good, I try and try but can't seem to get the weaker one to catch up and now I'm beginning to experience knee pain while sitting. Upon standing/walking/running I'm good but it can't be healthy and I'm concerned about problems that could arise further down the road. Does anyone have any experience with a similar issue or ideas on how to isolate/activate the inner quad?

I'm sorry for the long post and hope I'm in the right section lol. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Chubbs

You need to have this conversation with the Ortho who replaced your hip. It sounds to me like you need additional physical therapy.

GL. I hope this works out well for you.

[Rahlon]

It sounds like you and I have been through some similar circumstances. I was in a car accident about 10 years ago and compound fractured my femur (both of the broken ends came through me leg). I had 2 surgeries, and they had to take some of the muscle tissue out of my outer thigh. It took a year and a half for the doctor to tell me my leg was healed, but that didn't mean my muscles were back to normal. Now my legs are stronger than ever (1k lbs leg presses), but these things can take years after such a traumatic experience to the body. These things take time. Just because it's "healed" doesn't mean the muscle fibers are back to where they were before the accident. It sounds like you are doing everything right but be patient.

To help to isolate the inner quads, in exercises like hack squats and leg presses, try positioning your knees closer together, just a couple of inches apart from each other, and pointing your toes inward just a bit, but keep your feet the same distance apart. This should help to strengthen your inner quad.

Also, in regards to your knee, make sure to take care of it. Knee problems can get progressively worse. Your knee problems are probably a side-effect from the accident (it was for me). If you're not already, wear a knee wrap on leg day and while doing cardio. I would also add some low impact machines in to your cardio routine like the elliptical or bike to keep the impact of the jarring on the knee down. I'm not saying to stay on those machines exclusively, but just give the knee a rest.

I hope this is helpful and good luck with your training and recovery.

car accident, hip replacement, broken femur. . . no excuses.

[k9pit]

I went through something similar. No operations or accidents, but the Vastus Medialis on my right quad was very weak, which over time led me favoring my left side on conventional deadlifts and squats. Overtime, it led to knee issues. Running absolutely sucked. Lifting or running, the outside of my knee would always end up swollen to some degree.

I'm not saying this will work for you, I'm saying what I did and how I got things better for me


What exercises worked for me to strengthen the target muscle:
-Unilateral Seated Leg Pressing did the most for me. I must have done this as my predominant lift for at least 8-10 week and focused hard on the medialis mmc

-Leg routine based on 45 degree leg press and BB Hacks for quads (and RDLs/Leg Curls for hams). Once my medialis got stronger I did this routine for about 3-4 months
-making sure my knees were warm before leg workouts. wearing knee sleeves. longer warm up routines.


What exercises didn't work for me and usually led to knee pain:
-Leg Extensions. The movement isn't horrible, maybe my form was off. Whatever. I just needed to dummy-proof my situation so I tossed these. Least reward for the most risk compared to other moves.
-Freeweight Squats. At the time I'd subconsciously lean to the left and always end up with my right knee sore no matter what. I just had to wrap my mind around forgetting about doing these for a while.
-Machine Hacks. I had off and on progress with these and they'd bother my knees even when making sure my legs were far out enough.

I cut out what wasn't working and concentrated on what I felt was best suited to strengthen my muscles around the joints. After it got stronger through the single leg, leg pressing and I really started to build them up through 45 degree leg pressing and bb hacks, I moved on to front squats and back squats, with no knee pain. I can do machine hacks now and they don't bother me at all. My left medialis is still a little bigger than the right, but my legs have definitely taken off since getting things in order for the most part.

It took time (~6 months), hopefully one or some of these ideas can help out.

[Concat]

Running can be hard on your knee joint. Is the pain muscle soreness, or joint pain? If it's the latter, you may want to adopt more impact free cardio and less running.