alternatives for reverse hypers and hang clean and press

[metalrex]

My brother and i are working out together and he suffers from patella femoral syndrom (knee cap gets pulled tight in one direction and is painful). The program we are doing requires that we do a hang clean and press as well as reverse hypers. I'm more specifically looking for an alternative to the clean and press. any thoughts?

[jocularric]

The program we are doing requires that we do a hang clean and press as well as reverse hypers. I'm more specifically looking for an alternative to the clean and press. any thoughts?

What? You don't like the Clean & press? j/k

This is a compound exercise with multiple lifts in one. I would suggest breaking it down in to its smaller parts. Follow the list given under the title Example Clean & Jerk Training Progressions on the ExRx web site. It's not quite the same, but close.

Reverse hypers target your posterior chain--hams, glutes, and lower back. The are several exercises you can do in place of them. See the article "Posterior Chain Improvisation" for ideas.

My brother and i are working out together and he suffers from patella femoral syndrom (knee cap gets pulled tight in one direction and is painful).

I don't understand. What does his PFS have to do with finding replacement exercises for the Clean & Press or Reverse Hypers?

Restoring the balance in his quads is going to involve strengthening them as a whole. The ability to isolate the inner quads (vastus medialis) from the outer quads (vastus lateralis) is still open for debate. Strengthening exercises traditionally are done with the knee flexing from 0-30°. (A justifiable excuse use for partials--not full ROM.) His recovery in part needs to be focused on improving his ROM. He'll want to improve his ability to relax and lengthen his quads. Have him use long easy (20-30 seconds of low force) stretching. Long easy stretches work on neural and connective tissues. And remember to have him stretch his entire leg (iliotibial band, hip, hamstring, and calf) and not just his quads. Some patellar taping techniques used during his strengthening exercises might help. See your doctor or PT for help on this.

Most symptoms of PFS are resolved with simple measures. But when they don't, as with many exercise routines, it's often because the people failed to adhere to the exercise prescription.

[metalrex]

I have tried to convince him numerous times that he needs to continue to stretch even at home to "even" out the elasticity. He doesn?t do a good job at that and then bitches about it hurting him when he flexes the bad knee. I think he's on the right path now, but I'll have to see if he keeps it up over the next few weeks. Thanks for the help.