Poor knees question

[elizabethvolpe]

I have really bad knees. They pop sometimes when I walk and two of my sisters had three knee surgeries before they were 22 years old. I am afraid that my knees will give out on me and I know that I need to strengthen them in order prevent that. How can I go about working out hard without risking injury?

[dbcb314]

good form, smart weight progression, smart routine, paying attention to your body...

[ukstrongman]

Go and see a doctor and if possible speak to a physio about it!

[papi93]

I have really bad knees. They pop sometimes when I walk and two of my sisters had three knee surgeries before they were 22 years old. I am afraid that my knees will give out on me and I know that I need to strengthen them in order prevent that. How can I go about working out hard without risking injury?

See a knee specialist.

[krogtaar]

my family has pretty bad knees too...arthritis, things popping, etc. Ive found that strenthening gradually helps. I take glucosamine and condroitin and have worked up to heavy leg workouts once a week. I do squats, deadlifts, leg extensions and leg curls. Ive found it is better to do them slowly and controlled with less weight than you could to build up strenght without hurting yourself

[aldude]

flaxseed oil and glucosamine.plus light weight training to add muscle on your thigh area.

[Tyciol]

And water! Damn, my knees crack a lot too. Is cracking same as popping?

[elizabethvolpe]

Thanks for all of the advice. I think I am going to work on my legs slowly. Perhaps less fat on my body and more leg muscles will help my knees. I want to avoid seeing a doctor if I can remedy them with exercise.

[Ibanez]

I have really bad knees. They pop sometimes when I walk and two of my sisters had three knee surgeries before they were 22 years old. I am afraid that my knees will give out on me and I know that I need to strengthen them in order prevent that. How can I go about working out hard without risking injury?

3 Surgeries such as?...

Knowing what type of surgeries would help.

[elizabethvolpe]

My one sister had two surgeries on one knee and one surgery on the other (she twisted the one knee playing soccer, the other just gave out). My other sister only had one knee surgery (she injured it just walking), and my dad had knee surgery when I was little. All of them were ACL replacements that put them out of work for a long time.

[BasRutten]

my knees are so poor when someone stepped on a lit cigarrette in there house they yelled "who turned of the heat"

my knees are so poor, they have to hang toilet paper out to dry

my knees are so poor that they chase the garbage truck with a shopping list

[Ibanez]

My one sister had two surgeries on one knee and one surgery on the other (she twisted the one knee playing soccer, the other just gave out). My other sister only had one knee surgery (she injured it just walking), and my dad had knee surgery when I was little. All of them were ACL replacements that put them out of work for a long time.

Women suffer from ACL more than men because of the Q angle it places more emphasis on the quadriceps instead of the hamstrings. The hamstring is an important muscle in protecting the ACL. Work on developing your hamstring strength, no lying leg curl **** either, so standing work such as Romanian Deadlifts, Good Mornings, Regular deadlifts, etc.

Also because of the Q angle more emphasis will be put on the Vastus Lateralis (outside thigh muscle) instead of the VMO (Little Tear dropish muscle on the inside) because of this it's important to strengthen your VMO. Some say Leg Extensions are good, but the ACL is constantly loaded during it, which makes it less desirable than squat, in a squat the ACL isn't constantly loaded. The best bet for VMO strength would be front Squats in addition unilateral such as lunges and bulgarian squats. The lunges and bulgarian squats will help with your hip abductor/extension strength also. And of course, full squats are essential.

If you don't know how to do these exercises try to find a experienced trainer who knows his ****, not just some guy trying to make a buck. A Certified Strength coach would probably be a better bet.

Any other questions just ask.

[hammiemam]

I have had three surgeries, my last surgeon and also physical therapist told me to never do leg extentions again. There are still so many excercises to do. Listen to your body. Talk to a doctor, or perhaps even a pt that has a special knowledge of knee trouble. Hope this helps!