Bad Knee - Other ways to work Quads?

[timmyda]

Not trying to be the 1 millionth person to post about bad knees... but here we go


I recently got my life together and found the joys of fitness/nutrition after being fat my whole life(im 25). I lost 100lbs through exercise and diet and was finally happy with my routine.

Then I went ahead and hurt my knee(damaged articular cartilage under kneecap and on the lateral side of the femur). This makes doing squats a no no. Also doing leg extensions and leg press a no no.

So....

I've almost given up on being able to add new mass/strength to my legs(which were by far my strongest body part pre-injury). Is there any non/low impact exercises that will help me retain my muscle in my legs? Will doing moderate intensity cycling/elliptical help retain this muscle? What about sprint-style swimming?

Anything?

[butthash]

I've had similar problems with both my knees for years. The biggest improvement for me came from strengthening the muscles around the knee. Start with very light weight. Do any excersise you can that doesn't cause pain. If you feel pain while doing a set just stop any leg work for the day. It will take long time to build up the strength in your legs, probably a few years. But after you do you'll be able to do any lift.