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Knee Pain & How To Manage It

For anyone who has had meniscus tears/patellar tendonitis/bursitis, or suffer from recurring knee issues!

rp17
rp17 g Rohan Pai
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: April 4, 2014
Posted

Hey, first time poster here! Quick intro: I have been working out for 2 years (only 1 with proper discipline) & have made gains in almost every body part. Except my legs - and here's why.

Knee pain is a HUGE issue for me & it's adversely affecting my leg gains - I now suffer from 'chicken legs'.

I've noticed that front/back squats & leg presses always give me really painful patellar tendonitis. However, deadlifts, lunges, isolation exercises like knee extensions (with lighter weight and controlled reps) aren't painful & seem effective.

I'm no physio, but my theory is that - anatomically - some of us with proportionately long legs/short torsos may find it hard to prevent our knees from tracking in front of our ankles/toes. This means the compression screws our knee joints. Box squats do help me to sit back & use my hip hinge & glutes to alleviate this tracking issue, but I still leave the gym feeling like I have 80-year-old knees, even if I stick to less than 220lbs of weight!

Does anyone suffer from a similar problem? If so, any tips/experience for managing it?

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: rp17

Hey, first time poster here! Quick intro: I have been working out for 2 years (only 1 with proper discipline) & have made gains in almost every body part. Except my legs - and here's why.

Knee pain is a HUGE issue for me & it's adversely affecting my leg gains - I now suffer from 'chicken legs'.

I've noticed that front/back squats & leg presses always give me really painful patellar tendonitis. However, deadlifts, lunges, isolation exercises like knee extensions (with lighter weight and controlled reps) aren't painful & seem effective.

I'm no physio, but my theory is that - anatomically - some of us with proportionately long legs/short torsos may find it hard to prevent our knees from tracking in front of our ankles/toes. This means the compression screws our knee joints. Box squats do help me to sit back & use my hip hinge & glutes to alleviate this tracking issue, but I still leave the gym feeling like I have 80-year-old knees, even if I stick to less than 220lbs of weight!

Does anyone suffer from a similar problem? If so, any tips/experience for managing it?

What if you purchased a good pair of knee sleeves? They help hold the knee joint tightly together and I think they could make a big difference for you man! I use these all the time and I have a code for them.

 

Iron Bull Strength - 7mm Knee Sleeves

https://www.ironbullstrength.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=100&url=14

 

I am 5'10" 180lbs and I use a LARGE.. you probably need a large as well.

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rp17
rp17 g Rohan Pai
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: April 4, 2014
Posted
Posted By: Scott_Herman

What if you purchased a good pair of knee sleeves? They help hold the knee joint tightly together and I think they could make a big difference for you man! I use these all the time and I have a code for them.

 

Iron Bull Strength - 7mm Knee Sleeves

https://www.ironbullstrength.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=100&url=14

 

I am 5'10" 180lbs and I use a LARGE.. you probably need a large as well.

Thanks Scott, I'm looking into better knee sleeves right now! :)

In terms of modifying my approach to squats, do you think concentrating on increasing reps at a lower weight (rather than focusing on 1-3RM) would be better for my knee joints? For example: I could aim to add 1 or 2 reps onto an 80kg (176lbs) set each week, reach a designated rep goal (say 12) at that weight, and then move on to higher weight?

The current goal from my leg workouts is ultimately a good compromise between hypertrophy/progressive overload & making sure I don't overload my joints too much just because my muscles might be able to shift a higher weight. Thanks again for your help!

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: rp17

Thanks Scott, I'm looking into better knee sleeves right now! :)

In terms of modifying my approach to squats, do you think concentrating on increasing reps at a lower weight (rather than focusing on 1-3RM) would be better for my knee joints? For example: I could aim to add 1 or 2 reps onto an 80kg (176lbs) set each week, reach a designated rep goal (say 12) at that weight, and then move on to higher weight?

The current goal from my leg workouts is ultimately a good compromise between hypertrophy/progressive overload & making sure I don't overload my joints too much just because my muscles might be able to shift a higher weight. Thanks again for your help!

if I were you I would still train in the muscle gain rep range of 8 - 10 reps and focus on front squats, leg extensions, jefferson squats, lunges etc. You need to build your quads as much as possible as that will take stress off the knees cool

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jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Scott_Herman

What if you purchased a good pair of knee sleeves? They help hold the knee joint tightly together and I think they could make a big difference for you man! I use these all the time and I have a code for them.

 

Iron Bull Strength - 7mm Knee Sleeves

https://www.ironbullstrength.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=100&url=14

 

I am 5'10" 180lbs and I use a LARGE.. you probably need a large as well.

Sometimes knee pain can be a result of muscle imbalances. Your quads have 4 large and powerful muscles but your hamstrings are just 2 smaller less powerful muscles. The quads and the hamstrings together bring stability to the knee joint. When the quads overpower the hamstrings, the knee is able to move in ways and across distances it really wasn't designed for thus causing stress on the supporting ligaments and tendons. Besides knee sleeves and knee wraps, I recommend ensuring you focus on hamstring training.

 

The best hamstring exercises are deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and standing or seated leg curls. You shouldn't rely on knee sleeves or wraps (unless you have had prior knee injuries or surgery) too much because over time they can cause wear of the cartilage behind your patella (knee cap). This can cause excruciating pain and compromise your knee joint.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
Simon87
Simon87 g Simon Borrow
19 Post(s)
19 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: November 11, 2017
Posted

I've been suffering with chronic knee pain for about 5 years, been given about 6 different diagnosis in that time. I have had 5 steriod injetions (don't help just increase pain) a nerve block also no help, also had 3 operations and waiting to here about a fourth. Leg day is deffiently the hardest dayof the week for me as one week a can absoutely crush the work out and the next can barley do anything.

??????
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Simon87

I've been suffering with chronic knee pain for about 5 years, been given about 6 different diagnosis in that time. I have had 5 steriod injetions (don't help just increase pain) a nerve block also no help, also had 3 operations and waiting to here about a fourth. Leg day is deffiently the hardest dayof the week for me as one week a can absoutely crush the work out and the next can barley do anything.

Wow sounds like quite the ordeal you've been through with your knee. Hopefully fourth time is the charm for you! Did you go to see physiotherapists as well as surgeons?

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Simon87
Simon87 g Simon Borrow
19 Post(s)
19 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: November 11, 2017
Posted

 Yeah I have seen many physio's. They all just give up and send me to someone else

??????
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Simon87

 Yeah I have seen many physio's. They all just give up and send me to someone else

Man that sucks. Hopefully you can get the result you're after this time 😊 

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rp17
rp17 g Rohan Pai
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: April 4, 2014
Posted

Update: I don't know whether this matters, but I wanted to update this thread after around 2.5yrs. I learned a few things:

1) I obsessed over progressive overload on exercises that *primarily* hit quads i.e. lunges, squats and knee extensions.
2) Jmboiardi is 100% right. I changed my routine so I do heavy squats only once a week and follow them up with either hip thrusts at BW (180lbs) or glute ham raises with my ankles pinned under a leg press machine for good hamstring hypertrophy. I finish with 3 sets AMRAP of knee extensions on the machine, but only around 50lbs. Sure, that equals 3x25 reps, but the burn & hypertrophy dynamic works.
3) I keep a day reserved for deadlifts and tack on additional hamstring work - specifically conventional DL with a shoulder-width stance on deadlifts, as that's just most comfortable for my torso/leg length ratio. I also do lunges not just forward and back, but side-to-side and 45 degree diagonally forward AND backward.
4) Every four weeks, I switch from squats to trap-bar DLs.
5) I now focus more on doing standing exercises (military press/bbell curl/tri extensions etc.) instead of seated ones. Now, my quads are just better at stabilising in ALL planes of motion than before.

Moral of the story: a) do NOT neglect your hamstrings as this will prevent a quad/hams muscle imbalance; b) Find exercises that suit you, but mix up your compounds every few weeks to cover all bases; c) please remember my advice on exercises is not professional, it's just what worked for me and my knee tendons/joints; d) watch Scott's videos, because he has covered a TON of leg exercises - variety is the spice of life. Peace out, my dudes 😁 

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: rp17

Update: I don't know whether this matters, but I wanted to update this thread after around 2.5yrs. I learned a few things:

1) I obsessed over progressive overload on exercises that *primarily* hit quads i.e. lunges, squats and knee extensions.
2) Jmboiardi is 100% right. I changed my routine so I do heavy squats only once a week and follow them up with either hip thrusts at BW (180lbs) or glute ham raises with my ankles pinned under a leg press machine for good hamstring hypertrophy. I finish with 3 sets AMRAP of knee extensions on the machine, but only around 50lbs. Sure, that equals 3x25 reps, but the burn & hypertrophy dynamic works.
3) I keep a day reserved for deadlifts and tack on additional hamstring work - specifically conventional DL with a shoulder-width stance on deadlifts, as that's just most comfortable for my torso/leg length ratio. I also do lunges not just forward and back, but side-to-side and 45 degree diagonally forward AND backward.
4) Every four weeks, I switch from squats to trap-bar DLs.
5) I now focus more on doing standing exercises (military press/bbell curl/tri extensions etc.) instead of seated ones. Now, my quads are just better at stabilising in ALL planes of motion than before.

Moral of the story: a) do NOT neglect your hamstrings as this will prevent a quad/hams muscle imbalance; b) Find exercises that suit you, but mix up your compounds every few weeks to cover all bases; c) please remember my advice on exercises is not professional, it's just what worked for me and my knee tendons/joints; d) watch Scott's videos, because he has covered a TON of leg exercises - variety is the spice of life. Peace out, my dudes 😁 

@rp17 Glad you came back to give an update my friend!


Sounds like all the advice we gave you those 2 and a half years ago paid off big time! Hamstring gains and stability gains have been made! Hope you're still training hard!

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
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