Alternatives to Squats & Lunges
 

I wish I could still do squats and lunges with heavy weights, but I get knee problems while and after doing them. The smith machine used to give me such a good workout, which the others clearly do not do (as I am never feeling it the next day). The only exercise I'm doing that seems to be a good work out is the one (forgot the name) where I keep my legs straight, bend over, and come back up to a standing position slowly with a 60 pound BB. Does anyone have any other ideas? What do you think of the leg machines in the gym? Do you find you get results from them? :o

Mami, you are talking about a straight legged deadlift, which is mostly a lower back and secondarily a hamstring exercise.

Can you use the leg press? What about changing your foot position- does that affect how your knees feel?

Leg extension machines are notorious hard on bad knees.

Meg is the resident "bad knee" expert, unfortunately for her. She'll probably pop in soon.

Mel

Can you do smaller sets of the lunges/squats? Or adapt them to be easier on the knees?

My trainer had me on a program doing regular lunges and squats - but on the lunges, his sets were WAY too big for my knees (they are all screwy). So I went from 4 sets of 15 lunges on each leg to 4 sets of 10 lunges on each leg. So if you can do a smaller number, try that and build up.

I had to start doing my squats with a towel or styrofoam roll thingy under my heels. For some reason, this made the squats a lot easier on the knees and I can get through them no problem now. Ball squats on a wall are also easier on the knees for me - not sure why.

The resident bad knee expert ... sad but true. :cry:

Mami, I'm not sure what the issues are with your knees, but I can tell you how I've adapted my workouts to deal with my dysfunctional knees and maybe you can get some ideas that work for you. I've had several talks with my doctor about how to adapt exercising because he understands that being fit and active are extremely important to me. The good news is that I'm still doing legs twice a week. :D

My problem is osteoarthritis - I don't have any cartilage left so am 'bone on bone' (yeah, you can hear the bone on bone :p ). I also have a ton of bone spurs that limit my range of motion. It feels like I have sheets of metal tightly wrapped around both knees.

In practical terms, it means I can't do impact activities and anything that requires bending the knee to 90 degrees. Plyometrics are out, as are step ups and lunges (I just can't get to that perfect 90 degree angle with the front and back leg any more). I'm still doing half-baked squats but not down to 90 degrees.

So I do a lot of leg press, sometimes one-legged (one knee is worse than the other and I worry about that leg getting weaker). Our gym has sitting, lying, and 45 degree leg press and I use them all. When you change your foot position, like Mel suggested, it will target different muscles. Try feet together, shoulder width apart, and in a plie position.

I use the hack squat machine, stopping just short of 90 degrees. There's debate about the merits of the leg extension machine, but my doctor suggested it so I use it one leg at a time (it's fun to do five sets in a row, just switching back and forth from one leg to the other). I also use the seated leg curl machine (I don't have enough range of motion for the lying one).

Have you tried ball squats, using an exercise ball behind your back against a wall? Those work for me so long as I stop short of 90 degrees (remember to have your feet out far enough so you keep your knees behind your toes). You can do high rep sets - like 50+ - and/or add weight by holding DBs.

Other fun exercises using the ball ... lie on your stomach on a ball and do leg lifts up in the air or scissor your legs back and forth (squeeze your butt on both).

Your gym probably has other odds and ends of leg machines ... check 'em out and see which are comfortable for you.

Stiff legged dead lifts (like you described) are a staple for me. If you want to take your lower back out of the picture and make it more of a hamstring exercise, stop as soon as you feel the stretch in your hamstrings. When you go too low it becomes more of a lower back exercise. Squeeze your butt and focus on pulling yourself up with your legs and butt, not back. This exercise needs to be done s-l-o-w-l-y and with a lot of focus. Have you ever tried it with a BB instead of a DB? Much easier, IMO. :)

BTW, the Smith machine is notoriously hard on knees. I don't understand the physics, but it has to do with shearing force. Most people with knee problems avoid it like the plague (as do many people without knee problems :lol: ).

Geez, I rambled and wrote a book. :o Let me go away and see if anything else comes to mind ... :chin:

Thanks so much for your suggestions.

Meg, I do the stiff legged dead lifts with a BB and exactly as you described, except that I was going down too low and getting that lower back workout. But my hams always feel it a lot, so I must be hitting both. Did not know this about the smith; my knees aren't nearly as bad as yours, they just sort of hurt and/or get weak when I do squats and lunges. I used to do walking lunges w/ 25 pounds and that was such a great workout, but it just hurts now when I do that.

Oh well, will definitely try some of the above recommendations!

I have learned from this thread - going to incorporate the dead lift and the ball on the wall workouts.

I have horrible knees as well, and squats are definitely out for me.

However, I've had luck doing "treadmill lunges" - walking lunges on a treadmill at full incline. I think in my case it's the pushing back of a lunge that aggrevates my knees, and by doing it walking on a treadmill I avoid that part of it. Takes a bit of practice with balance, and I always hang on! I have the treadmill on the lowest speed, and do them slowly, focusing on lifting myself out of the lunge using my legs. I do them to exhaustion, then lower the incline and walk a bit to loosen up my legs a bit.

I'll have to try out a few of the other exercises suggested here as well!
Cindy

Gosh, Meg, that describes how my knees feel! One of the worse things for me - silly as it sounds - is getting up from kneeling at the communion rail at church :shrug: Thanks for the suggestions. I've seen folks doing the ball squats, but I need to practice somehow where no one is around as I'm sure I'll feel - if not look - foolish doing it. I have good luck doing deadlifts, but never thought of using BBs; they're in a different part of the gym, but no reason I can't move my workout....