Squat down as deep as you can safely squat without discomfort in your knees or hips. I can't squat more than 225 without my knees almost giving out (I know I can do more, but the pain is too much). The priority should always be on movement mastery before increasing load. I have absolutely terrible knees and have tried nearly everything under the sun and moon to make them better. Beelzebrah. Dear Kimberly: Bad knees? After a couple of weeks try using a pair of 5 pound dumbbells and do 3 sets of 12 repetitions. (Here's how to do squats and lunges without killing your knees.) Are there any other good exercises that can be done as an alternative to squats for legs? Split-Squat. 2 Anybody with movement restrictions at any of these joints will have a tough time squatting correctly and adding load in this instance is not a good idea. I've done low weight/high rep lunges, 5x5 leg press(to sub in for squats for Stronglifts and a handful of other things. I mean it! In this post, we will go through exactly what these mistakes are AND how to fix them. When using a high box, there's a tendency to increase the weight on the bar, but that can defeat the purpose. Another standout among Squat variations is the Split-Squat, ideally loaded with dumbbells in each hand. Squat! Bad elbows usually come from incapable shoulders, and cranky knees are often a product of hip flexors that aren't in the greatest condition. I had to get stronger to rehabilitate my body. You’ll notice that there is more emphasis on the leg being used to step up so take it easy at first. Going deep in the squat can be stressful for the knees over time, but a high box will alleviate most of the stress. I found that trying to find a squat substitute did me more harm then good. In fact, the pain their knees hurt when squatting due to damage around the knee because of a few common mistakes they make during the squat. Injury is another instance where the squat may not be the appropriate movement. Since the hip flexors – especially the psoas – attach on the spine, they serve a dual role in dictating the health of both the knees and the lower back. Replacement for Squats - Bad Knees I've pretty much busted up my knees from soccer, to the point where it hurts to walk up the stairs. The squat requires movement at the hip, knee, and ankle at the same time.
Knee isolation exercises will not do the job. I knew I had to get stronger all over. For those of you with bad knees, start with one or two blocks and don’t use any weight. Try doing 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Just get used to the motion for the first week or so. 01-30-2011, 11:13 AM #2. I had the same problem, and I also had the same question, about ten years ago.
If you substitute the regular back squat for a high box squat because of knee issues, keep your ego in check to get the intended benefit. The thing is though, most people don’t have “bad knees”.