Leg extensions/curls for knee health?

[ProudVirgin69]

I've always done squats/dl's/lunges for leg workouts, believing these exercises be easier on the joints and more 'functional' in nature.  At the advice of someone else, I've been adding a few light sets of 15-20 reps of leg ext/curls to my workouts and my knees feel more "solid" and ache a bit less at the end of a long day.  Maybe they target an underdeveloped muscle, idk. 

Anyone else have similar experiences?

[deadz]

Let ext for warmups

[LurkerNoMore]

The shearing action from leg extensions are awful over a long term period of time.

You can compensate for this doing them the way Ryan Hunistan (?) talks about on YouTube.

[affeman]

Try this variation of hack squats, works wonders for sore/injured knees

[Flexacon]

Try this variation of hack squats, works wonders for sore/injured knees

Not sure if serious, but that looks to have an awful lot of similarities to the hindu squat and that's brutal for the knees.

[IroNat]

As with any exercise, some people can do leg extensions without issues and some can't.

I and most bodybuilders many years ago did tons of leg exensions with no problems.

[MAXX]

The shearing action from leg extensions are awful over a long term period of time.

You can compensate for this doing them the way Ryan Hunistan (?) talks about on YouTube.

It does seem like a movement or load that the human body was not designed/evolved to take.

I mean In what natural movement in nature would a human take that kind of load on the knee joint. Maybe swimming kicking the legs against water resistance then but that would be a very light resistance.

[LurkerNoMore]

Try this variation of hack squats, works wonders for sore/injured knees

Probably the worst thing ever for knees.

[Royalty]

Barbell jump squats with 225LB are a perfect warm up for achey knees.

[Coach is Back!]

I've always done squats/dl's/lunges for leg workouts, believing these exercises be easier on the joints and more 'functional' in nature.  At the advice of someone else, I've been adding a few light sets of 15-20 reps of leg ext/curls to my workouts and my knees feel more "solid" and ache a bit less at the end of a long day.  Maybe they target an underdeveloped muscle, idk. 

Anyone else have similar experiences?

A major factor for those that lift and have knee pain is more than likely being quad dominant. Your hamstrings are flexor to the knee, that being said if your hamstrings, glutes and general posterior chain is weak, it would stand to reason why the knee might not be as healthy as they should be. Posterior chain works as a unit, if one link out of that chain is weak it could cause problems in other areas…such as knees. Glute ham raises, both bi and unilateral RDL’s, wider stance squat or better yet, wide stance box squat, etc

[affeman]

Probably the worst thing ever for knees.

Tom Platz did them all the time and he's still squatting 315 today in his mid-60s. Can't be that bad after all

[Humble Narcissist]

Platz was a freak!

[_bruce_]

Platz was looking crazy ... like he was made from nuclear dough.
"Knee bends", albeit looking dangerous, are funnily an exercise that seems to improve knee "health"... if in doubt only use your bodyweight.

[ProudVirgin69]

A major factor for those that lift and have knee pain is more than likely being quad dominant. Your hamstrings are flexor to the knee, that being said if your hamstrings, glutes and general posterior chain is weak, it would stand to reason why the knee might not be as healthy as they should be. Posterior chain works as a unit, if one link out of that chain is weak it could cause problems in other areas…such as knees. Glute ham raises, both bi and unilateral RDL’s, wider stance squat or better yet, wide stance box squat, etc

after fooling around with it some more, i think the short head of my hamstring was weak .. the part of the muscle that doesnt cross the hip and is solely involved in knee flexion, NOT hip extension.  Squats, DLs, etc dont seem to target it much.

Do you do leg curls w your athletes?  Or do you rely on GHR to train knee flexion?

[funk51]

   

&t=8s    jack lalanne inventor of the lef extension bench

[Coach is Back!]

after fooling around with it some more, i think the short head of my hamstring was weak .. the part of the muscle that doesnt cross the hip and is solely involved in knee flexion, NOT hip extension.  Squats, DLs, etc dont seem to target it much.

Do you do leg curls w your athletes?  Or do you rely on GHR to train knee flexion?

With my athletes I limit any type of isolation. As far as GHR, younger athletes have to build the strength to even do that movement, when that's the case I will have them partner up to do hamstring drops. If it's a rehab situation I will do a banded leg curl as well as TKE's.

5 years ago the school have me a budget of $80K for equipment not including the extra 800sqft expansion. I purposely kept out any machines with the exception of a jammer machine for linemen. I did include a bands and chains. The platforms are equipped with band attachments

[pamith]

Platz had flexibility

[Humble Narcissist]

   

&t=8s    jack lalanne inventor of the lef extension bench

Not anymore.

[Bevo]

Tom Platz did them all the time and he's still squatting 315 today in his mid-60s. Can't be that bad after all

Great way to build up knee strength to drop down to a schmoe when needed