Leg training and knee wraps

gnpower · Jan 11, 2003

Here is my typical quad training that I perform once a week. A good warmup with streching and light weight presses and extensions. Then 2-3 sets to failure on extensions. Then 2-3 sets to failure on leg press, then 2-3 sets to failure on smith machine squats or hack squats. For the last few months I have been experiencing alot of pain right above my kneecaps (the patelar tendon I guess). I can feel it a little on the leg press, and then I squat and it hurts like hell when I hit 90 degrees. I trained with a friend who uses knee wraps all the time, so I tried them and could squat with no pain at all. I don't know if this is a good idea or not. Am I just masking the injury and going to make it worse? Or is this common? Who uses leg wraps and what are your reasons? Also I have trained legs like this without wraps for years with no problems at all. FWIW I am 24, 5'10", 225 @ 10%. This is really the first injury I've had to deal with and I want to compete this summer, so I'm a little worried. Thanks in advance.

stackdizzy · Jan 11, 2003

I also use knee raps for this very same reason, I experience pain on squats and leg presses but when I use knee wraps it doesn't hurt at all. I don't know why this would further injur your knee but it could so hopefully someone else can be of more assistance

Paul Bunyan · Jan 12, 2003

Don't do leg extensions. Those fuckers will wreck your knees.

PB

patk · Jan 12, 2003

First of all it sounds like your wasting alot of energy on leg extensions, leg presses and hacks. Put your energy into squats first then finish off with leg presses. you must hit the squats hard with all you got for maximum size gains in you quads. Second, if your going to use knee wraps....only use them for your heavy sets and don't use them unless you really need them because they will only make your knees weaker and dependant on them. Third, hacks will absolutely kill your knees......Remember squats, squats, and squats! Take care.

patk

bigheinz · Jan 12, 2003

Use it only for heavy movements, warm up with leg extensions , make basic exercises first and isolation exercises to finish your workouts always heavy
Look at http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2112
and remember ..There is no space for the littles.!!!!!!!!
Bigheinz

JETHRO TULL · Jan 12, 2003

I WRAP LIGHTLY ON MY HEAVY SETS..

OR IF I AM EXPIRIENCING PAIN....I USE THEM. I WOULDN'T WRAP TIGHTLY LIKE YOU WOULD AT A POWER MEET WHEN TRYING TO SET A ONE REP MAX. IF YOU WATCH DORIAN'S TRAINING VIDEO.....HE USED THEM AND HAD SOME BIG- ASSED LEGS.

gnpower · Jan 13, 2003

Thanks for the input, maybe I will just go see a damn doctor. I was just kind of hopeing this was a common injury or problem people have when they don't use wraps. I also wanted to know the pro's and cons of useing wraps. I have even taken 2-3 weeks off with not training quads at all to see if that helped. It's like the layoff almost made it worse. The pain feels like it's in the tendon, not the joint. Even with very light weight on the squat movements, the pain is bad. BTW my friend who went to college for this kind of stuff thinks I should massage it daily, and apply icy hot. He thinks the tendon is just tight. Does this sound right? I will give it a try. Any more suggestions are appreciated.

stackdizzy · Jan 13, 2003

I have heard of people using dmso on there knees, but that really does make you stink i dunno if its worth it

gnpower · Jan 13, 2003

What is dmso? I have never heard of it. Thanks.

raybravo · Jan 13, 2003

Paul Bunyan said:
Don't do leg extensions. Those fuckers will wreck your knees.

PB

yeah , totally , i hate that exercise . i dont use knee wrap on any
squat exercises or anything , havent felt the need to .....

Crimson Ghost · Jan 13, 2003

That's weird....I've used mostly leg presses, hacks and extensions for over 5 years and my knees are fine. In HS my knees actually hurt when I first started doing leg extensions, but after awhile it went away.

Gnpower: I would suggest you utilize a machine, such as the stationary bike, to fully warm up the joint/ tendon area. Warm ups with weight help acclimate the muscle to the tension of the weight to come, but the joint will benefit from 10 min on a bike prior to working legs. I use this technique myself and it has helped my knees feel better during and after training. On the other hand, my training partner doesn't warm up on a bike and his knees hurt him too. He also works outside all day long and, in the winter, it can get pretty cold out. Warm up the joints/ tendons, then the muscle and then work out. It's as simple as that. You might also look into some sort of joint supplement.

Have a good day

gnpower · Jan 14, 2003

Chrimson Ghost - thats weird, my training partner tells me the same thing. Maybe he's right. If you see him tell him thanks and I've got some fuel injectors for him.