Fresh

i have been looking through this forum and it seems that a lot of people are very knowledgable about weight training so i was hoping someone could help me out.

i wanted to start some leg workouts to build some mass on my stick legs, but my knees have been really bothering me. i started squats last week and noticed when i lift the weights back up, my knees lock up and makes cracking noises. there's also a sharp pain.
anyone know some alternative workouts or maybe a way to get stronger knees so i won't run into this problem?

btw, i'm not a body builder or anything. i am 25 yrs old, and just started working out. i just got a membership to a gym and i've been working to get some lean muscle on my upper body but my legs need some SERIOUS work - from the toes to the hip.

any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

Sam40

What kind of weight are you squatting. Possibly is you might try to go light for awhile, and strengthen your knees.
Quad extensions are not a weight bearing exercise, and help to develope your upper legs. Hamstring bench curls, also do not bear weight. Along with seated calf pressed. But I would recommend you start light on anything you do.

CowPimp

Does the pain during squatting go away if you use less weight? For example, does the pain persist if you do a squat with just your bodyweight? Squats are the lift to develop massive thighs, so if you can slowly work your way into doing them with some resistance, then that would be great. However, if pain persists even with just your bodyweight, or it returns once you hit a certain weight threshold, then you may be out of luck.

You could try leg presses or hack squats, but I have a feeling the same symptoms will result. Step-ups or lunges might also work. However, again, I have a feeling the pain will continue. There are also some good hamstring exercises like deadlifts, good mornings, and glute ham raises that you should try.

If all else fails, then you give leg extensions and curls a try, if you have no other choice.

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Cold Iron

leg extensions are terrible for people with bad knees

Fresh

thanks for your replies.

well...i was actually just using the bar to do squats since i am a beginner. i just did some squats with only my body weight, and there was very little strain. so i'm guessing i should do squats with just my body weight for awhile - although i feel like the biggest weakling in the world?

and are squats only to build massive thighs? because i wanted to develop everything from my ankles to my glutes. a lot of the times my pants feel like its going to fall off because i have no legs and butt. and my ankles are the size of a wrist.

Yanick

do you know what the problem is with your knees exactly? personally, i would see a dr. to have em diagnosed, that way you can work on rehabing/strengthening it so you can squat/DL.

it could also be a matter of form, do you have access to a digicam? if you post a video of you squatting, people on here will give you some pointers.

"...we have to remember that training is a complicated dance of stimuli and response. Our goal is to understand how to manipulate the stimuli in order to evoke the responses we desire." -Nathan J. Polenchek

CowPimp

Squats are the king, although there are other exercises you can do that will add mass. However, if it all possible, I would tend to agree with Yanick. You should see a doctor, preferrably a sports doctor, who can tell you how to rehab yourself back into squatting.

Yanick, do you have that link to squatting raw? I came across the link in someone's journal the other night. Twas a good read.

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Yanick

yea dude here ya go it is a good read, especially the points about doing more quad work and using bands/chains.

you should go elitefts.com and subscribe to their weekly emailing list. they do pimp some of their products in the mail, but they also have great articles like the raw squat article and some entertaining stuff too occasionally.

"...we have to remember that training is a complicated dance of stimuli and response. Our goal is to understand how to manipulate the stimuli in order to evoke the responses we desire." -Nathan J. Polenchek

Tough Old Man

I have bad knees and now just do hack squats, leg presses and leg ext. I use the most weight I can get for 12 reps, but only do 3/4 partials on Hacks. The leg presses aren't to bad on my knees, so i bring it all the way down on my 45 degree hip sled
Tough

Squaggleboggin

I would suggest either starting extremely light and slowly building up the weight (which you should do anyways to get your form down correctly) or seeing a sports medicine doctor about this; s/he may have some useful suggestions or have had clients in the past who found a solution to a similar problem.

Push yourself. Enjoy yourself. Be yourself.
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Sam40

HEY!! Knee Wraps might help, I forgot about that.
Still start light, maybe just body weight for awhile.

Fresh

thanks for all your replies.

i've been doing squats with just my body weight and i am going to start squats using just the bar again and i will hopefully get some knee wraps too. i also wanted to start deadlifts and watched a few videos of people doing deadlifts, but i am still scared that my form is off and that i will hurt my back. i have a similiar experience with squats. is there a website that tells you how to do these workouts in descriptive detail?

i never really thought of going to a 'sport' doctor to ask about my knees. is this a special doctor that i would have to pay $ to see or does it go under my health insurance (i am under my school's health insurance program)?

my other question was if squats help build your whole lower body? i read somewhere that it is mainly for your back and thighs but not sure how accurate the info was. i was aiming for my whole lower body from my ANKLES to by glutes.