You can’t workout if you don’t have knees to stand on.
When it comes to training injuries there’s no doubt that the most common, not to mention most irritating, are knee injuries. There’s nothing worse than to fall prey to a knee injury, particularly since it will slow a great deal of your progress. If you looking to have some mammoth wheels, some well defined quads and massive calves then a knee injury will kiss all that goodbye. With a knee injury your progress with the squat, deadlift, and numerous other exercises will be halted.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. The thing about knee injuries is that the occurrence is so common that there has been plenty of research into injury prevention. If you’re looking to hit the gym hard on leg day without having to worry about injuries, then do yourself a favor and take some of these tips under consideration.
It’s All In The Warm Up
First thing’s first, if your warm up looks like crap then your knees are likely to end up feeling the same way. If you want to ensure that you’ll have healthy knees after a hard training session then you better be sure to warm up properly. The key is not to jump into the deep end and start lifting heavy right off the bat.
Take your time with the warm up and use lighter weight, being sure to work on form and technique before all else. This will get your muscles prepped for the hard training to come and the mental focus on form will have you perfecting the movement even as you move up in weight. Try some leg extensions at a lighter weight and get the blood pumping before deciding to hit the leg press.
No Lockout Needed
Locking your knees during exercise can ultimately spell trouble for your joints by the end of your training session. Keeping a slight bend in the knees will prevent all the weight from being transferred to the joints. The whole point of training is to build the muscle not to stress your joints beyond repair. Keeping that tension will help work the muscle itself as well as save your joints from punishment.
Choose Your Cardio Wisely
Yes, cardiovascular training should be apart of your routine as a bodybuilder, but many people go about cardio training the wrong way. They believe that you have to do long distance running on the road or treadmill to get in their cardio. A better way to perform your cardio training is to pick an exercise and equipment that will supplement your leg training.
The elliptical and the stationary bike are two pieces of equipment that provide less stress on the knees as well as offering the cardio benefits you need. Running is a high impact activity. When you’re going to squat you don’t want to be worried about shin splints and other running related issues. Your legs should be fresh and strong in order to complete the workout to the best of your ability. That means when you decide to do your cardio choosing low impact exercise machines like the elliptical and the bike are key to better performance.
What nagging injuries set you back during your training? Let us know by hitting up our comments below or head on over to our official Facebook and Twitter.