How to build Super Knees

Most of the prehab information here is upperbody based: elbows, shoulders, wrists, etc. A little hip for the flexibility stuff, but I couldn't find anything on developing really strong stable knees.

I do SLS, front squats (not too often), split squats with back foot elevated (very deep and quite heavy/goal is 150+ lbs), and SLGHR with 30 lbs (goal = 100+ lbs). I also do a ton of calf raises.

I am doing Ido's squat clinic daily, sometimes more than once. I sprint (after a thorough warm up) 2 times a week right now (heavy bag work and drills will soon replace a lot of this, though ).

I haven't been doing the MobilityWOD for quite a while, but I'm restarting it now.

I still get knee pain from straight leg strength positions (isometric/pnf side split for example), but if I keep my legs bent slightly it's less. Do you have any advice on developing super stable knees?

Thanks a ton

pat

Holy hell, you're doing 30 pound Single leg GHR? That's impressive!

How about throwing in some soft tissue work for the quads/hips and calves to make things move properly and calf stretching?

http://forum.idoportal.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=116

Also, I don't know how your posture is, but seems most people these days have anteriorly tilted pelvises, and could benefit from loosening their hip flexors. Check out mobilitywod.com and search for the "couch stretch". Eric Cressey also has some good material on breathing drills, which I think is important for fixing this.

Sissy squats and squats with crossed legs to a lotus position are good for preparing for situations where you happen to be improperly aligned. Be careful starting out.

Hope this helps any =)

It's a very explosive movement and very, very hard for me. It's nowhere near the NCL - that's super strength...

Good idea! I don't do any calf stretching and not enough mobility WOD (starting it again, though). I'll look up the couch stretch.

I forgot to mention soft tissue stuff. I haven't done any in a while, but I'll restart doing that too.

Thanks!

Look up vmo stepups. I do those in all directions. Sideways sled drags also. Think of what you don't want to happen to your knees and then very progressively train them in that position. For example, I don't want my knees to cave in when I land from a jump. So part of my prehab is knee inward squats so that if I do land in that position, at least my knees are kind of used to it. I hope that helps! A lot of my knee prehab had to be researched and self learned too but since using it, I haven't had a single issue even though I tumble, sprint, jump, and other heavy impacts daily.

In the GB seminar material there are a hips, knees, and ankles series. We didn't have time for the hip series when I went but I've pieced together something I find good enough from KStar's MWOD and some of the graduate members might have had it in their notes which I'd have to go through again.

To all interested:

I just read a good article about "kneehab" on t-nation. It's pretty good. Here's the link: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_art ... knee_rehab

My thoughts on prehab for the knees:

- Get your gluteus maximus active - Lots of glute bridges and hip thrusts

- Regularly stretch your rectus femoris (remember, you cannot stretch your quadriceps, only your rectus femoris) - use the couch stretch

- Regularly stretch your other hip flexors

- Perform a strength move that stretches the hamstrings - I do single leg stiff legged deadlifts

- Work on your ankle mobility

- Regularly strengthen your calves - do calf raises and ghrs/nlcs

- Regularly strengthen your tibialis anterior - do shin raises

- Regularly stretch your calves - see mobilitywod.com for good ideas

- Do full range of motion squats

- Do cossack squats

- Do both variants of the hip rotations seen in Ido's Squat Clinic at different knee angles

...and perhaps the most important ones...

- Do regular myofascial release on your quadriceps, your hamstrings, your tfl, your iliopsoas, and your adductors.

- Buy a gua sha tool and do regular gua sha on your entire leg

If you do all of the above, do your strength exercises with good form, and are structurally sound, you will most likely have super knees

Donar said:

My thoughts on prehab for the knees:

- Get your gluteus maximus active - Lots of glute bridges and hip thrusts

- Regularly stretch your rectus femoris (remember, you cannot stretch your quadriceps, only your rectus femoris) - use the couch stretch

- Regularly stretch your other hip flexors

- Perform a strength move that stretches the hamstrings - I do single leg stiff legged deadlifts

- Work on your ankle mobility

- Regularly strengthen your calves - do calf raises and ghrs/nlcs

- Regularly strengthen your tibialis anterior - do shin raises

- Regularly stretch your calves - see mobilitywod.com for good ideas

- Do full range of motion squats

- Do cossack squats

- Do both variants of the hip rotations seen in Ido's Squat Clinic at different knee angles

...and perhaps the most important ones...

- Do regular myofascial release on your quadriceps, your hamstrings, your tfl, your iliopsoas, and your adductors.

- Buy a gua sha tool and do regular gua sha on your entire leg

If you do all of the above, do your strength exercises with good form, and are structurally sound, you will most likely have super knees

That's a very comprehensive list, Donar. Thanks!

- I do high rep GHR once a week and low rep max weight stiff leg SLDL once a week too.

- I'm going to start doing the couch stretch as well as hip flexor stretches a LOT more now

- Ankle mobility... I'll work on it.

- I do calf work three times a week. Shin raises??? Sounds wacky, but I'll figure out how to them with weight. I guess I'll just hang a ton of ankle weights from a cord that's looped around my toes. I'll start stretching my calves too.

- I'm starting full ROM front squats (SLS too) this Friday. I also do cossack squats in my warm up.

- I'm going to get back into doing regular myofascial release most days ASAP.

Patrick Smith said:

That's a very comprehensive list, Donar. Thanks!

- I do high rep GHR once a week and low rep max weight stiff leg SLDL once a week too.

- I'm going to start doing the couch stretch as well as hip flexor stretches a LOT more now

- Ankle mobility... I'll work on it.

- I do calf work three times a week. Shin raises??? Sounds wacky, but I'll figure out how to them with weight. I guess I'll just hang a ton of ankle weights from a cord that's looped around my toes. I'll start stretching my calves too.

- I'm starting full ROM front squats (SLS too) this Friday. I also do cossack squats in my warm up.

- I'm going to get back into doing regular myofascial release most days ASAP.

No problem.

For the shin raises, you really don't need to get too fancy.

Simply put your heel(s) on a higher than the ground object (I simply use stairs), so you get full ROM. To increase the difficulty, stand on one leg. To further increase the difficulty, add weight to your body (for example in the form of dumbbells).

I think higher reps are a good idea for lower legs (and forearms as well), since the ROM is fairly short. Thus, you can do higher reps. I actually do 50 rep shin raises.

Donar said:

For the shin raises, you really don't need to get too fancy.

Simply put your heel(s) on a higher than the ground object (I simply use stairs), so you get full ROM. To increase the difficulty, stand on one leg. To further increase the difficulty, add weight to your body (for example in the form of dumbbells).

I think higher reps are a good idea for lower legs (and forearms as well), since the ROM is fairly short. Thus, you can do higher reps. I actually do 50 rep shin raises.

I think you're right about the higher rep for lower legs and forearms. Mine have always responded best to it. I currently do a system for standing calf raises with max reps with 20RM for one set. After that, I rest until the burning has subsided enough to continue (maybe about 7-12 seconds max) and then do max again. I repeat this until I reach a total of 75 reps. I'll try this with shin raises too and see how it goes.