Are leg extensions a valuable addition to a routine? The benefit seems to be the potential to build shape/muscle around the knee, while the drawback could be risk of damage to the knee joint. Is it true that extensions can be damaging to the knees and is this time better spent performing another set of squats? If squats are the only quad exercise in the routine then how many sets should be performed?
Leg Extension
- Thread starter Kiwi
- Start date
I
imported_daxie
Guest
I've been doing leg extensions since day one I started training, they are my preferred leg exercise, never got any knee probs...
They might not be the best mass builder, but to me they feel great, probably just a mental thing.
They might not be the best mass builder, but to me they feel great, probably just a mental thing.
Fausto
HST Expert
Kiwi
Most times bad form is the cause of injuries to any body part for that matter!
However, as for leg extensions being dangerous to knees is a controversial subject, there are people out there saying so, however, this is a choice exercise of the orthopaedic surgeons and physiotherapists for knee injury recovery
, so I'd say so much for those articles if the medical professionals are using it for recovery purposes with good results then it is a duh
issue as far as I am concerned!
Note that I am not calling anyone names, but simply saying use your best judgement when making a call such as this, it is a fact also that it is not a mass builder of note, but many of us perform it as a superset to squats and it yields fairly good results.
Form - This particular exercise as wekll as the squats can be "bad" for the knees if you do excessive lockout (stopping at the top of the R.O.M.) and for squat if you bounce at the bottom of the R.O.M.
The people who write articles condemning exercises are sometimes (unfortunately more often than not) not based on science and/or factual evidence, or at times are trying to promote their own programs or machines.
My take, might not be everyone's agreeable view point but my take nevertheless!
Hope it helps to settle any doubts.
Most times bad form is the cause of injuries to any body part for that matter!
However, as for leg extensions being dangerous to knees is a controversial subject, there are people out there saying so, however, this is a choice exercise of the orthopaedic surgeons and physiotherapists for knee injury recovery
Note that I am not calling anyone names, but simply saying use your best judgement when making a call such as this, it is a fact also that it is not a mass builder of note, but many of us perform it as a superset to squats and it yields fairly good results.
Form - This particular exercise as wekll as the squats can be "bad" for the knees if you do excessive lockout (stopping at the top of the R.O.M.) and for squat if you bounce at the bottom of the R.O.M.
The people who write articles condemning exercises are sometimes (unfortunately more often than not) not based on science and/or factual evidence, or at times are trying to promote their own programs or machines.
My take, might not be everyone's agreeable view point but my take nevertheless!
Hope it helps to settle any doubts.
If you have patellar pain, floating material in the knee, or any problems with the articular cartilage, you should avoid full extension of the knee on leg extensions. The range of motion I use for rehab on knee patients is to start at 90 degrees and end at 15 degrees. The last 15 degrees just grinds the heck out of your patella.
I have a bad left knee. I dont know the problem, but I do have an appointment with an orthopedic sept. 1st. I can't do the treadmill or hiking thing because it just gets too painful. my problem is doing things that takes me to full lock. squats dont bother me because I maintain good form (never go up to full lock or bounce at the bottom) leg curls bothered me until I discovered that the lower end of my bench could be adjusted so my legs pointed at an upward angle at the end. That way the swivel on the leg extension would go to lock before my legs did. I have had to stop doing standing calf raises and switch to seated calf raises, but I wish I could run/jog/walk. I sure hope the doc can fix me up.