How to strengthen knees

Squats and deadlifts, leg extension

@SkierPT has a bunch of stuff on their profile on the news tab that may be helpful for you. One is almost the same as the title of your thread lol

https://www.newschoolers.com/news/read/Best-Exercises-Strengthen-Knees

No sorry if you want to gain muscle you will need it to be surgically implanted

basic strength training with free weights (barbell squats, barbell deadlifts, bulgarian split squats with dumbbells) is really all you need. don’t use the machines they are garbage, free weights (barbell/dumbbells) are much more beneficial. there are more specific exercises and you might even need to start with body weight exercises like normal bodyweight squats, lunges, etc. to build up to weights if you aren’t strong enough yet.

what’s also important to mention that i never see with this answer is PROPER FORM. you can make your knees bulletproof with strength training but if you’re using improper form especially with deadlifts you can do more harm than good to your body over time.

skierPT is the expert on this stuff he’s a licensed physical therapist that makes great videos on freeski specific exercises for injury prevention. he goes a lot more in depth on which exercises to do and why they are beneficial. he also provides a lot more exercises to do that aren’t just barbell squats.

STRONG HAMMIEES STRONG KNEES STRONG SKIER STRONG SKIING

Gang go to the gym 😂😂🤦‍♂️

Kneesovertoes and yoga

Yoga will help for sure, that’s been my go to recently. It’ll help you with your form for other exercises as well.

Wide stance and closed stance squats with barbell 10-12 reps per set (proper form and reasonable amount of weight added) Lunges with dumbbells 10-12 reps per set (reasonable weight) go for high paced walks, hot & cold recovery sessions, cold shower > sauna. Keep your knees warm during days you are skiing and on rest days, apply liniment before and after riding. Alot of small things you can do to help prevent injury and build strength.

Leg day 7x a week (in all seriousness do squats, deadlifts if you can retain good form, lunges hack squats and accesories like leg extensions and curls but not as the main focus of your workout)

BIIIGZbasic strength training with free weights (barbell squats, barbell deadlifts, bulgarian split squats with dumbbells) is really all you need. don’t use the machines they are garbage, free weights (barbell/dumbbells) are much more beneficial. there are more specific exercises and you might even need to start with body weight exercises like normal bodyweight squats, lunges, etc. to build up to weights if you aren’t strong enough yet.

what’s also important to mention that i never see with this answer is PROPER FORM. you can make your knees bulletproof with strength training but if you’re using improper form especially with deadlifts you can do more harm than good to your body over time.

skierPT is the expert on this stuff he’s a licensed physical therapist that makes great videos on freeski specific exercises for injury prevention. he goes a lot more in depth on which exercises to do and why they are beneficial. he also provides a lot more exercises to do that aren’t just barbell squats.

This guy knows whats up op. If you can, get a trainer for a session after you have become comfortable with the equipment and the movements, just so you have someone making sure your form is correct. Free weight training is the most beneficial but also the easiest to do improperly.

I agree that free weight training is necessary and the best, but there are some instances where using machines provide more benefit than people give them credit for. For example, cables or machines can provide full force on your muscles through the full range of motion that free weights wouldn't necessarily because gravity only acts downward. Leg extensions and hamstring curls are examples of this. Also they can be really good for isometric work to even out imbalances. Machines can also help when people have physical inabilities to lift heavy enough free weights such as a bad back or shoulder.

**This post was edited on Apr 2nd 2023 at 6:19:27pm

ReturnToMonkeyI agree that free weight training is necessary and the best, but there are some instances where using machines provide more benefit than people give them credit for. For example, cables or machines can provide full force on your muscles through the full range of motion that free weights wouldn't necessarily because gravity only acts downward. Leg extensions and hamstring curls are examples of this. Also they can be really good for isometric work to even out imbalances. Machines can also help when people have physical inabilities to lift heavy enough free weights such as a bad back or shoulder.

**This post was edited on Apr 2nd 2023 at 6:19:27pm

excellent point that i didn’t mention. cables are the exception!!

i was mainly referring to the machines that put unnatural biomechanical forces on your joints and tendons and limit range of motion to a single dimension.

Yeah bro you just gotta get more fit. Summer construction job?

I’m yung finesse

Glad you asked. I ran a lot as a young kid, so when I started skiing a lot I developed some bad knee pain especially in bumps. The thing is almost any workout plan doesn't really touch on this. It's such a common problem but nobody really talks about it. By far the best resource I've found is Ben Patrick (kneesovertoes guy) on YouTube and instagram. Knee strengthening will transform your athleticism so start really slow and easy, try to be consistent for a few weeks, work up to more difficult stuff, and see where this takes you

Start taking glucosamine

Don_KedicIs there any way to strengthen my knees without going under the knife? Im only 26 but after a day of skiing I can barely walk around and my knees constantly look like they are full of pudding. Any tips?

One of the best ideas will be to go get physio, if you can via a doctor's referral and opinion/diagnosis. I had a bit of physio while I worked for a company that had one on site, and was free, so thought I'd make use of her before I developed a problem (again). She gave me various exercises that involved balance on one leg. So, one leg squats, calf raises (pick one leg off floor and push up only using your foot extension through the heel), lower leg curls (standing on one foot and lifting the other backwards to curl the hamstring). And also jumping forwards onto one leg and holding the position, and balance on them gym ball type things. You see vids on YouTube of pros doing this sort of stuff now, and she gave me those exercises about 20 years ago. These exercises are ok if you have not already got joint pain, same goes for anything more strenuous than working with your body weight. Best to let the injury resolve before doing anything strenuous (inc skiing). I had problems with my knees when I was younger, about 16 to 17. I used to be a competitive bumps skier, and this was back in the 80s and 90s, before the conditioning training was well developed. So my quads were overdeveloped relative to my hamstrings. This caused imbalance through the knee. I wound up not skiing much for 12 months cause the pain was significant after one run (tendon connection area to the front of the tibia was where most of the pain was, but also behind the kneecap itself felt like it was being prised off), and this break from skiing really helped. It probably let the muscle balance reset. But a professional opinion would be a good place to start. They'll be able to check your gait and your musculature to see where things may be coming from plus if you've got swelling in the knee joint itself on exercise it could actually be damage to cartilage, ligaments, or the meniscus. So worth getting yourself checked out by doc then physio. Best of luck, and hopefully you're not in the USA (or that you have good insurance).

Your knees die skiing? me its my feet that die since my boots pre mid.

Check my IG or feel free to DM me!

SkierPTCheck my IG or feel free to DM me!

https://www.instagram.com/pinpoint_physical_therapy/

https://www.newschoolers.com/news/read/Best-Exercises-Strengthen-Knees

Knees over toes, start now and there will be a big difference next season