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Knee Replacement and Strength Training, which is Acceptable

Knee Replacement and Strength Training, which is Acceptable
Knee Replacement and Strength Training, which is Acceptable

If you are a bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast who is training in strength, you will have concerns when it comes to making the decision to have your knee replaced. After all, certain physical restrictions will be imposed on you, such as no high impact sport or running, as this will only shorten the life of the prosthesis.

When it comes to weight training, there really aren't too many contradictions when it comes to exercises that you can't complete. Therefore, you should be able to continue weight training without compromising your surgical knee if you use some restraint in the amount of weight that you intend to lift.

I used the following exercise for my legs to keep them strong and to allow muscle wasting to develop, which everyone involved in bodybuilding knows well.

Leg press: I use the leg press more often than the squat because the weight is better balanced and I can focus more effectively on the quadriceps.
The intention when it comes to lifting weights with the affected leg is to stimulate the muscles involved not necessarily the weight that someone can lift.
The leg press allows you to keep control of your body so you can focus entirely on the surgical leg. I like to use the leg press because it allows me to develop more muscular endurance in the leg without sacrificing shape and preparing for injuries.

The squat: Yes, I have found that you can still use the squat effectively, however, common sense should be used. The days before surgery where you may have placed 400-550 pounds on a bar is not recommended. You can still squat safely to be parallel or even a little deeper, however, the weight used should be something that you can safely use for 12 to 15 repetitions. The amount that a weight uses of course will be different, but maintaining a weight not exceeding 225 pounds may be acceptable.

Putting too much weight on a consistent basis with the squat can cause a breakdown around the prosthesis and cause the components to loosen. The weakest link with a knee replacement will be the cement used by the surgeon to hold the knee components in place. Overweight over long periods of time can cause sagging.

Hamstring exercises: Basically, all the hamstring exercises are ok and I find that none of them has caused any harm to my knee replacement for more than 14 years now. The same goes for calf muscle routines. The important thing to remember is that keeping your weight selection modest is the key.
To my knowledge, no study has been done on the weight that an individual can use when training in strength on a knee prosthesis and, if you ask your surgeon unless 39; he himself is not an active bodybuilder, there will be no other advice that you do not raise!

So don't worry that your bodybuilding or weight lifting days are over just because you've had a knee replaced. Be a little more creative in your weight selection and find other ways to tire those quadriceps and hamstrings, like using shorter rest periods or compound sets in the future.