Bad knees, so many people complain they have them. Both athletes and non-athletes deal with this issue. But if you are into working out, or especially bodybuilding, then you already know that you must work around the knee problems to get the body you desire.
Everyone knows that to build a great pair of legs, it requires strenuous movement of the leg muscles and joints. What does this mean? Simply, you must incorporate activities that will involve the knees. Face it, if you squat, run, jump, lunge, climb, or even stand, you are required to use your knees. There is no way around it. If you are able to walk, you must use your knees to do so. In training, the key is to find ways around producing any damage to this area while attempting to build the body you want.
First, it will be important for you to understand how the knee works. Let's take a look at the different components that make up the knee: (Click here to view image: Knee Anatomy)
- Bone - The knee bone is known as the patella and the leg bones tibia and femur are what form the outer structure;
- Ligaments - Provide joint stability by connecting bone to bone. These ligaments are most often the focus of a knee injury.
- Articular Cartilage - Provides shock absorption and smooth articulation between the bones that form the joint.
- Muscle - The hamstrings and quadriceps are in direct connection to knee contraction and flexion, as there are no muscles in the knee itself. However, the muscles surrounding the knee contributes to its rotation.
- Bursa - Protective fluid sacs which are called bursa sacs. They are located often between tendons or muscles and prominent bone.
- Tendons - Fibrous elements that connect muscle to bone, in connection to the quadriceps.
- Adipose Tissue - Fatty tissue used for padding.
In bodybuilding, the best exercise for adding muscle, size, shape and separation to the quadriceps are squats. The squat is the exercise that you will either love or hate, sometimes both. It is one of the most taxing exercises for the leg muscles but also the most productive.
Many people say that squatting is terrible for your knees. Many people also injure their knees while performing this exercise. Well, here is an interesting take on the squat. When you squat and your body is not properly aligned to perform the proper squat, squatting is then like death to your knees. However, if properly executed, the squat can reduce and prevent many of the knee injuries and problems common in sports.
It is true that you may start out with weakened joints in the knee area, then after exercising consistently, those areas are stronger and able to withstand strenuous lifts; although, it didn't seem possible before. It's like a rusted door that squeaks when it opens but after continuous usage and lubricant, it's like new again. Sometimes, so are the knees.
FOR CONCLUSION: Click here - Part 2
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