I have been lifting 3 times per week, with most exercises doing 5 sets of 15 reps, with pretty heavy weight. Workouts consist of incline bench press, french curls, curls, leg lifts, adductor (for inside leg), lat pulls (down to chest), leg lifts and reverse flys (simulating the breastroke pull). I have been told that leg extensions are very hard on the knees but I have never had a problem. Lifting has also helped my breastroke but I'm not convince that I am using the most effective program.
:weightlifter:
Leg extensions are not hard on the knees if you have good alignment... most importantly, if your patellas track correctly in the "groove" and you have no patellofemoral pain (pain under/around the kneecap or along the patellar tendon... sometimes called runner's knee). If you DO have this pain, it's best to avoid leg extensions and do isometric exercises to work your quads. Examples would be ball sits on the wall (ball is behind your back against the wall, legs are at a 90degree bend, like you're sitting in a chair) or sitting wall pushes (sit on a bench/stool with your back against the wall, plant your feet on the ground and contract your muscles like you're trying to push yourself backwards through the wall.)
I think dynamic exercises like leg extensions are better, because you're actually building strength through the entire range of motion, but you also have to do what your body can take...
I have been lifting 3 times per week, with most exercises doing 5 sets of 15 reps, with pretty heavy weight. Workouts consist of incline bench press, french curls, curls, leg lifts, adductor (for inside leg), lat pulls (down to chest), leg lifts and reverse flys (simulating the breastroke pull). I have been told that leg extensions are very hard on the knees but I have never had a problem. Lifting has also helped my breastroke but I'm not convince that I am using the most effective program.
:weightlifter:
Leg extensions are not hard on the knees if you have good alignment... most importantly, if your patellas track correctly in the "groove" and you have no patellofemoral pain (pain under/around the kneecap or along the patellar tendon... sometimes called runner's knee). If you DO have this pain, it's best to avoid leg extensions and do isometric exercises to work your quads. Examples would be ball sits on the wall (ball is behind your back against the wall, legs are at a 90degree bend, like you're sitting in a chair) or sitting wall pushes (sit on a bench/stool with your back against the wall, plant your feet on the ground and contract your muscles like you're trying to push yourself backwards through the wall.)
I think dynamic exercises like leg extensions are better, because you're actually building strength through the entire range of motion, but you also have to do what your body can take...
