Does anyone else flat out refuse to do kick sets because they hate it and are convinced the knee will get aggravated to the point that the returns become negative?
Is there evidence to support that you are in fact better off avoiding kicking or am I just being a wuss?
Parents
Former Member
With all this talk about kick sets and bad knees, I feel I need to inject some common sense. If your knees hurt when you kick, don't do it. Especially not breaststroke kick. I would never kick BR at all if it hurt or if my knees felt unstable. It's too risky and just not worth the risk. There are so many other sports that one can enjoy.. why destroy your body doing something you know is going to cause damage.
If your knees are injured, my advice is to avoid kicking in the pool for several months. Do a consistent, disciplined physical therapy program in the gym, aimed at strengthening the knees. Extensions, presses, and squats with low weight, one leg at a time, proprioception exercises, the works. After a few months, get in the pool and try kicking again. If it still hurts, don't do it any more. Continue the gym routine and repeat as necessary. Come to terms with the fact that you may never kick in the pool again. If you can do it safely, great. If not, do something else.
With all this talk about kick sets and bad knees, I feel I need to inject some common sense. If your knees hurt when you kick, don't do it. Especially not breaststroke kick. I would never kick BR at all if it hurt or if my knees felt unstable. It's too risky and just not worth the risk. There are so many other sports that one can enjoy.. why destroy your body doing something you know is going to cause damage.
If your knees are injured, my advice is to avoid kicking in the pool for several months. Do a consistent, disciplined physical therapy program in the gym, aimed at strengthening the knees. Extensions, presses, and squats with low weight, one leg at a time, proprioception exercises, the works. After a few months, get in the pool and try kicking again. If it still hurts, don't do it any more. Continue the gym routine and repeat as necessary. Come to terms with the fact that you may never kick in the pool again. If you can do it safely, great. If not, do something else.
