New to weight lifting, getting knee pain

[leyla]

Greetings to everyone, here I post my symptoms. I haven't been able to find this particular case as I searched the forum. I would appreciate any suggestion or a link to a tread where this has been mentioned.

1. When did the pain begin?
A week ago, after about the fourth workout following excersices in the book New Rules of Lifting For Women (NRL4W –stage 1)

2. What were you doing at the time? Or did the pain come on gradually over time?
It has been coming on gradually.

3. Where, anatomically, is the pain?
medial side of the knee, 1 inch from center of kneecap

4. What does the pain feel like? Sharp? Dull? Aching? Stabbing? Shooting?
Dull

5. Is the pain constant, or intermittent, or only on certain motions?
Constant, not too strong

6. What motions make your pain worse?
After doing lunges and step ups. Taking a bike ride.

7. What, if anything, makes your pain better?
I don’t know.

8. Does your pain radiate to any other part of your body?
No

9. What things could you do before, that you cannot do now because of your injury?
Nothing.

10. What is your main concern regarding the pain and its consequences?
That it becomes stronger and prevents me from following the lifting weights program as described in NRL4W.

11. Have you ever injured that part of your body before? If so, how?
No.

12. Is your pain getting worse over time? And if so, how much worse over what time period?
It has become worse with each lifting session, and after I ride my bike.

[UConnJulie]

Take a week off. No NROL4W and no biking. Walking is fine if it doesn't hurt.

Do these mobility/activation exercises during that week ...
1. Quad stretch (twice a day) 30 second hold each side twice
2. Sidelying clamshell 2x10 each side
3. Glute bridging 2x10 (if you can do single side, that is better, and do 10 per side)
4. SHELC 2x10
5. Glute stretching 30 second hold each side twice
6. Hip flexor stretching 30 second hold each side twice
(Please let me know if you need links to these exercises)
Also, ice the knee daily for 10 minutes.

This might take 1 week or 2. Symptoms need to be nearly resolved before diving into NROL4W again. And when you do ... really focus on your glutes when doing lunges, squats, and step ups. You have to consciously overcome the tendency of the quads to do all the work and force the glutes to do their share.

When you restart stage 2, keep the above exercises in as part of your warmup. Save the stretches for after the workout and do the glute activation stuff during the warmup.

HTH

[leyla]

Originally Posted by UConnJulie

Take a week off. No NROL4W and no biking. Walking is fine if it doesn't hurt.

Do these mobility/activation exercises during that week ...
1. Quad stretch (twice a day) 30 second hold each side twice
2. Sidelying clamshell 2x10 each side
3. Glute bridging 2x10 (if you can do single side, that is better, and do 10 per side)
4. SHELC 2x10
5. Glute stretching 30 second hold each side twice
6. Hip flexor stretching 30 second hold each side twice
(Please let me know if you need links to these exercises)

I appreciate your time to respond with all these suggestions. From what I had been reading I suspected that I needed to focus on my glutes. I do need links to these exercises. Thank you again!

[Mon]

When you are working out, make sure your knees do not go over your toes. This is very important. Videotape yourself the first few weeks or so or at least get someone to watch you and your form. You said you are getting pain after doing lunges and step ups, so it may be that your knees are going over your toes.

[leyla]

Originally Posted by Mon

When you are working out, make sure your knees do not go over your toes. This is very important.

Thank you Mon, I have been aware of this and as far as I can tell my knees were not going beyond my toes. But I will continue to be mindful.

[Ruslan Kedik]

Originally Posted by Mon

When you are working out, make sure your knees do not go over your toes. This is very important. Videotape yourself the first few weeks or so or at least get someone to watch you and your form. You said you are getting pain after doing lunges and step ups, so it may be that your knees are going over your toes.

With women we have be more concerned with having more control over the femur and not allowing the knee to cave as we are lunging or stepping up vs. worrying about if the knees go past the toes or not. Women’s natural build of wider hips often causes the femurs to internally rotate and the knees to cave inwards. When performing exercises weaker glute musculature will not be able to control the femur and sustain neutral alignment, therefore the knee will most likely get pulled medially. That is something that will cause more stress (wear and tear) to the area vs. knees going past the toes.

As Julie recommended some good glute activation work along with some strategic stretching you’ll not only be able to get rid of the pain but will probably take care of the cause of the issue in the first place.

[leyla]

Originally Posted by Ruslan Kedik

As Julie recommended some good glute activation work along with some strategic stretching you’ll not only be able to get rid of the pain but will probably take care of the cause of the issue in the first place.

Great! Thank you Rusland. I am feeling so encouraged to have found this forum and such nice people willing to spend some time giving suggestions. I will faithfully do the recommended exercises.

[UConnJulie]

Originally Posted by Ruslan Kedik

With women we have be more concerned with having more control over the femur and not allowing the knee to cave as we are lunging or stepping up vs. worrying about if the knees go past the toes or not. Women’s natural build of wider hips often causes the femurs to internally rotate and the knees to cave inwards. When performing exercises weaker glute musculature will not be able to control the femur and sustain neutral alignment, therefore the knee will most likely get pulled medially. That is something that will cause more stress (wear and tear) to the area vs. knees going past the toes.

As Julie recommended some good glute activation work along with some strategic stretching you’ll not only be able to get rid of the pain but will probably take care of the cause of the issue in the first place.

Absolutely Ruslan! Women need strong glutes and hamstrings to offset a whole host of anatomical differences that set us up for knee injuries.

Originally Posted by leyla

I appreciate your time to respond with all these suggestions. From what I had been reading I suspected that I needed to focus on my glutes. I do need links to these exercises. Thank you again!

1. Quad stretch
2. Sidelying clamshell (but you can have your bottom knee bent too)
3. Glute bridging (if you can't do one leg, do two)
4. SHELC (AKA Swiss Ball Leg Curl)
5. Glute stretching
6. Hip flexor stretching


Happy to help! Keep us posted on how you make out!

[leyla]

Originally Posted by UConnJulie

Happy to help! Keep us posted on how you make out!

Thank you Julie...Great links. One more question. You recommend doing the Quad stretch twice a day. How about the rest of the exercises, should I do them once a day?

Here I post another link for the SHELC. It seems like this guy explains it quite clearly.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

[Bliss]

Originally Posted by leyla

Thank you Mon, I have been aware of this and as far as I can tell my knees were not going beyond my toes. But I will continue to be mindful.

Leyla- while most people are very nice and helpful, please take everything with a grain of salt. Some on here like to give advice that is not correct.

Cheers.

[UConnJulie]

Originally Posted by leyla

Thank you Julie...Great links. One more question. You recommend doing the Quad stretch twice a day. How about the rest of the exercises, should I do them once a day?

Here I post another link for the SHELC. It seems like this guy explains it quite clearly.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

Good video ... most of the ones posted at StrengthMill are excellent.
You can do the other exercises just once a day, except maybe the glute stretch, that would be good to do twice a day.

Originally Posted by Bliss

Leyla- while most people are very nice and helpful, please take everything with a grain of salt. Some on here like to give advice that is not correct.

Cheers.

Very true. It is always a good idea to find out the qualifications of the person giving advice.

If you want my bio it is available at my website which is linked in my siggie.

[leyla]

Originally Posted by UConnJulie

Very true. It is always a good idea to find out the qualifications of the person giving advice.
If you want my bio it is available at my website which is linked in my siggie.

I understand that when we look into "the internet" for advise we must double check and cross reference the information that is given. In participating in a forum such as this one, I could assume that some advice might be well intentioned, but not accurate. But there are ways to have an indication if a piece of advice is sound.

Julie, I had already read your profile and noted your experience in the field and how much you participate in this forum.
Thank you again, I appreciate your time and care.

[UConnJulie]

You are most welcome.

[Mon]

Originally Posted by Ruslan Kedik

With women we have be more concerned with having more control over the femur and not allowing the knee to cave as we are lunging or stepping up vs. worrying about if the knees go past the toes or not. Women’s natural build of wider hips often causes the femurs to internally rotate and the knees to cave inwards. When performing exercises weaker glute musculature will not be able to control the femur and sustain neutral alignment, therefore the knee will most likely get pulled medially. That is something that will cause more stress (wear and tear) to the area vs. knees going past the toes.

As Julie recommended some good glute activation work along with some strategic stretching you’ll not only be able to get rid of the pain but will probably take care of the cause of the issue in the first place.

Oh ok, so if I am understanding this correctly, its weak glutes that can cause stress (wear and tear)? How about males? Does this apply for men too or just females?

[UConnJulie]

Mostly women as we have anatomical differences that most men don't have. The increased width of our hips increases something called Q-angle which puts a lot of stress on knees.

The glute weakness can be a man OR woman thing. John Berardi wrote a series of articles on Dave Tate's "Gluteal Amnesia". Google it if you want to read them. But women seem to be more prone to it. Probably also has to do with our tendancy to have our pelvises anteriorly tilted (which also weakens the glutes).

[leyla]

I have been doing the exercises suggested by Julie three days in a row now. The good news is that I'm learning muscle anatomy first hand by feeling a little sore in muscles that I had never really felt before... hamstrings, glutes...!!
I have been icing the knees also.
My right knee seems to be stable in its pain, it is not getting worse. (I have not biked or taken walks at all)
The not so good news is that my left knee seems to be getting a little more painful... over my kneecap now. This is in addition to the medial side pain. I have heard a tiny crackling noise when I bent the knee if I squat. Also I find it hard to do the Hip flexor stretching. I feel better when I rest my knee on a blanket to soften the surface.

The other good news is that I am feeling more determined to be patient, but to persist in handling this and getting on with the weight lifting.