I've been cutting down from my peak weight of 158 lbs that I hit 3 weeks ago. I've climbed down to about 149 by running and continuing going to the gym. Through my cut I've continued to work my legs hard at the gym which culminated with me finally reaching my goal of a 500 lb leg press (6 reps) last Thursday. Also, I've been running 3 miles 6 days a week for the last 2 weeks. Since about Saturday, though, my knees have been sore right under the bottoms of my knee caps, especially after I come home from a run.

I really don't want to damage my knees further; I'm an incoming college freshman who has been playing goalie (a position notorious for ruining knees and hips) in ice hockey for 6 years so I don't know what damage I've already done there. I take it I need to take a break for a bit. My question is how long is long enough? Should I wait until I don't notice the soreness any more and then start again? Maybe wait a few days after that? I was planning to change up my Thursday leg routine at the gym and resume doing my beloved deadlifts; should I postpone that?

Thank you very much for the advice. I have consulted this board in the past and the replies have never been short of helpful. Thanks in advance.

- Dan

Hello Dan,

I've also had some knee problems myself. Everything started when I was in my 20s (I'm 32 now). I was very good at leg bench presses and I was always showing off. At some point I felt some kind of noise in one of my knee and it did hurt a little. Then, the pain was always there when training but it was quite mild. It did stop after a few months.

Then, a year ago I was doing a lot of running (5-10 miles/day) and I was way heavier (200 lbs) than you. The same knee started to hurt when running but not when walking. I had to stop running. I used the bike instead (20 miles/day) and it was much better, absolutely no pain. After some time, the pain did stop again. I can run without problems now.

I think that since you are not very heavy, your knees are not used or built to support a lot of weight/pressure such as the 500lbs bench press.

So, to resume, I would advise to not stress too much your knees with leg presses, try to use a bike instead of running and really let your knees get back in shape as long as you can. I tend to say that you need a full month maybe more before trying something strenuous. I'm in no way a specialist, but I would say that bones/ligaments are the most difficult to get back in shape.
However, you can find a lot of activities to replace your leg presses/running.

Cheers,
Another Dan

Obviously, see a doctor.

At your age you shouldn't be having knee problems.

And if it hurts, quit. Until you see a doctor and find out whats wrong.

Hello,

I've been through my share of knee problems, as well. I'm no expert, but I can tell you what has worked wonders for me: instead of running and pounding the crap out of your knees and feet, try using an elliptical machine. I use one of the new fancy ones at the local YMCA, and it gives me the following benefits:

1. For some reason, no need to stretch beforehand. None at all! I can start right away without the 5-10 minutes of stretching I used to need before going for a run. If you're in a hurry, that makes a bit of a difference.

2. Unlike the stationary bike, the elliptical engages more muscles (you're standing up!). Also, you can increase the resistance (as you admittedly can on a bike), but also the incline. On an elliptical machine, this simply means that the "pedals" move through a greater range, causing you to exert your leg muscles more fully.

3. The impact on your body is much lighter, obviously. Huge bonus for the knees.

4. Here's an unexpected one that's very important: when you're running, you generally have to go faster and/or longer to get a more intense workout (unless you have hills nearby). This adds to the knee stress. However, on an elliptical with the resistance and incline at to maximum settings, you are taking *slower* steps, so there's less impact, and as a result, **fewer** steps than you'd need to take for an equivalent run. We're talking maybe 50% fewer steps here!

With all these advantages, I find I can do up to 5 times a week of heavy duty elliptical work (60 minutes with max settings) with no trouble. No way could I have done that on a track or treadmill.

Also: try some elastic knee wraps. They're cheap, and they really work!

Good luck,
Jared