60 MUSCLE & FITNESS/NOVEMBER 201 7
You’re doing: leg extension
Do this instead:
reverse lunge
WHY Leg extensions – which lock your knees
into place – put a high amount of torque on the
joint. And when you’re dealing with an existing
injury, the last thing you want to do is add
pressure on the knee with minimal reward in
return. Instead, try reverse lunges, a great
knee-dominant movement that recruits your
posterior chain (not just your quads), so you get
more bang for your buck. It also teaches your
body how to properly decelerate downwards,
as you won’t have a weight stack forcefully
pushing your legs down after each rep, making
them much safer on your joint and limbs overall.
DO IT From the standing position, step
backwards while maintaining pressure through
the heel of the front foot. Descend down to
90 degrees or when the back knee touches
the ground. Return to the starting position by
driving through the heel of the front leg while
keeping the weight off your back leg.PAIN-FREE LEG TRAINING PA RT 1