Alternatives to Squats

[Jcannon98188]

Hi all,

I finally convinced my Mother to start going to the gym with me (gonna get her lifting heavy things!). I plan on starting her with SS 5x5 but she does not think she can do squats (joint pain). I think proper form might change her mind, but in the spirit of wanting to keep her involved, do you guys know of any good subs I could do instead of squats? Something that is lower impact on the knees? (Even if it is a machine...)

[Waldo]

The cure for knee joint pain is often strengthening the knees in the way a squat does.

It hard to convince people of this, but as someone who has gone through a long battle with painful knee tendonosis and come out the other side (mostly), squatting ATG is the ultimate RX (well, single leg squats are even better since you can't "hide" faulty biomechanics as easy), even if it means squatting itself is very painful.

When I first started I couldn't do a BW squat. Not because I was too weak, but because the pain would cause me to buckle. I started with wall sits and band exercises. Once I could gut through the pain of squatting (feels like your kneecaps are going to rip right off) I did those first BW then with DB's. After a couple months of that what had caused me to walk with a slight limp at first had been reduced to only being noticable when squatting, even then it wasn't much of anything. Still couldn't do lunges though.

I'm still rebuilding the biomechanics of my leg(s), undoing a few years of knee pain isn't easy. I've mostly got it. Pistols hurt one of my legs a little, but that's it. I've had several ah ha momements, remembering how to use muscles in my legs in various ROM's of various motions. Single leg squats are much better for this.

[andygates]

...all true.

Then there's lunges. But it's easy to do really shitty lunges, so watch her like a hawk!

[Jcannon98188]

Thanks guys! I'll make her do the squats then, and when I tell her that it will make her pain eventually go away, she'll be happy.

[Hermione Gainser]

If she's super scared of squats you could ease her into them. Instead of going ATG immediately (or trying since it's doubtful she'll have that ability off the bat) start with squat to a bench or box, then to a medicine ball (assuming it's smaller than the bench) and the like. It may help her mentally prepare for real squats while allowing form to be worked.

[Waldo]

^^^This. Just don't do the parallel thing. They are even worse for the knees. Box squats are a little easier on the knees than a regular squat.

[katscratch]

I agree, I have fairly unstable knees due to bone deformities, had a bunch of physical therapy when I was young, and was completely shocked that my kneecaps actually aligned properly after a few months of heavy squats. I'm even more convinced after just getting back to the gym after 5-6 weeks off-- my knees lost more stability than anywhere else on my body lost strength.

That said, because my knees were so wonky, I started out with bodyweight only, then goblets, then barbell--over several months. Lunges are still difficult to do without my knees being all over the place. Proper form has been ridiculously important for me to avoid injury, since my 'natural' position squatting is pretty knock-kneed, so "knees out" and really digging my heels into the ground was essential to make habit before I got heavy.

Super awesome your mom is going with you

[Robot_Monerz]

Thanks guys! I'll make her do the squats then, and when I tell her that it will make her pain eventually go away, she'll be happy.

Eeeee! I feel nervous about that route.

I've done some physiotherapy for my knees. I have patellofemoral pain, and none of my physiotherapists have let me do something that caused the "bad" type of pain. I know that my knee issue is probably different from your mom's, but I'd be careful about just working through the knee pain.

[lemongranita]

When I had knee alignment/pain problems the physio had me doing very slow, good form demi-plies, engaging the glutes, for several weeks before going any lower. It does very much depend on what the knee problem is, but for mine improved quad strength (starting from wall sits and ball-on-the-wall squats) and iliotibial band stretches made a world of difference.

Not a bad video of demi plies here: