Re: Re: muscle stimulation

[Guest guest]

>Just adding a word of caution on the pistols ? there's lots

>of warnings from the medical and physical therapy communities against

>loading the knee beyond 90-degrees and doing deep knee bends,

And it is all justified. Any time your knee travels forward of your toes

the kneecap will take a beating.There is a difference though with a pistol

-- your shin should stay roughly perpendicular to the ground at all times,

just like standing, and this is what causes all of those other stabilizers

in the trunk to kick in. I've got a really bad left knee and pistols don't

bother it, but any type of squat does. Pistols are much more taxing on the

leg than squat and they just use your body weight. Watch your form if you

do pistols and work up to them gradually with the various types of

assistance suggested.

Jeff

rBHR Aug. 1, 2001

Mr Mcminn

>particularly on an injured or weakened knee. You should check with

>knowledgeable and trusted sources before you attempt them. There are

>other exercises that work the stabilizer (surrounding) muscles other

>than pistols.

>

>Dave

>

>

>

>> >My name is Wayne from Toms River, NJ. I had my surgery Oct 2004.

>> >I returned to work, as a letter carrier, six months ago. I

>perform a

>> >physical job everyday, and work out about four to five times a

>week.

>> >However, I do not feel 100%. I notice that my muscle above the

>knee

>> >has not returned to its old form.

>>

>> First off, are there any problems because of this? I mean, are

>there

>> functional problems (leg collapses, unsteady, can't climb stairs,

>easily

>> tired, ...) or does it just look smaller? Have you had it strength

>tested?

>> A physio can do that, or a trainer at the local gym can, or (if you

>don't

>> mind a lack of precision) you can by hopping an a few leg machines

>and

>> keeping track of pounds/reps on each leg.

>>

>> Which muscle above the knee? The main thigh muscle is called the

>> quadriceps. Mine was a lot smaller than the good leg and took a

>couple of

>> years to grow back. The muscle immediately above the knn and on the

>inside

>> is the vastus medialis. This is used for extending the leg fully

>and only

>> kick in within the last 15 degrees or so. If this is on the small

>side,

>> that is a bit more difficult to get to, and most leg strengthening

>> exercises actually miss it.

>>

>> What exercises do you do now? There was an excahnge some weeks back

>(ca.

>> march 20, 2004) about pistols:

>> http://www.powerathletesmag.com/pages/pistols.htm These are what

>did it for

>> me. They are great, but follow form very exactly, and gradually

>work up to

>> them, either by having a bench to sit on or by using a door frame.

>Don't

>> underestimate these! I have a bunch of college kids I train with

>and

>> pistols routinely exhaust good athletes -- even those that can pile

>on the

>> weights and do killer squat sets have trouble completing a set of

>these. If

>> you are really hardcore, break your date with Lois Lane and hang on

>to a 25

>> lb or more dumbell. [Actually, I do mostly body weight exercises

>now and a

>> lot of these guys are starting using these, since they get a better

>burn

>> than freeweights. Pistols, as with all bodyweight exercises are

>massively

>> compound, meaning that you will conscript just about everything

>when you do

>> them. Don't be surprised if your abs, calves or something else is

>sore the

>> next day -- this just shows where your stabilizers aren't being

>trained

>> along with the rest of you, that's all.]

>>

>> If these seem a bit much, then tell me a bit more about what you

>are doing

>> and where the problem is and maybe I can come up with a few more

>> suggestions.

>>

>> My mother-in-law used one fo those muscle stimulation machines for

>her

>> shoulder. I doubt that this will help you much. In her case, she

>was

>> getting over frozen shoulder and the muscles were pretty much

>atrophied.

>> This device allowed her to use them at a low level. Since the leg

>muscles

>> are designed to move your bodyweight, getting enough stimulation to

>emulate

>> that might mean they should hook you up to an arc welder...

>>

>> Cheers,

>>

>> Jeff

>>

>> >I have tried many excercises and

>> >stretching and still nothing. I have spoke with Dr. Amstutz and

>he

>> >said that muscle is the last muscle to regain strength,or I may

>have

>> >some nerve damage that may or maynot inprove. It has been nine

>> >months, and I am a little concerned.

>> >_Has anyone had this same problem?

>> >_Anyone use a Muscle Stimulation T.M.S. unit for the leg

>muscles,and

>> >can i hurt my hip using it?

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >

>> >