posted on Jan, 27 2008 @ 11:49 AM
Originally posted by dbates
Do you realize how far down you have to go when you're 6'2" and doing squats?
Yeah I do, I'm 6'3".
I try to limit my squatting. I've never injured myself, but I'm worried that too much strain on my knees will cause tendon issues.
When I do squat I tend to go light, and concentrate on getting a great pump, squeezing my quads really hard at full extension. Also, I make sure my
knees don't go past my toes when I go down. To aide in this I like to put a flat bench underneath me. When my butt touches I know I've gown down low
enough, which typically has my legs at or very close to a 90 degree angle.
I've got long legs but good thick thighs from years and years of soccer. If you're worried about your knees I'd stick with doing leg presses and
leg extensions while you rehab it. And if you do squats, don't worry about the weight as much as getting a good solid pump out of them.
Also, another good exercise to use might be the hack squat. But start out light and see how your knees feel. Some guys complain they feel it puts more
stress on their knees, but I've always felt it puts significantly less stress on them. Plus, since the hack squat is usually a machine, you're
stability should be pretty solid on it and won't put a lot of strain on your knees. Knee wraps are also another good option, but I've never cared
for them.
I know squats are a great bragging exercise, but don't count out the power of leg extensions for really getting your legs to grow. Less stress on the
knees and they can really help develop the teardrop shape of your inner quad depending on how you point your toes (straight, out, or in).