IT Band ideas

[Catrin]

I can't remember if you go to a gym or not? The first 2 don't require gym equipment, second two can be modified if you don't, Remaining three require access to a leg press machine and a TRX/suspension trainer of some type.

Mountain climbers (I HATE these, but they are great for guads and hips and my lower quad is the problem)
Two-legged air squat, hold it for 1 minute (must be really warmed up)
Split-jump overhead squats - though you can probably get good benefit if you leave out the overhead weight.
Single leg deadlifts with either kettlebell or dumbbell

Single leg presses (10 reps x 2) - haven't decided if it is best to do these before or after my full/regular leg presses

If you have access to a TRX or other suspension trainer (thankfully we do at my gym for no extra cost)

Single leg chest press
Single leg squats depending on how weak that leg/quad is

There are some other TRX exercises that are also good, if you have access to a suspension trainer let me know and I will post them. Of course we need to do these exercises on both sides

[Irulan]

There are a lot of things you can do that aren't weight based that will help with stability, knee and strength issues.Single leg step downs are excellent and do not require a lot of strength.

[OakLeaf]

Single leg step downs are excellent and do not require a lot of strength.

If you say so ... The guy in the video is doing them with decent form, but you see how much his leg is quivering after three reps, trying to keep his knee from dropping in. I wish there was narration with the video, to emphasize how important it is to keep your knee from dropping in. That's the point of the whole exercise.

I never do single leg step downs in group class because they require more abductor strength than most of my participants have. I had a LOT of trouble with them when I first began. Start with clams and side leg raises on the floor, progress to side steps and single leg side leg raises with a stretchy band (always remembering to keep your toe and knee turned slightly in when doing side leg work, to make sure your abductors are doing the work and not the quads). I wouldn't recommend single leg step downs until someone already has good strong abductors.

[Irulan]

I didn't spend a whole lot of time looking for the "best" video. All I know is that I had supposed IT band issues for years and after 6 months of doing single leg stability work 10 years of knee pain was gone.

[OakLeaf]

Oh, no, I'm not disputing for a minute the value of single leg stability work. Not only for muscle strengthening, but equally for proprioception and fascia training - if I've been neglecting my single leg calf raises, it only takes one or two sessions to improve my Achilles in a major way.

I'm just saying it DOES take a decent amount of strength and it's not really a good place for a beginner to start.

[Catrin]

I am no worrying about IT band issues here as that appears to have been a red herring - but building lower quad strength in that leg. The PT I saw said the problem with my knee is directly due to not having enough lower quad strength in that leg to properly support a patella that wants to go "walk-about" from time to time. I am already doing clams (on both sides) and side step ups aren't normally a problem (though they hurt when that knee is flaring, like now). My focus right now is to focus on quad strength and adduction/abbduction to provide proper support - I only do these things on days that I don't have a group training session.

Thanks for the video Irulan, I've been expressly told to not do "free standing" single leg squats at this time by both PT and my 2 trainers because it is too easy for the knee to go where it shouldn't go - I've been cleared to do TRX single leg squats, but not free standing. And to do that safely, my leg has to be able to bear my weight. I've tried it a couple of times and...it wasn't pretty.

I was at first resistant to the idea that this was all related to quad strength given my leg press/squat max weight (how can I have a weak quad if I can do...) but they have the degrees and experience to know what they are talking about, and they've helped me improve in so many other ways that I trust their advice.

I agree that single leg stability work is very important, and for more than one thing. I have no problems at all doing such work with my left leg, but with my right? It isn't a pretty sight, but I will incorporate more of this outside of group training as the quad gets stronger.

[Catrin]

Whooo hoooooo! My knee is finally recovered All it took was to stay off the bike for 2 weeks... I've been working with it in other ways of course, but apparently even easy spinning with it during that "tweak" was keeping things flared. This is pretty interesting to me considering the wild stuff we do at the gym that doesn't, apparently, bother it - but riding did. Anyway, back to the bike now - whewwwww

Of course, NOW it is time to pull out all of that thermal stuff, but that is, after all, why I have it!

[Irulan]

So no single leg squats until I can press my weight with that leg. I've been told this will take some time to strengthen,

You couldn't do this? I'm not talking about adding weights. This is another one to build knee stability etc