Gym equipment for vmo strengthening?

[caroline8899]

can anyone suggest the best gym equipment for vmo strengthening? I was thinking to buy something for home either exercise bike, cross trainer or stepper so dont know which would be the most useful thanks

[heather_rae]

Caroline:

Are you working with a PT? Just asking because the bike was banned for me because of patellofemoral problems.To make a long story short, I have been doing exercises which are supposed to strengthen quads for one year, and am just now getting results. My VMO is still very mushy.

Quad exercises, as I have found the best results in working the VMO are: ball squeezes, short arc quads with 2lb. ankle weight, wall squats, heel touches off 2 inch step (this one hurts), leg press machine, quad slide board, stair climber, and theraband exercises that tie the legs together with the band while in a semi-squat position, you walk sideways, each way. Hope this helps because that end of the vastus medialis can be fussy to "wake up". Good Luck!

Heather

[dm]

I've had the therapist use a tens unit to get the vmo working along with the exercises, and once it got "woke up" then they quit using it. helped a lot, also helped target the lateral quads some too when those were being cranky.

[JoKneeBroke]

PT used biofeedback to get my brain engaging the VMO properly. It buzzed when I used it more. Walked in a squat position on a lot of squishy stuff and a squishy type balance beam in a squat position. Was to mentally work to engage it and make the machine buzz more and louder. Then same things Heather mentioned - ball squeezes, heel touches off a 2 inche step, a pilates leg step machine. I haven't been on a stair stepper yet but I think I'm rebuilding it when I use the treadmill and tilt it up at an incline. Also I'm to walk on the treadmill frontwards, backwards, and sideways and do a lot of walking in PT squatting as if the ceiling is lower. Think I'm still in a state of rebuilding it - this is after a patella fracture on May 3rd.

[caroline8899]

thanks for all the helpful suggestions. I have to be careful with what exercises I do because I'm at risk of dislocating - the problem exists in both knees. I've also got severe osteoarthritis so squatting is painful. I will take more advice from my PT.

[heather_rae]

Caroline:

Good luck with PT. I would ask as a precautionary about the bike. My first PT had me doing it, but PT #2 forbids it. I can only work at 45 degrees maximum for flexion exercises (leg-press, wall squats, etc) for the same problem (severe OA and maltracking). He said kneeling was out of the question right now, too. As if I could actually, anyway!! Seems like once the VMO is dead, you may as well just bury it. Just kidding!! Really, it just takes a long time sometimes as we all can agree with.

Heather