I'm Skipping Leg Day - Help Me

[22s]

Hey guys,

TL;DR: I hurt my knee - what can I do to prevent losing too much strength while I let it recover?

Looking to get some advice as there are some really knowledgable gym buffs on here. After 7 years of heavy lifting, I've finally got my first real injury: patellar tendonitis/jumper's knee. Over the last year or so, I've let my squat form slip in pursuit of ever larger weight and I'm now paying the price. For those who don't know, patellar tendonitis is the leg version of tennis elbow and causes excruciating pain when doing any sort of squatting and jumping.

The tendonitis has been lingering for around 6 months, but for the last 3 it's got to a point where I needed professional help. Cue dry needling, ultrasound, physio weights programs, and other things which unfortunately haven't fixd the issue. I switched back squats for front squats, which seems to have helped slightly, along with stretching my hip flexors regularly, but every time the knee feels better I go and do something stupid which puts me back again. For this reason, I've decided to skip leg day for the next month and hopefully see my knee come back to normal. I'm currently on Wendler 5/3/1, so deadlifts are also out.

My previous deadlift day was:

- Primary: Deadlift
- Assistance: Good Mornings
- Assistance: Hanging Leg Raises

My new deadlift day is:
- Primary: Romanian Deadlift
- Assistance: Rack Pulls from above knee
- Assitance: Hanging Leg Raises

My previous squat day was:
- Primary: Front Squat
- Assistance: Back Squat
- Assistance: GHR

My new squat day is:
- Primary: ???
- Assistance: ???
- Assistance: ???

Two Qs:

1. How does new deadlift day look from a knee preservation point of view? I think it's a great compromise as I get the hamstring work from the RDLs without having to bend the knees too much, and then the back work from the rack pulls.

2. Does anyone have any ideas what I should do on squat day instead? I don't want my legs to atrophy, but there's nothing that comes to mind that would be a good squat replacement without affecting the knees. Do I really have to sit this one out for a month? The one saving grace is that I'm currently cutting, so there shouldn't be too much gained up top whilst the bottom half withers.

Thanks in advance for your help!

22s

[popeyewhite]

22s said:

2. Does anyone have any ideas what I should do on squat day instead?

Rest

22s said:

I don't want my legs to atrophy,

They won't, providing you're not in a cast for a few months. You may lose a bit over 8-12 weeks but you'll soon get it back.

22s said:

but there's nothing that comes to mind that would be a good squat replacement without affecting the knees. Do I really have to sit this one out for a month?

I'd rest at least that. If the condition returns it'll be double that next time. Think about it... .

22s said:

The one saving grace is that I'm currently cutting, so there shouldn't be too much gained up top whilst the bottom half withers.

You can cut and gain lean mass at the same time. Again, why will your bottom half wither?

[hajaba123]

Single leg stuff (the good one)
Do all the physio work (it was a proper sports pyhsio right?)
Try this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RYMV0salw8

The_doc on here is a consultant knee surgeon who may offer some general pointers if he's still around. Internet is not the place for diagnosis though