I just realized something about my knees...

[steakhousegirl]

Originally Posted by DirtDiva

This is slightly off topic, but I know for a fact when I mountain bike right before my period I tend to crash more. My lines aren't as clean through technical areas and I'm much more likely to veer off.

I have noticed too...I can lift heavy till the cows come home, and high impact doesn't make my knees ache...but...ever since I decided I would try my best and learn *step* my right knee hurts. I think its because my feet are big (size 9.5) and I'm clumsy, so I'm rushing the moves and I'm stepping up too much on the ball of my foot as opposed to more of the heel.

Does anyone have problems with their knees and step? I'm not good at it and I can live without it, but just wondering too.

Yes. I was diagnosed years and years ago with mild chondromalicia but lifting and high impact actually help the situation. Three weeks of Cathe's LIS brought all the pain back. I'm finally about 90% back to normal doing P90X2 but every so often I feel achey.

[DirtDiva]

Originally Posted by steakhousegirl

Yes. I was diagnosed years and years ago with mild chondromalicia but lifting and high impact actually help the situation. Three weeks of Cathe's LIS brought all the pain back. I'm finally about 90% back to normal doing P90X2 but every so often I feel achey.

Whew....I'm really happy you say that high impact and lifting helps you out! So I have P90X2 and I've yet to do it. I also just got Jillian's Body Revolution and Les Mill's Pump. I'm keeping my fingers crossed no one has problems with those and knees.

Thanks steakhousegirl...I'm on it

[eyefit]

Originally Posted by steakhousegirl

Yes. I was diagnosed years and years ago with mild chondromalicia but lifting and high impact actually help the situation. Three weeks of Cathe's LIS brought all the pain back. I'm finally about 90% back to normal doing P90X2 but every so often I feel achey.

See, this is where everyone is different. I also was diagnosed with mild chondromalacia of the knees about a year ago and the LIS workouts are awesome for me. The major exception to that though is some of the disc exercises. I had to trade away Slide and Glide because I simply couldn't tolerate the pressure slide/glide exercises put on my knees. When it comes to CSS, I can't do the disc jacks, momentum lunges or the cross country ski moves on the discs so I modify. Once I got my rebounder I was able to take those moves to it and it's perfect. I have no problem whatsoever with Afterburn, Trisets and Athletic Training and once I figured the disc thing out I enjoy the heck out of Cardio Supersets.

I can tolerate a little bit of step, a little bit of high impact and I can squat and lunge 'til the cows come home as long as I keep the pace sane enough so that I can keep proper form. When the pace goes too fast, I'm in trouble. I just know to slow down so I'm doing it right. I also used to have problems with certain yoga poses until I figured out proper form and alignment. I find if I do too much high impact at a super fast pace I'm in trouble...but I've learned if I keep it controlled and just do it 2-3 times a week my knees stay happy. Step aerobics has to be less than 2 times a week too and I keep the step at 6 inches or less.

Since I was diagnosed it's been a constant learning experience to find out what works and doesn't work! Everybody is so different. The biggest thing that helped me keep good alignment and form was to strengthen my posterior chain. Isolating the glutes, hamstrings and glute medius was tough (I always thought I was working my glutes when it was really my quads I was working!). Once I figured it out it was a knee saver!!

[DirtDiva]

Originally Posted by eyefit

See, this is where everyone is different. I also was diagnosed with mild chondromalacia of the knees about a year ago and the LIS workouts are awesome for me. The major exception to that though is some of the disc exercises. I had to trade away Slide and Glide because I simply couldn't tolerate the pressure slide/glide exercises put on my knees. When it comes to CSS, I can't do the disc jacks, momentum lunges or the cross country ski moves on the discs so I modify. Once I got my rebounder I was able to take those moves to it and it's perfect. I have no problem whatsoever with Afterburn, Trisets and Athletic Training and once I figured the disc thing out I enjoy the heck out of Cardio Supersets.

I can tolerate a little bit of step, a little bit of high impact and I can squat and lunge 'til the cows come home as long as I keep the pace sane enough so that I can keep proper form. When the pace goes too fast, I'm in trouble. I just know to slow down so I'm doing it right. I also used to have problems with certain yoga poses until I figured out proper form and alignment. I find if I do too much high impact at a super fast pace I'm in trouble...but I've learned if I keep it controlled and just do it 2-3 times a week my knees stay happy. Step aerobics has to be less than 2 times a week too and I keep the step at 6 inches or less.

Since I was diagnosed it's been a constant learning experience to find out what works and doesn't work! Everybody is so different. The biggest thing that helped me keep good alignment and form was to strengthen my posterior chain. Isolating the glutes, hamstrings and glute medius was tough (I always thought I was working my glutes when it was really my quads I was working!). Once I figured it out it was a knee saver!!

From the get-go I wasn't using the sliding discs, because nothing will slide on my flooring (it has these little nubs) and subbing out the floor was too much trouble. I'm pretty sure it was the step portion because I'm a newbie to it, and even though I love this set I'm not taking any chances especially with riding season coming up. I totally agree with you here...I have had quite a learning experience, step isn't something to fool around with!

[eyefit]

Originally Posted by DirtDiva

Whew....I'm really happy you say that high impact and lifting helps you out! So I have P90X2 and I've yet to do it. I also just got Jillian's Body Revolution and Les Mill's Pump. I'm keeping my fingers crossed no one has problems with those and knees.

Thanks steakhousegirl...I'm on it

Oh Dirt Diva, I wanted to give you a heads up about Les Mills. I don't have it myself but a lady on the Cathe forum just did the Les Mills Pump Revolution work out and she told us yesterday that after doing that one both her knees were killing her. She runs every day and doesn't usually have problems. You can PM me if you want to get in touch with her to ask. We definitely have to baby that darn knee joint! It so frustrating though...sometimes I wish we could have bionic knees so we wouldn't have to think so much about it! LOL

[steakhousegirl]

I don't "think" it was the gliding so much in LIS because I've done that before. What got me was Athletic Step (if that was the name). To minimize impact she has repetitive movements on the step while you are crouching. I could actually feel the stress on my knees during these sequences which are so prevalent in the set. Also the "dixie cup" balancing.

Now Tony has these sort of movements in P90X2 but they are not as repetitive or prevalent. He also has so many modifications that really help. He has mentioned for years that he has knee issues so I believe him on this topic.

I have also done a rotation with Insanity and had 0 knee problems. IMHO I believe Cathe was trying to avoid any high impact work naturally (the set is Low Impact Series) and in doing so resorted to overkill on what she believed were less stressful movements. She even bills the set as "joint friendly".

[eyefit]

Yep, everyone is different. Like I said, once I figured out my own personal restrictions I had zero problems with LIS. It's all about figuring out what works for you personally. I'm sorry you had such a tough time with LIS.

[DirtDiva]

It wasn't gliding for me either, because I wasn't *gliding*. I think the step portions were problematic, especially since I'm so new to that. I really, really like Athletic Training, that is one of my favorite workouts, but I'm going to omit the step and I'm taking steakhousegirl's advice and eliminate the dixie cup moves too.

Its a shame too, considering how many times you read threads that want low impact and shy away from high impact. I have never ever had a problem with high impact or heavy lifting. Insanity was (is) easy to me, and now that I think about it, I was getting so good with the step that I did Cathe's HIIT dvd, all three of them in a row and the first two workouts are with the step (which I always omitted). No issues until the step. Boom......I just had an Epiphany!