How do i develop bigger thigh muscles? Diets? Exercises? Training techniques?

Question

I have a weak knee and need muscle mass to support it. Nothing seems to work however hard i train.

Answer 1

Muscle mass in your thigh is not capable of providing support to the structures in your knee.

(the knee bones can be seen and felt because they are not surrounded by other structures)

Muscular size is only available by working the muscle VERY hard (total exhaustion (ie failure to complete the movement) in less than 20 (ideally, less than 10) repetitions)
and allowing long periods (2-3 days between sessions) of recovery time before working the same bodypart again. Diet can help, but high protein intake is unnecessary; most of the extra bulk is made up of increased fuel storage within the muscle.

If you have any knee instability YOU SHOULD NOT DO HEAVY WORK WITH THE LEG.

The knee is stabilised by LIGAMENTS, which hold the bones in their proper relationship. These can become overstretched, and they CAN repair themselves, but it is a very long process. Hard training can cause or exacerbate damage to ligaments.

While the ligaments are weak or distorted, the joint will benefit from other forms of support. The tendons surrounding the joint can supply this support IF THE MUSCLES ABOVE AND BELOW THE KNEE ARE PROPERLY BALANCED. Their size is irrelevant.

A recovery programme should include exercises that increase strength and local muscle endurance for ALL muscle groups above and below the knee. These exercises will be moderate in intensity, and will emphasise cooperation between muscle groups. Isolation exercises (which target particular muscle groups) can be included, if special care is taken to balance the work, for example including equally demanding outer and inner thigh work.

The correct intensity will also allow the TENDONS (which connect muscles to bones and GAIN STRENGTH MUCH MORE SLOWLY THAN MUSCLES DO) to get stronger and operate more supportively.

You need to get specialised advice from a physiotherapist as to whether you should be working to stabilise the knee, or adding mass to your thighs. You should also consider using a wrap, soft brace or articulated brace while the knee is 'weak'.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I have weak knees too - the exercises I was told to try are:

- Wall squats - lean your back against a wall and bend your knees to 90 degrees, moving your feet out from the wall if necessary. Keep your feet about shoulder width apart. Hold for 10 seconds to begin with, working up to a couple of minutes over time.

- Cycling - will exercise thigh and calf muscles and does not give the damage that impact sports like running do.

- Swimming - exercises many muscles all over the body, but is especially good for building muscle strength and tone in the legs without impact on knees.

For the most part, they seem to have helped for me, but the results aren't instant, they do take time.

Answer 4

I have a weak knee, too. Make sure you dont overtrain and cause more damage to the knee. If your doctor OK's it, you can try the following. It worked for me and I have noticed a significant change in my thighs. They are becoming "harder" and I can feel the muscles.

15-30 minutes on bike: run at 4-5 mph for as long as you can, then go down to 3 mph and walk. this may be hard on your knees, i wear a knee-pad.
30 minutes on bike: try a medium level like 4 or 5, and bike at a high RPM.

a few times a week, do lunges and also do the exercise where you sit against a wall on an "invisible" chair. hold this position, it will strengthen those lower-body muscles and you will feel the burn. :)

as far as diet, its very simle. eat healthy, avoid eating fast food....fill up on the healthy stuff so you have no room for the bad stuff. drink plenty of water and wean yourself off your "bad foods" until you can be satisfied with eating them less frequently. it all takes time but you will definitely see results if you put in the effort. good luck to you.

Answer 5

It is important for you to understand that diet is just as important as strength training. Most people hit the weight room hard for about a month and quit because they dont see the results they wanted. To gain muscle mass you need to consume protein along with several other key supplements. A good rule of thumb is to consume 1 gram of protein per body pound per day. Im not saying that you need to go spend tons of money on supplements but a good supplement from a trusted company will defeitily speed up the process. You should also have the knee checked by a doctor before you try to work it hard.
ANother key to building muscle is to stimulate the muscle in diffrent ways, so by doing several exercises targeting the same muscle groop helps.
Good Luck

Answer 6

Try the leg press at the gym and gradually increase the weight as it gets easier. You can also try a stationary bike or mountain biking. Walking for about 30 minutes uphill can definitely help too. Good Luck!

Answer 7

If you do regular leg stretches and jog this should help. I jog 4 miles a day and this helps my thigh muscles.

Answer 8

Get a thigh master.

Answer 9

I would get an exercise bike

Answer 10

lateral thigh trainer.... google it. They are £50 delivered... and they defo do the job!!