Temporary replacement for squats due to rectus femoris injury?

[silvergs]

What exercise would you recommend to substitute squats? I know that there isn't any other exercise that can substitute a squat, however the muscle at the top of the leg and just beneath my torso was injured a couple of years ago training in TaekwonDo.

This is the muscle that can get hurt when you suddenly execute an explosive axe kick (leg is straight and not bent at the knee when you swing it up).

This injury has resurfaced now when doing squats and it hurts right in the hole as soon as I start to come back up.

I had to stop doing squats a week ago. Today, when I tried body weight squats there was no pain for two sets of 15 reps. However when I started using the barbell (no weights on it), as soon as I hit the 5th rep, the pain comes back.

I did two sets of 5 reps each and then moved on to Bench.

Is there any other exercise I can do that does not engage that particular muscle so that I can still get some sort of leg workout? I am doing deadlifts, but the muscles exercised and not quite the same.

How close does a BarBell lunge approximate a squat in regards to the muscles used? Is this a good alternative for now?

What else do you recommend in terms of rehab for leg?

Thanks in advance coach!

Hameed

[Mark Rippetoe]

You think a lunge is going to be easier on your RF than a squat? No, no, no. What happened to your thigh 2 years ago is already healed, and you're having problems with the scar. This can be treated with myofascial release-type massage. But if you propose to stop squatting until the pain is gone, it will be a while before you squat again. Get the massage, squat through the pain during rehab, and quit being a puss.

[silvergs]

You think a lunge is going to be easier on your RF than a squat? No, no, no. What happened to your thigh 2 years ago is already healed, and you're having problems with the scar. This can be treated with myofascial release-type massage. But if you propose to stop squatting until the pain is gone, it will be a while before you squat again. Get the massage, squat through the pain during rehab, and quit being a puss.

Thanks coach. That is a relief knowing that it's not really the injury that has resurfaced but the scar tissue that is causing the problem.

I will get this resolved and squat through it. I am so happy I can get back to squatting.

[DSC]

Your brain might be playing tricks on you also. I have a badish knee. I limp. Then when I think about it I stop limping. I "punish" my knee relentlessly now - my bad-knee leg can actually withstand more punishment than my good-knee leg - and the only thing I do for the pain is put ice on the knee to lower the slight inflammation it still has after a beating at the gym, doing SS of course.

Good luck!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Thanks coach. That is a relief knowing that it's not really the injury that has resurfaced but the scar tissue that is causing the problem.

I fail to see the distinction. The injury has "resurfaced" as a scar because you did not rehab the original injury correctly.

[silvergs]

I fail to see the distinction. The injury has "resurfaced" as a scar because you did not rehab the original injury correctly.

My brain is too feeble for this stuff.

Thanks for the clarification. Man, the more I learn about injuries and lifting, the less I know.........

[Mark Rippetoe]

This is not complicated material. Really.