I am doing muscle strengthening exercises prior to knee surgery. The exercises I have been given have very few reps but always ask for a hold for a count of 3 to five.

What is the difference in training? Are rapid reps till muscle exhaustion the same benefit as muscle exhaustion by holding for a count? Or are they different?

I am not sure I am explaining this very well.

Sorry no help for you but I'm curious.
So...bump.

Okay..... that's one of the newer things in weight lifting. The one I've heard is to do a single rep over 90 seconds. I'm not sure of the science behind it, I'm sure there is some. It has something to do with which energy stores you're using and not replenishing during the hold. That's as much as I know. I'd do as your therapist prescribed just to get ready for the surgery.

FWIW, I'm sure if I went to any gym right now, they'll all be doing multiple reps.

Thanks inflammabl

This.

My favorite video coach for resistance training uses varied counts: three counts up, one down; two up, two down; one up, three down, etc. The brief pauses make the muscle work a little harder, as would the longer holds.

These are exercises with quite a few reps and relatively light weights. As I get stronger, I will sometimes choose a workout with much heavier weight that I lift to "exhaustion"--ie. can't do it one more time.

Best wishes for your surgery.

Thanks BKloots.

One of the things the surgeon and PT pointed out to me was that 9 years after my initial knee replacements (both knees) I have become knock kneed. So some of the exercises are to try to change that little situation too. I think that will be a life long process of continuing exercises and not just as a preparation for surgery.

I wonder if this happened to anyone else or is it just me?

It's possible that your muscles compensated differently on the inner and outer thighs post surgery. And yes, think of this as a lifelong process. Muscles do nothing but weaken as we get older. At 68 1/2 I'm not willing to give in to the stoop and shuffle!

Best wishes