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When I was on Starting Strength earlier this year, I had an issue with knee stability in my left knee. Lets face it, I was a bonehead and tried to push through the pain.
Anyways, I was doing heavy squats, my knees started to track improperly causing shearing forces on my knee cap and weakness in my left knee joint. It wasn't obvious to me (besides the pain in my knee cap and the need for a wrap) till I started doing lunges, and my left knee would not go down as far as my right due to instability. I took a break from the weights and it's healed up to the point where my knees are back to being equal partners in the lunge and squat. I want to focus on leg stability during my SE sessions of BB. Here is what I'm thinking:

SE
Push Ups (for APFT)
Goblet Squat (Lighter weight with a band around knees to encourage proper tracking)
Sit Ups (for APFT)
Lunges(start BW and progress to weighted after I can do 20 each leg without issues)
Renegade Rows (Pull/back focused)

Does this make sense? Do you guys have any suggestions on how I could tweak the exercises to improve leg strength/knee stability?

Goblet squats are great!

Personally, I found that Bulgarian split squats did help me a lot in terms of knee strength/mobility and balance/stability in the past.. Even doing it with BW only. Keeping KB in a front will make it more knee oriented.. Just my 2c..

i noticed my knees were really killing me after doing lunges during basebuilding. i think it may be better to do backward step lunges as opposed to forward step ones.

rationale explained here:

https://youtu.be/Q59ZvPhpySM

Barkadion wrote:Goblet squats are great!

Personally, I found that Bulgarian split squats did help me a lot in terms of knee strength/mobility and balance/stability in the past.. Even doing it with BW only. Keeping KB in a front will make it more knee oriented.. Just my 2c..

I'm just finishing up a BB block using Bulgarian Split Squats and love them. I also had a few knee issues around the end of my recent OP blocks (heavy squatting flaring up old injuries again), and I found focusing on each leg, really concentrating on how each tracks up and down on the Bulgarians, has made them feel tons better! I used DB's for mine, but a KB might be better for posture?

Barkadion wrote:Goblet squats are great!

Personally, I found that Bulgarian split squats did help me a lot in terms of knee strength/mobility and balance/stability in the past.. Even doing it with BW only. Keeping KB in a front will make it more knee oriented.. Just my 2c..

I appreciate the feedback! I'm thinking Bulgarian Split Squats may be the way to go.

Guessing that would replace my lunges? Or should I use the Bulgarian Split Squats in lieu of goblet squats?

Your_Lunch wrote:

Barkadion wrote:Goblet squats are great!

Personally, I found that Bulgarian split squats did help me a lot in terms of knee strength/mobility and balance/stability in the past.. Even doing it with BW only. Keeping KB in a front will make it more knee oriented.. Just my 2c..

I'm just finishing up a BB block using Bulgarian Split Squats and love them. I also had a few knee issues around the end of my recent OP blocks (heavy squatting flaring up old injuries again), and I found focusing on each leg, really concentrating on how each tracks up and down on the Bulgarians, has made them feel tons better! I used DB's for mine, but a KB might be better for posture?

I just fine using KB is much more comfortable for me personally.

ARLOG2017 wrote:

Barkadion wrote:Goblet squats are great!

Personally, I found that Bulgarian split squats did help me a lot in terms of knee strength/mobility and balance/stability in the past.. Even doing it with BW only. Keeping KB in a front will make it more knee oriented.. Just my 2c..

I appreciate the feedback! I'm thinking Bulgarian Split Squats may be the way to go.

Guessing that would replace my lunges? Or should I use the Bulgarian Split Squats in lieu of goblet squats?

I did BW Bulgarians as part of SE cluster during my BB few months ago. That was just about right for the SE/BB purpose. YMMV, though..

With the Bulgarian split squats I have had more success using a lower bench to put my trailing leg on.
It prevents the tendency to have bad tracking and put a shearing forward force through an already sore knee.
My knee gets extremely achey if I do it with a full sized bench.

I was putting my rear leg on a kettlebell or similar and just using it for some slight balance.

I believe Michael Boyle has some articles if you are interested in reading up on it. He is a big proponent of single leg training in place of heavy squats for his athletes.

ARLOG2017 wrote:
I appreciate the feedback! I'm thinking Bulgarian Split Squats may be the way to go.

Guessing that would replace my lunges? Or should I use the Bulgarian Split Squats in lieu of goblet squats?

ARLOG, they would replace the lunges. But I don't think you need to be doing both goblets and BSSQ in the same SE cluster. Suggest you consider doing some RDLs instead, hamstrings can make a big difference for knees.

TBPenguin wrote:

ARLOG2017 wrote:
I appreciate the feedback! I'm thinking Bulgarian Split Squats may be the way to go.

Guessing that would replace my lunges? Or should I use the Bulgarian Split Squats in lieu of goblet squats?

ARLOG, they would replace the lunges. But I don't think you need to be doing both goblets and BSSQ in the same SE cluster. Suggest you consider doing some RDLs instead, hamstrings can make a big difference for knees.

TBPenguin, I see what you mean about BSSQ and Goblets working the same muscle chains. You're saying I need an exercise, such as RDLs, to address the hamstrings and posterior chain directly as BSSQ focus more on the quads and less on the hamstrings. Would KB Swings or Back extensions address similar goals as well?