Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
I agree with gspotme, good ideas.
I've found that with almost all my clients esp those with knee problems, that using a wide (PL style) stance, toes out, and sitting back minimizes knee pain. I don't wrap. Used to but that caused more knee pain.
My typical leg routine was as follows when I used to squat, haven't recently because of a lower back issue and outward rotator/sciatic problem, anyway.
Week 1 Sunday heavy day
Squats (parallel or slightly below)
bar x 8
135 x 8
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x3
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 6 - 8
365 x 8 - 10
Leg press
360 x 8
540 x 4
720 x 4
800 x 5 x 10 (10 sec break between sets of 10)
Leg Extn.
one warm up 8 reps
Then the stack for 15, drop the weight by 20% another 8, drop by 30% and rep out.
Hack
one warm up 3 reps
270 x 8 x 2 (feet pretty close together but place very high on the platform) pretty much ass to ankle depth)
About 6 working sets of leg curls (mix of lying, seated and/or standing unilateral) couple of drop sets like extensions.
Week two, the following Sunday
some light warm ups and a couple of sets of 8 - 10 of everything, but light (about 60% of what I use on heavy day).
Burn through the light workout in about 30 minutes.
On the next heavy week I may change the squat routine to:
warm up to 315, then 10 sets of 3 with 30 sec breaks or 10 sets of 2 with 20 sec breaks (speed sets).
Leg presses might be:
warm up then 800 for 25, 15 and 10 reps with 20 sec breaks.
On a 3rd heavy week (6 week later)
I might warm up then one set of 20 with 315 on squats.
Leg press/leg extension superset routine
15 reps each for 6 sets each back and forth (one minute break between supersets) this one is a killer.
So there are plenty of options. If my knees hurt, I back off and drop all the weight by 20% and do a more moderate-heavy day.
Personally, I find that at my age, one can only hit legs, all out blitz once a month. The other workouts are somewhere between light and moderate.
Since I've been using this undulated periodization program, injury aside not related to lifting (stretching no less), I'm moving far more weight now than I did 20 years ago.
Recovery is the key.
Sounds like you (Anya) may have an adductor strain. May want to cut the squats for a few weeks and focus on hacks, leg presses and extensions. Keep the feet close together (12") to minimize adductor involvement.
Having not been able to squat for awhile, I have found that the 15 rep, 6 set superset (press/extension) has worked well. Smoked the quads, but little strain on the back. Finish with hacks at the end, legs being already spent, you won't have to use much weight and load the knees, but always keep the knees behind the toes and toes pointed outward slightly so they follow the feet when you descend.
W6
I've found that with almost all my clients esp those with knee problems, that using a wide (PL style) stance, toes out, and sitting back minimizes knee pain. I don't wrap. Used to but that caused more knee pain.
My typical leg routine was as follows when I used to squat, haven't recently because of a lower back issue and outward rotator/sciatic problem, anyway.
Week 1 Sunday heavy day
Squats (parallel or slightly below)
bar x 8
135 x 8
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x3
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 6 - 8
365 x 8 - 10
Leg press
360 x 8
540 x 4
720 x 4
800 x 5 x 10 (10 sec break between sets of 10)
Leg Extn.
one warm up 8 reps
Then the stack for 15, drop the weight by 20% another 8, drop by 30% and rep out.
Hack
one warm up 3 reps
270 x 8 x 2 (feet pretty close together but place very high on the platform) pretty much ass to ankle depth)
About 6 working sets of leg curls (mix of lying, seated and/or standing unilateral) couple of drop sets like extensions.
Week two, the following Sunday
some light warm ups and a couple of sets of 8 - 10 of everything, but light (about 60% of what I use on heavy day).
Burn through the light workout in about 30 minutes.
On the next heavy week I may change the squat routine to:
warm up to 315, then 10 sets of 3 with 30 sec breaks or 10 sets of 2 with 20 sec breaks (speed sets).
Leg presses might be:
warm up then 800 for 25, 15 and 10 reps with 20 sec breaks.
On a 3rd heavy week (6 week later)
I might warm up then one set of 20 with 315 on squats.
Leg press/leg extension superset routine
15 reps each for 6 sets each back and forth (one minute break between supersets) this one is a killer.
So there are plenty of options. If my knees hurt, I back off and drop all the weight by 20% and do a more moderate-heavy day.
Personally, I find that at my age, one can only hit legs, all out blitz once a month. The other workouts are somewhere between light and moderate.
Since I've been using this undulated periodization program, injury aside not related to lifting (stretching no less), I'm moving far more weight now than I did 20 years ago.
Recovery is the key.
Sounds like you (Anya) may have an adductor strain. May want to cut the squats for a few weeks and focus on hacks, leg presses and extensions. Keep the feet close together (12") to minimize adductor involvement.
Having not been able to squat for awhile, I have found that the 15 rep, 6 set superset (press/extension) has worked well. Smoked the quads, but little strain on the back. Finish with hacks at the end, legs being already spent, you won't have to use much weight and load the knees, but always keep the knees behind the toes and toes pointed outward slightly so they follow the feet when you descend.
W6
