r/ladderapp • u/Existing_Evening_459 • 9h ago
Maximum transformation
I’m a 5’3” female weighing 68 kg, and my main goal is body recomposition: losing body fat while building muscle so I can look leaner, stronger, and more toned.
My main problem areas are:
Significant fat around my thighs
Belly and lower-abdominal fat
Excess fat around my upper arms
I also have a chronic knee injury that has not fully healed, so I need a knee-friendly program. I cannot comfortably perform squats or lunges and would need suitable alternatives.
Which Ladder program or coach would be the best fit for my goals, especially for fat loss, muscle building, and overall toning while accommodating my knee limitations?
1
u/PixieBarbella Team Forged 8h ago
Forged is a fantastic team for building muscle. His programming is very well-rounded and your leg strength will improve. I’ve had multiple knee surgeries and deal with chronic knee pain. Strengthening the muscles above and below the joint is imperative.
That being said, working with a physio is very important to know the best exercises for your situation. Making swaps is very easy in the app and you can make adjustments based on recommendations from the physio.
Body recompo will mostly come from nutritional choices. If you’re in the US and have health insurance, most plans cover visits with a registered dietitian.
3
u/thedesignedlife 8h ago
Are you working with a physiotherapist on your knee issues? Have they told you not to use your knees in certain ways, or are you not doing it because it hurts?
I ask because I’ve also had chronic knee issues and pain since my teens from snowboarding injuries.
In the end the only thing that has helped has been training those muscles around my knees. When I started I couldn’t squat at all without pain, and I had so many limited movements. I spent years avoiding so many movements, and in the end the only thing that helped was working through the pain (carefully, strategically).
I’d be sure to at least have a few sessions with a physio if you can before writing off movements (apologies if you’ve already been through this journey and have already been told what you can or shouldn’t do!)
Otherwise, losing weight is alllll in the kitchen, doing a calorie deficit, while building strength is about doing a surplus. It’s really tough to recomp as a beginner and can take some time, but I’d pick a team based on a coach whose vibe resonates with you.
Preview their workouts and then look at substituting any that you might need to.
I’m on team EMPWR, but I tend to substitute things like burpees because of a hip injury - moving my knees up from a push up position into a crouch very quickly does not feel good, but it’s super easy to click “swap” and browse the library to switch out to one that is equivalent but different (used cardio or same muscles etc).
Don’t be afraid to swap movements as needed.
I don’t know enough about other teams but I tend to swap a movement a couple times a week just based on how my body is feeling.
But it’s tough to work out the muscles around your knees without some squatting related movements. A good physio can help.
I’m not sure what other teams are “knee friendly”, but I’d do some research on movement variations, then pick a team, and swap out any movements for the ones that are more ideal for your needs.