I'd love to, but my knees are banjaxed. Making do with leg press, bench and other compound exercises with heavy weights. If you can't squat, deadlift etc. for whatever reason just lifting heavy weights (free weights if at all possible) is the next best thing.

OT but I'd never come across the term "banjaxed" before. Thank you for introducing this to my vocabulary. I can't wait for my first meeting of the day today!

Deadlifting with proper form should not tax your knees. It's certainly gentler than a leg-press...

Deadlifting maybe now that I think of it would in theory be okay, but my physio has me on a course of isolation exercises and has advised against complex compound movements because we're trying to correct muscle activation patterns. Leg press isnt ideal but it's a good way to develop the glutes without introducing too much lateral force. My particular issue is a badly eroded knee-cap which tends to float about a bit. The specialist I've seen has described it as advanced arthritis but I'm fairly sure it's not - just the effect of years of road running with poor form and injury. Going by the MRI scan it's about half the size it should be. Not a question of 'if' I need a knee replacement but when ...

Anyway, no more running for me, and as much as I dislike spending time in the gym a short burst of heavy weights a few times a week really is a great tonic!

>just the effect of years of road running with poor form and injury

If I had a dime for each time I heard this... :(

I wish you a speedy recovery!

try straight-leg deadlifts. As a bonus they're a great hamstring stretch.

As a former D1 athlete I don't think anyone should do deadlifts. Seen lots of people have their form slip on one rep and take a trick to snap city.

Is there a weight limit they'd be safe for? A comment upthread suggested bodyweight at 20% bodyfat.

I strained a muscle in my left back on a deadlift and have been cautious since. But I do like barbells – I'm wondering if there's a safe level where you can do lifts without so much risk. (assuming form is fairly good)

Squats and Deadlifts up to your body weight should be fairly easy for any otherwise healthy male.

Best thing I've learned from bodybuilding and yoga - listen to your body. If you feel any discomfort beyond normal muscle contractions - stop, rest, and come back tomorrow. Do slower, more controlled movements that tax your muscles more than your joints.

Calisthenics is generally very safe as well (compared to powerlifting), and you can build up an impressive physique doing it.

... and squats to sort out the problems caused by sitting all day at office jobs.