Mixed
Conventional therapeutic exercises (quadriceps setting, manual lateralization, rhythmic stabilization, pelvic bridging) produce neuromuscular activation levels below the 40-60% threshold required to stimulate significant muscle hypertrophy and strength gains.
If you are rehabbing a knee injury, simple exercises like quad sets or pelvic bridges will not rebuild your muscle strength or size because they don't activate the muscle enough. You need heavy resistance exercises (like squats or leg presses) to get the necessary neural drive. These heavy exercises are safe and do not stress the knee more than normal daily activities, so you should include them in your rehab plan.
Low levels of neuromuscular activation were found during all conventional exercises (<35%)... The results indicate that heavy resistance exercises should be included in rehabilitation programs to induce sufficient levels of neuromuscular activation to stimulate muscle growth and strength.
Why this rating
Controlled experimental study with EMG measurements, but small sample size (n=13) and healthy untrained subjects limit generalizability to injured populations.
Source
Neuromuscular Activation in Conventional Therapeutic Exercises and Heavy Resistance Exercises: Implications for Rehabilitation
Lars L. Andersen et al. · Physical Therapy · 2006
DOI 10.1093/ptj/86.5.683
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