jtrue – when lifting weights, i’d avoid the high weight / low rep approach which is designed to build bulk muscle.  It often promotes bad form and it always places a lot of stress on the joints.  My personal trainer has me lift heavy sometimes, and it seems to result in more clicking and popping.  So I try to avoid that.  What works well for me is doug mcguff’s super slow lifting method.  What he believes in is 4-8 reps and 8-10 seconds in each direction with the weights.  By the end of that 2 minute set you should be completely at failure.   The benefits are that you won’t need multiple sets, 1 is enough.  By going to fatigue you’ll have made deep inroads in your muscles and you’ll gain strength similar to if you had lifted much heavier weight.  And the slow, controlled motion with the lighter weight puts the least amount of stress on the joint.