ACL Journey (Pre- and Post-Op)

spaceman82

spaceman82

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I completely tore the ACL in my right knee on August 7, 2015, playing basketball. Devastating...especially to tear it playing basketball, which I only do once or twice a year. I hadn't touched weights in years (outside of conditioning in my MMA classes) but had instead stayed in shaped through BJJ, Muay Thai, and MMA.

Since that's no longer an option, and my goals are obviously different in that I need to strengthen my knee and leg, I'm picking the weights back up prior to surgery on September 16. This training log will detail the ensuing journey as I work to prepare for and recover from ACL reconstruction.

Advice and comments are welcome!

-----

Stats

Age: 33
Weight: 83 kgs.
Circumference of right (injured) leg at mid-thigh: 20 inches

Current Goals: Gain weight, strength, and muscle mass going into surgery
 
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August 20, 2015

Back in the gym for the first time yesterday. Other than the leg raises that my physiotherapist prescribed for me, I hadn't done anything that could be called exercise since tearing my ACL, so I was a bit nervous about using my knee. It also felt very weak at first.


Hamstring Curls - 5 sets of 7 reps at about 40 kgs. (the machines all give weights in kilograms)

Romanian Deadlifts - 5 sets of 7 reps at about 35 kgs.
- I was originally planning to do regular deadlifts but after trying a couple of reps of those decided that starting off slow, in regard to my knee and bending it, would be better the first time back.


Heading back for a more extensive today. I plan to do a 5x5 program on Mondays and Fridays while doing deadlifts and hamstring curls in slightly higher reps the remaining days of the week.
 
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spaceman82 said:
I completely tore the ACL in my right knee on August 7, 2015, playing basketball. Devastating...especially to tear it playing basketball, which I only do once or twice a year. I hadn't touched weights in years (outside of conditioning in my MMA classes) but had instead stayed in shaped through BJJ, Muay Thai, and MMA.

Since that's no longer an option, though, and my goals are obviously different in that I need to rehab my knee, I'm picking the weights back up. This training log will detail the ensuing journey as I work to strengthen my knee before surgery and then rehab it post-surgery.

Advice and comments are welcome!
Click to expand...

What kind of graft did you get?
 
August 21, 2015

Romanian Deadlifts - 5 sets of 7 reps at 40 kgs.
- Felt much more comfortable this time. Going to start hitting regular deadlifts next week.

Shoulder Press - 5 sets of 5 with 14 kg. dumbbells

Incline Press - 5 sets of 5 at 40 kgs.

Pull-ups - 5 sets of 5

Took it pretty easy today since I'm just starting to get back in the gym and am primarily interested in strengthening my legs right now.


August 22, 2015

Romanian Deadlifts - 5 sets of 7 reps at 45 kgs.
- Tried to do some regular deadlifts on the last couple of sets but ended up just messing up my posture (still a little nervous about bending my knee, I guess). Will try again Monday.

Hamstring Curls - 5 sets of 7 reps at 33 kgs.
- Felt much more comfortable doing these this time.

Stationary Bike - 10 mins. post-workout
- This is really part of my isometrics, but I do it at the gym and will continue to do so so I wanted to mention it this time. Will leave it out of the log in the future.
 
Best of luck!!! I remember how devastated I was when I tore my acl....and how shitty it was when I tore the other a few years later. You'll be back in no time though.
 
matt35750 said:
Why not get a allograph? Joe rogan said he got a Achilles tendon allograph that's supposed to be 10 times stronger.
Click to expand...

Apparently, surgeons are discovering that allographs are more likely to fail (up to 7.7 times more likely in one study) and also have a high rate of infection. From the reading I've done, the hamstring autograft is what most prefer these days. Hope I'm right about that.

ironwolf said:
Best of luck!!! I remember how devastated I was when I tore my acl....and how shitty it was when I tore the other a few years later. You'll be back in no time though.
Click to expand...

Thanks, ironwolf! It is devastating, but all I can do now is make the best out of a shitty situation. It must've been terrible having to go through this twice. Don't know how you did it...
 
August 23, 2015
Off Day


August 24, 2015

Squats - 5 sets of 5-7 reps at 65 kgs.
- I was surprised at how comfortable I was with these, though I wasn't going down way deep. My left (good) knee felt funny on one rep, which was a bit scary--don't want to have both knees injured at once.

Bench Press - 5 sets of 5 with 20-kilogram dumbbells
- Will go up to 24 kgs. next time, I think

Bent-Over Rows - 5 sets of 5 with 20-kilogram dumbbells

Dips - 5 x 5

Hamstring Curls - 2 sets of 5 with 80-90 lbs.
 
spaceman82 said:
Apparently, surgeons are discovering that allographs are more likely to fail (up to 7.7 times more likely in one study) and also have a high rate of infection. From the reading I've done, the hamstring autograft is what most prefer these days. Hope I'm right about that.



Thanks, ironwolf! It is devastating, but all I can do now is make the best out of a shitty situation. It must've been terrible having to go through this twice. Don't know how you did it...
Click to expand...

In joe jogans podcast he was talking about that saying the hamstring graft is the old way and they fail "all the time" and he got both knees done, the most recent with a allograph and he said it's better than his other knee.
 
Joe rogan isn't a doctor....he also smokes dmt.

I like his podcast as much as the next guy but he isn't a doctor.
 
I second ironwolf. I like Joe Rogan as much as the next guy, but I'm not gonna take his word over that of the doctors who've done studies on this.

The patella tendon graft used to be the "gold standard" but has given way to the hamstring graft. I do think the alllograft is a viable option for some people, though. Here's some info from the Mayo Clinic touching on the failure rate, as well as the benefits: http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-p...ciate-ligament-reconstruction-graft-selection.
 
August 25, 2015

Went over deadlift and squat form with a PT at my gym. Couldn't really keep track of the weights and reps given the situation.


August 26, 2015

Deadlifts - 4 sets of 7-8 reps at 65 kgs.
- Finally felt comfortable doing actual deadlifts and didn't find the weight too bad at all.

Hamstring Curls - 3 sets of 8 reps at 60 lbs.
- Curled very slowly and felt like that really helped. Felt a little discomfort in my knee when the angle of my right leg got off center though.
 
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