Good leg excercises post-surgery

[HellIsForHeroes]

I had a knee operation two months ago (after not getting surgery after the injury, for nearly 10), which leaves me at about a year of not lifting on my legs. I used to be able to lift a lot with my legs and I'm looking to build it back. So far I can leg press, leg curl, and do the calve raises fine, but I'm looking for a little more variation in my leg lifting. I can't do leg extensions, dead lifts, lunges, or squats without discomfort. Any ideas on other things I can try that wouldn't strain me knee too much? Or should I just be patient and wait for the time to come for me to be able to do those excercises again?

 

[Mark Limbaga]

How about getting a list of contraindicated exercises? Another thing you could be doing some exercises with improper form hence the discomfort

 

[Bubble Boy]

What part of your knee was injured? Are we talking mensicus, acl, what?

 

[HellIsForHeroes]

I'm having a hard time finding a list of contraindicated excercises. I've been looking online, and I don't think my doctor ever gave me a list of them. I know that as of right now, I'm not cleared for doing those excercises I listed as being discomforting (with the exception of squats, with me going only as low as is comfortable on my knee). I don't think I'm using improper form on at least the leg extensions. Even at low weights, those cause a discomfort on the inside of my knee.

 

[HellIsForHeroes]

What part of your knee was injured? Are we talking mensicus, acl, what?

I had a completely torn ACL, partially torn PCL, and a partially torn medial meniscus. I also didn't know about this for about 9 months, which is when I finally decided it was more than a twisted knee and got an MRI.

 

[J Storm**]

I had a completely torn ACL, partially torn PCL, and a partially torn medial meniscus. I also didn't know about this for about 9 months, which is when I finally decided it was more than a twisted knee and got an MRI.

um. i also had surgery for a completely torn ACL and torn meniscus and after 2 months i was just coming off crutches and still wearing a brace, how the hell are you thinking of lifting already??

 

[HellIsForHeroes]

um. i also had surgery for a completely torn ACL and torn meniscus and after 2 months i was just coming off crutches and still wearing a brace, how the hell are you thinking of lifting already??

my doctor had me going into physical therapy 12 hours after my surgery

I was off crutches at 2 weeks, and I started weight lifting by the end of the third week (all with a brace of course)

I've gotten back up to 380lbs leg press comfortably

I was told I was about average with my recovery

 

[Mark Limbaga]

I'm having a hard time finding a list of contraindicated excercises. I've been looking online, and I don't think my doctor ever gave me a list of them. I know that as of right now, I'm not cleared for doing those excercises I listed as being discomforting (with the exception of squats, with me going only as low as is comfortable on my knee). I don't think I'm using improper form on at least the leg extensions. Even at low weights, those cause a discomfort on the inside of my knee.

have you tried low bar squats and bending at the waist?

 

[DEVILsSON]

Back Squats, Front Squats, Split Squats, Lunges(barbell, Dbs), Step Ups, Deadlifts, SLDLSs, RDLs, Sumo Deadlifts, Dimel Deadlifts, 1 leg RDLs, etc

you may want to try wide(r) stance squats for example to shift emphasis off knees/quads and put more on hips and posterior chain...really focus on sitting back...

are you taking glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM/fish oil? all very good for recovery of the joints....

definitely dont do leg extensions(esp if they hurt) they exert shearing forces on the knee and are counterproductive....ditto for leg curls...instead do front squats and stiff legged deadlifts as an example....(As long as you're able....only do as much as you can...and squats are actually safer through full range of motion.....I suggest you start with just bodyweight and see how it goes...stop if pain occturs).....

good luck man.....I feel your pain I am recovering from a completely torn lateral meniscus....so far no surgery...(Against docs advice...lol)

 

[HellIsForHeroes]

Back Squats, Front Squats, Split Squats, Lunges(barbell, Dbs), Step Ups, Deadlifts, SLDLSs, RDLs, Sumo Deadlifts, Dimel Deadlifts, 1 leg RDLs, etc

are you taking glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM/fish oil? all very good for recovery of the joints....

I'm not familiar with a lot of those excercises, but I'll look into them more this evening when I have more time. I'm not taking any of those things you listed either, though I was looking to get some fish oil recently and decided against it for the time being. Looks like next time I go in I'll be purchasing some.

Thanks for the help!

 

[DEVILsSON]

definitely recommend purchasing the supplements I recommended....you'll prolly buy gluco/chond some also come with MSM, and fish oil as separate supplements....

I suggest you take glu/chon twice a day at 1500/1200mg(as long as you dont have allergies to shellfish)....and 4-5g twice a day of fish oil capsules(get enteric coating if you want to avoid possible fish burps and other such light side effects)

 

[J Storm**]

my doctor had me going into physical therapy 12 hours after my surgery

I was off crutches at 2 weeks, and I started weight lifting by the end of the third week (all with a brace of course)

I've gotten back up to 380lbs leg press comfortably

I was told I was about average with my recovery

after my surgery i was in bed for about a week with my leg on a machine that moved my knee for me, and i had my surgery done by one of the best sports med surgeons in Boston, so i cannot comprehend how you would have achieved that kind of recovery if u did indeed tear your ACL completely and had to have it reconstructed.

 

[HellIsForHeroes]

I know the tear was complete

I have the scar just below my knee where they removed part of my patellar tendon to reconstruct my ACL

Two screws with the tendon wrapped around it

and they sutured my cartilage

the PCL they left alone, since they said the damage was very minor

maybe I'm just lucky? I don't know

the doctor said I'd do well recovering since I had started getting ready for all the physical therapy excercises a month before surgery (my brother is a physical therapist and ran through a list with me), and I had little trouble completing most of the standard lifts afterwards

 

[DEVILsSON]

what type of exercises were you doing...? what did your brother recommend?

 

[KeyserSoze]

http://exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

You can find lots of the exercises here, with info on what muscles they use and how they use them. In general, don't use machines as much as possible, use free weights. I think of machines as ankle/knee braces that people use when they don't really need them. They just stop your body from using stabilizing muscles so that you can get stronger safely. If you don't have the stabilizing muscles you will end up twisting or falling slightly and you will be in big trouble.

 

[HellIsForHeroes]

what type of exercises were you doing...? what did your brother recommend?

before surgery he told me to do full leg lifts in all directions (so lie on your back and lift the injured leg while keeping it straight, then on your right side, left side, and stomach as well, all leg weight only)

lying down and bending my leg

master being able to flex my quad only

body weight squats and calf raises

a ton of leg stretches