Think I'll ever be able to squat heavy again?

[emptywallet]

I posted this over on the anabolic board, and Lion gave me an interesting answer, box squats, however I know you guys talk ALOT about the squat over here, so I thought I would repost it here for more opinions, Here's what I said:

"I've recently undergone surgery for two tears in my miniscus in my knee, one was repaired, the other tear was smoothed out and shaved away. However my ACL is also torn, though not the normal way as in torn in half. I have a vertical tear in my ACL. Going long ways and I have a sugery to repair, not reconstruct as in bone drilling and such, at the first of may. They are going to use part of my hamstring. :sigh: I just really started enjoying squatting and now it seems like everything I read tells me that squatting is a big no no after an ACL injury. Anyone shed any light here?"

Anyone help with an answer?

 

[DrBones]

I did some damage to my miniscus squatting about a month ago... I'm really really worried I might never squat again.....
I'd like to hear any input on this as well.... even though my injury isnt to the same extent as his...
thanks

 

[Zander1983]

Wish I could give you a definative answer, because I know how much injuries can tear you up. I suffered big-time last year - couldn't train my lower body at all due to developing stress fractures in my pelvis. Right now, BOTH of my ankles are recovering from fairly serious sprains. Just as I was getting back into lower-body training, I've been de-railed again!

What I can tell you, I did so in your other thread about the injury. My brother has had multiple knee surgey and has been told he cannot squat ever again. They even want him to limit doing so as part of everyday activity.

All the best.

 

[jerkbox]

i had ACL surgery a year ago.....takes about 9 months before you should be squatting any weight...but I am now doing reps with 285 for box squats....heavy enough?

in the meantime, leg presses

 

[CrazyC]

you'll probably have do go light for a LONG time

but you'll get back up there, just give it time.

good luck bro!

 

[emptywallet]

i had ACL surgery a year ago.....takes about 9 months before you should be squatting any weight...but I am now doing reps with 285 for box squats....heavy enough?

in the meantime, leg presses

Can you do a regular squat without a box? Does your knee ever bother you during squats?

 

[SofaGeorge]

Sure you'll squat heavy again. You will also reinjure your knee.

That's the pattern everybody follows.

 

[emptywallet]

Sure you'll squat heavy again. You will also reinjure your knee.

That's the pattern everybody follows.

So your basically saying I won't ever be able to squat heavy again without reinjuring my knee.

 

[jerkbox]

Can you do a regular squat without a box? Does your knee ever bother you during squats?

yeah, but the recovery time needed seems to be greater when I do regular squats....but I am capable of lifting just as heavy as ever....I just make sure I wrap my bad knee, actually, when I first started out I was wearing my ACL brace for a while.

 

[Thaibox]

My whole body is a piece of shit. Doctors are always telling me to be a swimmer and use light weights on machines only.

My right knee is similar to yours. My left knee isn't as bad, but still has problems. Combined with my current back condition, I can barely do bodyweight squats. But, I'm able to do really heavy presses and drag sleds. I wrap up my right knee and do sprints, sleds, and presses.

I will squat again. For now, I think of this shit as my body simply saying to mix up my training. So, I stop squatting(and deads, etc) for a while. When I get back to it I'll be good to go better than ever because I was forced to hit aspects of leg training and ancillary training that were neglected for years.

Follow the advice of the other bros, and keep your chin up. You're still a young bro.




Quick story......
A good friend of mine had ACL surg done when he was 19. All through college he wanted to be a SEAL. His junior year, he burned the surgery scar and the area around it, so it looked like one big burn scar. He then scraped his knee in the front to cover two scope holes. He enlisted in the Navy and told them he was riding his motorcycle in a parking lot and it fell on his leg at a strange angle and stuck for a few seconds, burning his skin. They bought it. He joined and passed all three phases of BUDS. He is now a sniper in Team 3.

Point being, remind your body that you are in charge of it. Your squats will be back, don't worry bro.

 

[Scotsman]

I have injured the lateral miniscus, acl, mcl, lcl, and patelar tendon all in my right knee. I took about a year off from squatting after the last injury. Then started back. I now squat 500 plus raw and can leg press 1400lbs for reps to 90 with knee wraps. Just take it slow my last injury was about five years ago and I just worked and strengthened the muscles. Some days I have problems but they are getting to be few and far between. Just keep you spirits up and work hard.

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[casualbb]

What did a torn meniscus feel like? I bashed my knee into a corner at a weird angle when I was young, and ever since I've had intermittent knee issues...feels not like pain, but like an intense pressure when it bears weight at a bent angle.

-casualbb

 

[ghee]

Your best bet might just be to have a sports doctor check you out afterward and track your recovery.

 

[Zyglamail]

EmptyWallet, whats the post surgical medicine prescribed....** cringes **

 

[emptywallet]

EmptyWallet, whats the post surgical medicine prescribed....** cringes **

Vicodin, that I don't take anymore, I only took it the first day after surgery, and some sort of anti-inflammatory, I believe its Vioxx.

 

[emptywallet]

AHAHHAHHAHHHHH!!!!! I just found this post. Last Saturday I squated biotches!!!!!! Not heavy but I'm working my way back there. Man does this post bring back some painful memories.....

 

[blut wump]

Take it steady but do take it.

 

[Island Son]

were you completely off for 2 years? How's your knee feel now?

 

[emptywallet]

I never said that, I just haven't squated since then, I've deadlifted though. Feels hunky dorie. There is some popping, strange feelings sometimes, though that is to be expected.

 

[Madcow2]

New movements to the body will always be a bit odd at first. Just take it slow and condition the body. Don't raise the weight or the volume too fast. This will build a nice foundation and really get your body accustomed to the squat again.

 

[emptywallet]

New movements to the body will always be a bit odd at first. Just take it slow and condition the body. Don't raise the weight or the volume too fast. This will build a nice foundation and really get your body accustomed to the squat again.

Yuppers. I never thought this day would come, it's been a long road.

 

[Madcow2]

Yuppers. I never thought this day would come, it's been a long road.

Congrats man - I know the feeling, believe me. For a few years there I had given up on the squat due to some knee issues (not caused by squatting), had even made peace with it which is A LOT for me. When I was able to do it again without pain, oh man was I a happy bastard. I went through a torn labrum about two years ago and used to look in at the kids pressing 135 all shaky armed and be so envious that they didn't get the searing pain and could train however they wanted to. As you get old though this happens and you learn to really appreciate your body. Now that I'm healthy again...it's real nice. Best of luck to you!

 

[emptywallet]

Congrats man - I know the feeling, believe me. For a few years there I had given up on the squat due to some knee issues (not caused by squatting), had even made peace with it which is A LOT for me. When I was able to do it again without pain, oh man was I a happy bastard. I went through a torn labrum about two years ago and used to look in at the kids pressing 135 all shaky armed and be so envious that they didn't get the searing pain and could train however they wanted to. As you get old though this happens and you learn to really appreciate your body. Now that I'm healthy again...it's real nice. Best of luck to you!

You as well!!

 

[b fold the truth]

 

[emptywallet]

Heh, I thought you might find your way in here. Hey how is your hamstring thingie we talked about so long ago doing? The one that hurt when I told you to pull yourself across the room on the roller chair by your heel?

 

[WalkingBeast]

Great recovery!! Always inspirational to see. Trying to recover from two herniated disks myself, in the mid back. KEEP KILLING THAT SHIT BROTHER!!

 

[Tadow]

I had ACL reconstruction about 2 1/2 years back - although they took the tissue from my platellar tendon as opposed to the hamstring.

It took a long time of lifting really light before I felt that I could to squats without favoring my bad leg. Now the only thing that sometimes bothers me is slight pain in the platellar tendon (where the donor tissue came from).

Most ACL in juries occur as the result of a pivot-type motion. So as far as the ACL, as long as the rehab work was solid before the lifting began again, I would never expect someone to re-injure it using proper form. Meniscus might be a different story, but repairing the meniscus is light work compared to working with the ACL.

On a side note - I saw a trainer at my gym doing weighted squats on a wobble board. It made my knees cry just watching it happen - wtf?

 

[emptywallet]

I had a patellar graft as well. I've had two meniscus surgies, one removal and one repair.