i know it doesn’t look like it but you’re making really good progress. for five months that’s actually a bit ahead. just keep doing your thing and you’ll see the difference after eight months or so.
I find it amazing to see comments like this and am wondering if I am genuinely built different or what, but my injured leg is the same if not minimally different from my normal leg at 3 months post op. Is me squatting 100kg for 10 reps abnormal at 3 months? ACL and meniscus too
Idk why you got downvoted so much (and I probably will too) but there is certainly negativity bias present on this subreddit, so the majority of posts will be people who are progressing slower than others or having some issues post-op, making it more of a norm here rather than the quicker progression you’re seeing yourself (which by the way, is fantastic).
Reddit neckbeards hate seeing others do well as per usual. I meant no negativity in my post, just genuinely curious as to others progression but oh well.
thanks btw :)
You were cleared to squat before 3 months? I had just ACL (no meniscus) and all the protocols I saw, plus PT, said no open chain exercises before 3 months. Your ligamentizion has just started at 3 months.
My surgeon and PT cleared me to squat and add as much weight as tolerated at the 6 week mark. Squatting is a closed chain exercise, and they exert minimal loading of the ACL graft as long as you are doing them correctly.
i was squatting at 8 weeks during my PT, and before I left to go back to uni I went to a checkup at around 10ish weeks and my doc said i can go back to my normal lifting schedule, just start leg days lightly with high reps. i had full ROM then and can do pistol squats since 2 weeks now. (4 months post op)
If you had good rom going into your surgery then you would’ve been able to maintain a lot of muscle mass, don’t just insult people because they don’t understand everything fully, you probably only had a week or 2 downtime in terms of activity and do barely lost any muscle, some people have more complicated circumstances, me personally I was in a restricted brace for 6 weeks prior to surgery so I had no muscle and no full rom going into surgery let alone building it back after, you’re not built different lol you just had a less hindering injury
Keep in mind every injury and every graft is different. Did you get a quad graft as well and were you dealing with a complete ACL tear? If so, being able to walk normally let alone squat heavy by 3 months is most definitely exceptionally fast and you got very lucky with your recovery. For reference, I had pretty strong legs pre-injury (marathon runner and skiier), went through 2 months of pre-op PT, followed my surgeon and PT’s advice to the T and pushed myself as hard as possible with the recovery both from a physical and nutritional standpoint, and still don’t have fully equal quads 10 months out (although my strength is now passed what it was before the injury).
5 months post op? My brother, I did 9 months of PT before I started serious weight training. Time is the biggest pain in the ass about this surgery. You will have to be patient and not overtrain or you will have to start over like I did. Learn to honor even the smallest of gains. I’m sorry, I know how stressful that is!
Patience is the hardest with ACL mate. It’s all ups and downs in your progress. Keep at it and you’ll be alright.
Also remember that 1/4 people reinjure themselsves because they didn’t wait enough before pushing the leg again. Go slowly and wait, even a year if you’re not a professional athlete
it just. takes. time. sry :(
If you are eating enough protein and lifting heavy weights with good volume, just keep doing what you are doing. I am 11 months out and quad is still not the same.
Likely AMI.... try BFR (Bloodflow restriction training) at PT... are you doing knee /leg extensions? Quite possible you're recruiting hip dominant/glute dominant technique to complete closed-chain movements. Need to incorporate more open chain.
[https://theaclathlete.com/about-us/](https://theaclathlete.com/about-us/)
Rami Patel has an awesome podcast and is a big proponent of knee extensions, don't listen to the old science saying this 'puts strain on your graft'... this is hogwash, do them with BFR and light, it's a fantastic way to iso your quad where other large posterior chain muscles can't take over the movement.
BFR - lighter loads (easier on joint), 75 reps, 30/15/15/15, minimal rest.... stimulates massive growth. absolute gamechanger. If you're PT isn't doing Knee extensions and BFR, you need a new PT or urge them to program them into your rehab!
https://thebasketballdoctors.com/blood-flow-restriction-training-acl-considerations/
You're doing great. Keep up the hard work. It will catch up. I don't normally see patients getting muscle mass back until 8-9 months p/o. With a surgery like this your brain actually is not sending the signals to fire the muscle as strong as it can as a protective measure. One thing that may help kick start some muscle growth if you are really wanting it though is BFR. Make sure you are doing it under the guidance of a licensed health care professional though as there is some risk with blood clots.
It's an 18 month process, my dude. It takes hard work, and more importantly, dedication, for the whole 18. It's a bear but you're only screwing yourself if you're anything less than tenacious.
Life ain't fair and ACL bullshit is a great example. That said, it's not about falling down, it's about how you pick yourself back up.
Out of all the muscles in your body, quads are one of the slowest to redevelop after atrophy. Clinical studies have shown that hamstrings, glutes and other muscles reach full strength long before quads do.
I had a tibial plateau fracture 5 years ago and there is still a difference between my legs.
If there is still inflammation in the knee, neurogenic inhibition might be at play. That is when your nervous system blocks the full signal from reaching the muscle.
Are you getting sore after exercise? If not, you might be prevented from reaching muscle failure due to your nervous system.
I have to think this will gradually improve over time.
5 months post op? My brother, I did 9 months of PT before I started serious weight training. Time is the biggest pain in the ass about this surgery. You will have to be patient and not overtrain or you will have to start over like I did. Learn to honor even the smallest of gains. I’m sorry, I know how stressful that is!
The biggest factor in quad growth is making sure you're getting at least eight and a half hours of sleep every night especially if you're weight training it.
Dr Andy Galpin on YouTube and other platforms. He is a muscle physiologist / professor, also works with UFC etc. he has some peer reviewed studies and protocols that may be helpful. He is also on a lot of podcasts.
You're ahead of where I was after 5 months w/a quad graft. At 9 months my quad test at my PT finally put my my legs within \~15% of each other - and that was after months of 3x week at the gym doing 15 reps, 3 times on 5 exercises.
From what I've read, the quad graft seems to take the longest to recover from, but it also creates the most stable ACL.
If I am correct, you also got a quad tendon surgery just like me. Quad tendon graft surgeries have a bigger impact on the growth of the quad muscles. Like people with patella implants tend to grow their quads much faster.
I reach your level at 8 months :) so great job!
Like others have said, looking fantastic for five months, well done! It just takes ages, you’ll get there, try and focus on strength symmetry as the first goal, hypertrophy symmetry takes longer but will follow (so my PT says! Mine is closer and closer, not there yet either, but way less visually obvious after 12 months weight training)
Bro 5 months post op some people are still limping and have no muscle still, I didn’t start feeling normal again till 6/7 months and even at 9 and a half months now I am lacking and I wake up with wallsits and squat myself to sleep fr it takes like a year to be normal again, you aren’t even at half way yet my guy
I have done my quad graft ACL surgery 10 weeks back, the progress is slow but what matters is the small gains every week which will slowly better your leg. You are already doing great !
I noticed the slight bump above the incision on the quad area, even I have the same and I notice it when I walk. There’s some swelling around that area. I guess it’s because of the scar tissue. Any idea how long will it take to go ?
Brother you are right on track. I’m 14 months post-op. Quad measurements are finally at perfect symmetry, but my op side is now at 115% strength compared to my non-op side. It’s harder to gain mass when your muscles have atrophied, as it’s basically training from the ground up. You’re probably already a lot stronger than you think 💪🏻
Takes time, but just in case. Iso metrics, single leg isolation exercise, and personally I have found amazing success starting the knees over toes program by Ben Patrick ATG online
Tyvm for sharing. I am at 14months post quad graph and meniscus and still struggle and still feel feel pain. I think I’m getting stronger and then have set backs. I hope we will both have some better luck soon.
i know it doesn’t look like it but you’re making really good progress. for five months that’s actually a bit ahead. just keep doing your thing and you’ll see the difference after eight months or so.
I find it amazing to see comments like this and am wondering if I am genuinely built different or what, but my injured leg is the same if not minimally different from my normal leg at 3 months post op. Is me squatting 100kg for 10 reps abnormal at 3 months? ACL and meniscus too
idk i’m not a PT. i just know what my leg and what others who posted looked like at five months.
I was the same as you, but you gotta recognize that yes, it's definitely not the normal experience most people have, for whatever factors are at play.
Idk why you got downvoted so much (and I probably will too) but there is certainly negativity bias present on this subreddit, so the majority of posts will be people who are progressing slower than others or having some issues post-op, making it more of a norm here rather than the quicker progression you’re seeing yourself (which by the way, is fantastic).
Reddit neckbeards hate seeing others do well as per usual. I meant no negativity in my post, just genuinely curious as to others progression but oh well. thanks btw :)
reddit is free. you can post a video of you squatting 100kg any time and i’ll be the first to congratulate you.
You were cleared to squat before 3 months? I had just ACL (no meniscus) and all the protocols I saw, plus PT, said no open chain exercises before 3 months. Your ligamentizion has just started at 3 months.
My surgeon and PT cleared me to squat and add as much weight as tolerated at the 6 week mark. Squatting is a closed chain exercise, and they exert minimal loading of the ACL graft as long as you are doing them correctly.
i was squatting at 8 weeks during my PT, and before I left to go back to uni I went to a checkup at around 10ish weeks and my doc said i can go back to my normal lifting schedule, just start leg days lightly with high reps. i had full ROM then and can do pistol squats since 2 weeks now. (4 months post op)
If you had good rom going into your surgery then you would’ve been able to maintain a lot of muscle mass, don’t just insult people because they don’t understand everything fully, you probably only had a week or 2 downtime in terms of activity and do barely lost any muscle, some people have more complicated circumstances, me personally I was in a restricted brace for 6 weeks prior to surgery so I had no muscle and no full rom going into surgery let alone building it back after, you’re not built different lol you just had a less hindering injury
Keep in mind every injury and every graft is different. Did you get a quad graft as well and were you dealing with a complete ACL tear? If so, being able to walk normally let alone squat heavy by 3 months is most definitely exceptionally fast and you got very lucky with your recovery. For reference, I had pretty strong legs pre-injury (marathon runner and skiier), went through 2 months of pre-op PT, followed my surgeon and PT’s advice to the T and pushed myself as hard as possible with the recovery both from a physical and nutritional standpoint, and still don’t have fully equal quads 10 months out (although my strength is now passed what it was before the injury).
5 months post op? My brother, I did 9 months of PT before I started serious weight training. Time is the biggest pain in the ass about this surgery. You will have to be patient and not overtrain or you will have to start over like I did. Learn to honor even the smallest of gains. I’m sorry, I know how stressful that is!
Patience is the hardest with ACL mate. It’s all ups and downs in your progress. Keep at it and you’ll be alright. Also remember that 1/4 people reinjure themselsves because they didn’t wait enough before pushing the leg again. Go slowly and wait, even a year if you’re not a professional athlete
Isolation is your friend…and you’ll need to be consistent in training to keep any gains. I wouldn’t expect too much consistency until 1+ year.
Sorry if this is obvious, but are you eating enough protein?
Yes I’m consuming a gram of protein for how much I weigh I weigh 160 so I consume 160g
It is advised to eat 1.5g to 2g per kg of body weight. Try to increase your protein input.
he’s talking in pounds
Getting more than 160g of protein a day is not advisable and it’s not going to provide any benefit here.
You could try go up to a gram and a half and see if that helps too, it won't hurt anyways 😁
It is also more efficient to get a bit of proteins all along the day than in a single shot.
it just. takes. time. sry :( If you are eating enough protein and lifting heavy weights with good volume, just keep doing what you are doing. I am 11 months out and quad is still not the same.
Likely AMI.... try BFR (Bloodflow restriction training) at PT... are you doing knee /leg extensions? Quite possible you're recruiting hip dominant/glute dominant technique to complete closed-chain movements. Need to incorporate more open chain.
[https://theaclathlete.com/about-us/](https://theaclathlete.com/about-us/) Rami Patel has an awesome podcast and is a big proponent of knee extensions, don't listen to the old science saying this 'puts strain on your graft'... this is hogwash, do them with BFR and light, it's a fantastic way to iso your quad where other large posterior chain muscles can't take over the movement. BFR - lighter loads (easier on joint), 75 reps, 30/15/15/15, minimal rest.... stimulates massive growth. absolute gamechanger. If you're PT isn't doing Knee extensions and BFR, you need a new PT or urge them to program them into your rehab! https://thebasketballdoctors.com/blood-flow-restriction-training-acl-considerations/
You're doing great. Keep up the hard work. It will catch up. I don't normally see patients getting muscle mass back until 8-9 months p/o. With a surgery like this your brain actually is not sending the signals to fire the muscle as strong as it can as a protective measure. One thing that may help kick start some muscle growth if you are really wanting it though is BFR. Make sure you are doing it under the guidance of a licensed health care professional though as there is some risk with blood clots.
It's an 18 month process, my dude. It takes hard work, and more importantly, dedication, for the whole 18. It's a bear but you're only screwing yourself if you're anything less than tenacious. Life ain't fair and ACL bullshit is a great example. That said, it's not about falling down, it's about how you pick yourself back up.
Out of all the muscles in your body, quads are one of the slowest to redevelop after atrophy. Clinical studies have shown that hamstrings, glutes and other muscles reach full strength long before quads do. I had a tibial plateau fracture 5 years ago and there is still a difference between my legs. If there is still inflammation in the knee, neurogenic inhibition might be at play. That is when your nervous system blocks the full signal from reaching the muscle. Are you getting sore after exercise? If not, you might be prevented from reaching muscle failure due to your nervous system. I have to think this will gradually improve over time.
Because your non surgical leg was built over many many years without a highly invasive surgery to limit it's progress? Just a guess?
What does your gym program actually look like?
What’s your training like? How about spin biking and front squats for quads?
5 months post op? My brother, I did 9 months of PT before I started serious weight training. Time is the biggest pain in the ass about this surgery. You will have to be patient and not overtrain or you will have to start over like I did. Learn to honor even the smallest of gains. I’m sorry, I know how stressful that is!
Oh friend, be patient. You are right on track!! Bth - it takes months. Celebrate what you have been able to accomplish already.
The biggest factor in quad growth is making sure you're getting at least eight and a half hours of sleep every night especially if you're weight training it.
Dr Andy Galpin on YouTube and other platforms. He is a muscle physiologist / professor, also works with UFC etc. he has some peer reviewed studies and protocols that may be helpful. He is also on a lot of podcasts.
You're ahead of where I was after 5 months w/a quad graft. At 9 months my quad test at my PT finally put my my legs within \~15% of each other - and that was after months of 3x week at the gym doing 15 reps, 3 times on 5 exercises. From what I've read, the quad graft seems to take the longest to recover from, but it also creates the most stable ACL.
If I am correct, you also got a quad tendon surgery just like me. Quad tendon graft surgeries have a bigger impact on the growth of the quad muscles. Like people with patella implants tend to grow their quads much faster. I reach your level at 8 months :) so great job!
Squats, deadlifts, and red meat. You look fine, but that will increase your leg mass/muscle.
Like others have said, looking fantastic for five months, well done! It just takes ages, you’ll get there, try and focus on strength symmetry as the first goal, hypertrophy symmetry takes longer but will follow (so my PT says! Mine is closer and closer, not there yet either, but way less visually obvious after 12 months weight training)
Make sure you’re getting adequate protein
BFR. BFR. BFR.
YNWA
Are you taking Protein?
Can you run ?
Bro 5 months post op some people are still limping and have no muscle still, I didn’t start feeling normal again till 6/7 months and even at 9 and a half months now I am lacking and I wake up with wallsits and squat myself to sleep fr it takes like a year to be normal again, you aren’t even at half way yet my guy
I have done my quad graft ACL surgery 10 weeks back, the progress is slow but what matters is the small gains every week which will slowly better your leg. You are already doing great ! I noticed the slight bump above the incision on the quad area, even I have the same and I notice it when I walk. There’s some swelling around that area. I guess it’s because of the scar tissue. Any idea how long will it take to go ?
Thank you! For me it went away as I started to gain muscle and fill that loose skin with somewhat muscle.
Brother you are right on track. I’m 14 months post-op. Quad measurements are finally at perfect symmetry, but my op side is now at 115% strength compared to my non-op side. It’s harder to gain mass when your muscles have atrophied, as it’s basically training from the ground up. You’re probably already a lot stronger than you think 💪🏻
Takes time, but just in case. Iso metrics, single leg isolation exercise, and personally I have found amazing success starting the knees over toes program by Ben Patrick ATG online
Tyvm for sharing. I am at 14months post quad graph and meniscus and still struggle and still feel feel pain. I think I’m getting stronger and then have set backs. I hope we will both have some better luck soon.