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

[emptywallet]

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?

 

[chanmanfoo]

its not common but people shatter these sorts of barriers everyday. good luck bro sorry to hear about your injuries.
foo

 

[DaddyX]

most likely not with some sort of aggrevation. a few of my buds have torn there acl and still have probs a few years after and they have young knees (20-21years old)lol everyones different tho so u could be fortunate and not have a problem down the road. goodluck bro

 

[IronLion]

Good News: you will be able to squat as heavy as you wan't

Bad News: it will take a lot of hard work and humility on your end

Start reading some articles over at elitefts.com about the box squat and learn how it is done...with proper form you can use box squatting to become stronger than you have ever been-and more injury free

 

[emptywallet]

Any other opinions or people that have had problems with their ACL?

 

[baby_bbol]

I had torn medial meniscus in my right leg and torn acl in left from playing football.

From my experience and others I know with similar problem, things are never quite the same, but does not mean you cant train, you'll have to light up the load or the chance of reinjury really goes up.

I dont do any free squats anymore, use either smith machine, hack squat or leg press and added elevated lunges and my legs are the biggest they have ever been.

just see how it goes, but it will be frustrating, get ready,.

 

[FullyCovered]

UA

I've blown out my left knee 2x in 4 yrs playing hoops in college......

first time, torn ACL, lat. and med. meniscus

second time, same eact thing, now i have a cadaver graft in that knee(first surgery used middle 1/3rd of my patella tendon)....

SQUATTING is gonna be a faraway dream bro, not saying that you won't ever squat again, but you are really gonna have to check your ego at the door when you get back to squatting w/the surgically repaired ACL........

Post op, stick to the stuff your PT has you doing, you'll be shocked to see how some exercises using only bodyweight will kick your ass(i think a similar article on testosterone , i think it was the limping series)...........the main thing you'll see that will atrophy BIG TIME is your VMO, the teardrop in your quad......

I'm not saying that squatting heavy won't happen for you again, i mean shit, look at some pro athletes that have had ACL reconstructions, like Jerry Rice.......he came back in record time, it just depends how into it you are when it comes time for therapy.

Ease into, maybe focus more on deads, which is what i've been doing............the shitty thing is, after these surgeries, my left quad measures 1.5 inches smaller than my right, but it's obvious that the lacking part is in my VMO.

PM me if you wanna get more details.