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View Full Version : The Comeback and Beyond from 2 different injuries/surgeries



LovesBeef
06-07-2011, 08:04 PM
I've only competed once years ago, and then decided to dedicate more time towards improvements, so didn't compete, well while I was in a good bulk and at the biggest/heaviest i'd ever been, POW end up injuring myself, pec tear doing 285 for reps on bench. Fast forward a year (approx) I hurt my knee at work, meanwhile i've been fighting to get the torn pec fixed, and getting so much opposition the whole way. Fast forward a couple months, I get surgery on my knee to fix it (lateral release + cleaning up the joint) and about a month and a half later FINALLY get pec tear surgery in Ottawa.

So I thought i'd use this forum to log my progress back from all this, get feedback from anyone, tips or tricks, since i'm sure some of you have been injured.

Got a week off from work after knee surgery, came back got told nope no work or physio, your leg is way to swollen so another week, at this point I was walking, but it was definitely more of a hobble. It took about 3-4 weeks (post surgery) to get full ROM back, at the time I didn't know i'd have my pec tear surgery so close to this one, I got lucky to get in so fast.

So pretty much whole time I kept up my leg exercises, except for the week or 2 I got off work after the pec surgery.

Did the 6 weeks in the sling, Docs said no pushing past 15 degrees for the first few weeks during physio, just doing active assisted ROM stuff, basically like my leg learning to use it all over again. By week 6 or 7 I was pretty much back to my normal (60ish degrees external rotation, and arms over my head, etc)

FINALLY! started this past friday (July 1st aka 8weeks post surgery) to do strengthening exercises, started with a yellow thera-band, but now I can do the red band.

Disturbingly enough my knee bothers me more then my shoulder does at the moment. I think its due to my tear being at the musculo-tendinous junction, and the doc said my tendon was intact (also was not a complete tear) but obviously because it took about 1.5yrs to get the surgery lots of scar tissue and significant atrophy in the detached portion, but after the swelling went down post-surgery, I could already tell a difference in look.

On a good note, Pec doc said i'm ahead of scheduling on recuperation, and he doesn't need to see me after the 2month check-up (which i've had) unless there's emergency. Also said I should be back to my normal activities in 1-2 months.

Had physio today, worked it pretty hard (in a good way) but was in a bind for time...so ended up doing:
- 15mins stationary bike,
- 1-legged squats (leg behind on a bench) these actually feel better then 2 legged squats but I think that's due to my inability to keep my knees behind my toes. 3x10
- standing 1 leg calf raises holding 40lbs 3x15-18
- leg press at 120-140lbs(the horizontal one with a weight stack...I hate it!)
- side leg raises with 75lbs 3x12
- this weird machine for physio called the shuttle or shuttle squat did the max 225lbs for sets of 30-35
Notes: still having trouble contracting my whole quad, like when I want to full out flex, pushing your knee down, like in an abs&thigh shot. Pain the rest of the time mostly on the outside of the knee.

Shoulder physio:
I decided to use the cables since the cables don't go as light at the gym as they do here. (the weights and lifts are only for the injured side)

- Shoulder raises (flexion): 3lbs 1x15, 4lbs 2x15
- Lateral Raises (abduction): 3lbs 1x15, 4lbs 2x15
- Variation of 1 hand cable crossover (start arm parallel to floor and bring down to thigh, adduction): 3lbs 1x15, 4lbs 2x15
- external rotation 3lbs 1x15, 4lbs 2x15
- internal rotation 3lbs 1x15, 4lbs 2x15
- backwards straight arm extension (for rear delts) 3lbs 1x15, 4lbs 2x15
- wrist flexion/extension (wrist curls) 4lbs 3x15
- elbow flexion/extension (curls/pushdowns) 4lbs 3x15

I'm pretty happy with things, I came in and started off LIGHT, and felt I could handle more, so I went up a little. Didn't hurt or feel pain of any kind, just muscles working. Felt great to be able to train that side again!!

Lost like 15-20lbs since knee surgery approx 3months ago. Pre-surgery = 212-215, Now= 194-196 (I was down more...but put 2-3lbs back on lately)

The exercises aren't my choosing, they are handed down by physio, i'm weary of straying from them since these are my first serious injuries/recoveries and surgeries, so i'd rather be more cautious.

Stay tuned for next post, sorry this one was so long, just wanted anyone who reads this to have as much of the story as they could and not wonder wtf i'm talking about.

Thanks for reading/listening to anyone who checks out this post!

FitnessModel45
06-07-2011, 10:40 PM
Wow! All I have to say is I wish you the best of luck brother! Not many people have the determination to come back from the grave like that and I really respect that! :)

LovesBeef
07-07-2011, 04:21 PM
Thanks for the words of encouragement!! It might not be tomorrow or a month from now, but i'm determined to step by step get back to it.

Step 1: Get Surgery CHECK
Step 2: Keep sling on for 6wks CHECK
Step 3: Start physio CHECK
Step 4: Get cleared to start training (start light)
Step 5: Work back up to previous size/strength
Step 6: Get beyond where I was before
Step 7: Compete

That's the plan so far, i'm only in the physio part for now and its going well, I don't want to rush it, and re-injure myself, i'd rather take my time and heal properly.

No training today, but physio/workout tomorrow (I figure i'll train x3 a week) my shoulder is actually not hurting or bugging me at the moment, just weak, so just a matter of getting stronger. My knee is slowly bit by bit getting better, hell I remember when I couldn't even walk normally!!

Big thanks already to Praetorian, we've talked a bit, and he's had some wise advice, DEF new client when i'm good to go P!

and just in case anyone was wondering, I was doing DC training when I tore, was on the 1st portion of my bench Rest-pause set, and warmed up quite a bit.

LovesBeef
08-07-2011, 03:22 PM
Got cleared to train everything else today, just got told to start at 50% of what I used to use. Also did first directly pec related work (crossover/flye stuff and wall push-ups) so far it had just been mobility. So i'm really pumped!!

Just wanna say i'm nobody special, tons of guys get hurt year round and compete, and train and make it back, and also lots of soldiers get hurt worse and they come back, so I'm def not whining about my situation, there's worse out there, and i'm thankful for what I do have, thanks y'all!

LovesBeef
20-07-2011, 09:35 PM
Finally got around to taking measurements....was dreading this...and found i've lost 2 inches off upper arms, thighs, calves, chest, and I believe 1 inch on forearms, and also my left thigh (one that had knee surgery) is 1 inch smaller then right thigh, but my waist is the same....grrrr oh and I never knew my wrists were so f***in small! 5.5-6 inches around!

plus side is my knee surgeon, said I can push the training, just have to monitor pain afterwards, to know if I did to much.

I'm up to doing 20lbs dumbbell on incline for 10-12 (just my repaired side)

Almost forgot, should I be eating maintenance, or above because i'm trying to put my size back on? or focus on getting lean aka losing a lil bodyfat. Is there one that is better then the other in my current situation?

ironwill
21-07-2011, 11:36 AM
Good stuff LB, i wish you the best, It sounds like you have it figured out, now keep it up , i enjoy reading these type of stories and logs...keep us updated...Very good positive mndset bro....good to see..

LovesBeef
04-08-2011, 02:46 PM
Sorry for lack of updates guys, have had lots of stuff going on work wise, life wise, etc.

Hooked up with a wicked trainer from down south (from intensemuscle) , and starting 100% when i'm back from vacation, i'm back to lifting completely (including chest) although i'm not very strong, its a start, i'm being very conservative and keeping the reps high. I've gotten on the pec deck and used 60lbs for 10-15reps, and incline db pressing 35's for same amount of reps, started working on push-ups on the floor, with no pain, just weakness, which is normal since I haven't been able to use my chest for about 3 months now...

I guess the only question I have on my mind now is, when will it be safe/prudent to hop back on the sauce? I've been reading studies that show deca, eq and var help, and yadda yadda but would love some actual anecdotal stories from guys who've had this type of injury, as it was a musculotendinous tear, I would think the tendon is not weak, but rather the muscle was just to strong, or the area was over fatigued, and i'm thinking because of the massive atrophy and loss of strength, that doing a low dose cycle would actually benefit me to regain strength and get me back to a more normal level.

Thoughts?