Knee Surgery. Upper body routine?

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Oblivion02

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Hey guys!

Im 18 years old, and just recently had a minor knee surgery. I had small torn particles of the lateral meniscus removed, but in its majority, it is still there. Currently, I'm still recovering because I had some complications. Before the surgery, I did MANY squats, pushups, I used to weight train, play alot of basketball, practiced martial arts, run, etc. Since my knee problems, its been like 7 months, I have not done any sports or ran. I was wondering if designin an upper body routine would be good for me. I know I will not look unbalanced because I have huge legs. The last personal trainer I was with said I had legs like a football player, and my legs are very strong. I was thinking about hitting the gym this semester and working out, because I have been gaining some extra weight, and would like to get back in shape. Thing is, I can not do many excersises for my legs, at least not yet. Any suggestions or ideas?

-Oblivion
 
I'm just curious as to why you can't do leg exercises just yet. It's been 7 months since you had (what I am assuming is) a basic knee arthroscopy. I'm sure by now you've healed enough to bear weight on it, so LIGHT weight workouts shouldn't be a problem. I would highly suggest you don't try to jump into full out workouts with loads of weight, but running/jogging, at the least, shouldn't be a problem. What were the complications of your surgery?

The problem I have with my knees (just researched it again to be sure) is worse than your problem and I run/jog and squat between 200-250 lbs every time I go to the gym. My medial meniscus is almost, if not completely, gone from genu varum, or bowed legs. Due to tremendous stress and practically all of my weight bearing being placed on the insides of my knees the meniscus has worn away and now it's bone-on-bone between my femur and tibia, which in turn is wearing down the bones and may cause degenerative arthritis (which it pretty much has in my case). Good info.

Did your doctor tell you not to work out your legs? Personally, if your legs are disporportinate in comparison to your upper body I would say go for an upperbody routine. I mean no disrespect, but I know guys who concentrate too much on one part of their body and they look ridiculous. Like the guys who work their upperbody too much and have chicken legs.

Best of luck to you. I feel your pain, literally. :beerchug:
 
Aclaration: Knee Problems were 7 months back, such as pain, and discomfort in the left knee. However, it wasnt until a few weeks back that I had the arthroscopy. After the surgery, I gave it 2 weeks of rest, applying ice sometimes, and the knee seemed like it was going to recover quickly. However, it reached a limit, it wouldnt go down anymore, and it still looked horrible. I went to the doctor, turns out I was bleeding from inside the knee. They removed the "old" blood, and hoped it would stop. It didnt. I had to go the next week, and this time, less blood came out. So now we really thought it was over, but again, it filled up with fluid. This week I went to him again, he pulled out some yellow fluid, directly injected anti-inflamatory medicine into my knee, and told me to wear a knee immobilizer for 10 days. I'm hoping that after these 10 days, I can start doing some light excercises to get some strentgh into my left leg (IT IS VERY SOGGY).

Another concern is, that my right leg, since its the one thats carrying my body weight, it is more built, and cut than my left leg. Now they look very disproportionate. Not sure how to work that out. But in the mean while, I was thinking of doing an upper body routine to stay fit and tone myself upstairs ;)

I know what you mean about the chicken legs, I've seen it alot. This is exactly what I am saying will not [I HOPE :p ] happen to me, because I have BIG legs, and I dont plan on bulking my upper body, just cutting, toning it.

Suggestions?

[By the way, glad to see I'm not alone in this. Just so you know, what happened to you is what was GOING to happen to me. My meniscus was going to be removed, and my leg would have been left bone to bone, but thank God, it was just some small particles that had to be removed. I feel your pain bro.]

-Oblivion
 
Hold old are you lettuce, do you think youll need a unicompartment knee replacement in the future?

If your meniscus would have been removed it still wouldnt be bone to bone, it would have been articular cartilage on articlular cartilage.

I dont know why your not doing home exercise for your new. Go get a thero band and start working on your glutes, hammys, calf raises and quad contractions...then get on yoru way for improving your propiorecpetion..

good luck anyway
 
Oblivion, sorry for the misunderstanding. Yeah, fluid on the knee is a PITA. I would let it rest up for a while. Did the doctor put you on an oral antibiotic? As Matt stated, if they remove your meniscus, you won't initially have bone to bone friction/wear. You will still have a bit of cartilage that you would probably burn thru after a few years. I heard something recently about them using sea sponges (yeah, I know it sounds crazy) as replacements for joint cartilage as it is porous(sp) will flex/squish (not the medical terms used) with the natural movement, but I don't know how much of that or any other cartilage replacement they have and/or can use.

Now, me on the other hand, from being genu varum my entire life, have neither the meniscus or the cartilage. After 16.5~ years, my X-rays showed that there was bone on bone contact and that the bones were grinding away at each other.

matt182 said:
Hold old are you lettuce, do you think youll need a unicompartment knee replacement in the future?
Click to expand...

I will be 24 on March 19th. As much as I don't want to think about it or go through with it, I do believe there is a good possibility that I will. Unfortunately, working in an operating room, I've seen a handful of cases where the patient was coming in to get a replacement after having one or two arthroscopies. I personally am not a fan of enduring pain further than I have to, so, if I have to come back to have it done again or have the joint replaced, it might as well be done in the first place.

I don't know if either of you clicked the link to my other thread, but in it there is a picture of my knees from about a year and a half ago. As you can see in the picture, I should probably be about an inch or so taller, if my knees were straight, that is. My thigh comes down correctly, than my knee juts to the outside (from top to bottom it goes inside to outside) and than my tibia comes back from there towards the inside. Normal males, when standing feet together, will have no space between their thighs. I however have a gap between my thighs. I know it prolly wouldn't be as simple as just replacing the joint, they are gonna have to straighten out the whole leg, both times, otherwise, it will be pointless.

Oblivion, I wish you the best. My only suggestion is rest, ice and heat.
 
@lettuce: I did click on the picture... Looks pretty bad bro. Wish you the best. Are you working out like this?

thero band? What is that? After the 10 days, the doctor suggested I start working out my thighs, etc. to get some strentgh into the leg again. My left leg is very soggy. I can not get it hard, even if I try. I will probably begin with some light excersises before I start working out again, but I was wondering... How can I make a routine excluding such important muscles? It would be 3x a day? Or 2? I'm not sure how to even begin. Hopefully, in a few days, I'll be able to walk... Maybe even jog. If thats the case, I could do some light cardio, but I dont know. Suggestions?

-Oblivion
 
Oblivion02 said:
@lettuce: I did click on the picture... Looks pretty bad bro. Wish you the best. Are you working out like this?
Click to expand...

Yeah. I work out like this. Usually for my legs I would do calf raises @ 50 lbs until I feel a deep burn for 2 sets. Than move to the cable guided squat machine doing 200/175/150 lbs @ 15/15/20 reps respectively. Recently I switched to 200 lb x3 with toes outward set 1, toes inward set 2 and feet straight set 3. Follow up with hip ab/adduction @ 50 pounds, 1 set each to near failure.

thero band? What is that? After the 10 days, the doctor suggested I start working out my thighs, etc. to get some strentgh into the leg again. My left leg is very soggy. I can not get it hard, even if I try. I will probably begin with some light excersises before I start working out again, but I was wondering... How can I make a routine excluding such important muscles? It would be 3x a day? Or 2? I'm not sure how to even begin. Hopefully, in a few days, I'll be able to walk... Maybe even jog. If thats the case, I could do some light cardio, but I dont know. Suggestions?

-Oblivion
Click to expand...

are like big rubberbands. They offer different resistances. It's basically like doing a stretch with added resistance, usually a moderate one. It's often used in rehab for sports injuries as well as the surgery you've recently gone thru. It's worth looking into.

Hope those links help ya out some. As far as working out again after the 10 days, I would schedule a follow up with your doc, if you haven't already on the 10th or 11th day to make sure it's good before starting into anything. From there you will need patients. Don't rush into any sort of exercise. Take your time and ease yourself back into a routine and work slowly up from the lower weights. You push yourself too fast, too hard, too soon or a combo of each, you will increase the chances of causing another problem or aggravating the same problem.

Keep us posted on your progress bro. Let us know how things come along.
 
Will do. But even if the doctor suggests no excersising on my lower boddy, I should work out my upper body no?

-Oblivion
 
A doctors not the best place to be getting advice.

soo lets get this right, your a couple weeks post meniscectomy?

If thats the case..you should be well into already conditioning your effected leg.
 
Yes. Im supposed to be alright. But Im not. The knee was filling up with old blood. And this last time, it was filled with a yellow fluid. The knee is now imobilized for 10 days.
 
matt182 said:
A doctors not the best place to be getting advice.
Click to expand...

I agree and disagree here. More times that not, that holds true, but in this situation, it doesn't (and shouldn't) take a doctor to see that something is messed up. Bad. There really isn't a reason that should have been internally bleeding the way it was and now there is something else going on in there. Personally, I wouldn't mess with it for now. I'd give it a few days immobilized and than worry about it after that. Better safe than sorry. Worst case scenerio, you mess around too much and damage that knee further, possibly causing a infection (or worse infection than is already in there). They may have to do an above knee amputation. This is the WORST CASE SCENERIO and probably won't happen to you, but I want you to know what could possibly happen to your knee. Like I said before, You don't want to push yourself too hard, too fast or too soon.

My suggestion is, either way, start training your upper body. It really can't hurt. As far as you leg being smaller or losing overall stregnth from being like this, it's gonna happen. You just have to deal with it for now and when it's 100% again, you can worry about training it again.
 
I was thinking maybe 3x a week.

Day One: Chest, Back, Trapezoid

Day Two: Bicep, Tricep, Shoulder

Day Three: Chest, Back, Trapezoid

Squishing abs in between days. Something like that. Any opinions or suggestions?

-Oblivion
 
Hey guys,

Been looking at ways to exercise my left leg safely. Had a knee arthroscopy 2 weeks ago. Have done exercises that the doc recommended and am having a post op follow-up in a few days. Does anyone have ideas as to how to stay toned and fit? I usually go to the gym, but since the surgery, have been unable to. Would appreciate if someone could help me out.

Thanks :)
 
Man, this thread brings back memories. lol!

Well, what leg exercizes does you doc have you doing? Have you been walking/jogging at all?

My personal suggestion is try light walking on a treadmill for the legs if you aren't cleared for much more. Also sitting in a chair, with no resistance, doing leg raises and kicks. You can even do these with >/=5 lbs. It may not seem like much, but as the saying goes, use it or lose it.



I LOL'd while I re-read this thread. Especially the part about me only squatting 250. I was up to 450-500 shortly after that post, even on my knees. I am going to be sooo frustrated after I get my surgery and am unable to do that anymore. :eek:
 
2 weeks post op?? should be way past the "no resistance" phase. What exercises have you been prescribed by the Dr?? any physical therapy involved post-op??
 
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