Ask The Brofessor

I torn it in highschool during soccer. I'm not sure how long the actual recovery period was. I was bed ridden for maybe a week or two and was on crutches for a few months. I had to get it done because my ACL was torn in half and my knee would not have functioned. I wouldn't say it's at 100%. There's maybe 3-5% of flexion and extension loss (that I could probably get back from stretching), and it gets tight after I sit for a long time. After warming up I don't really notice it too much in activities, other than some irritation from kicking.

I wonder if it was a meniscus tear. Mine torn a bit during the ACL injury and they stitched it during the ACL surgery. It still feels like it gets caught sometimes and not fall into the right place and I have to stretch my knee to fix it. Maybe you could get a MRI if you have good health insurance so the doctor can see if anything is damaged. Anything beyond that I'm not qualified to comment on. Surgery of any kind is a bitch and you may end up in worse condition than you are at right now. There are other variations of squats you could try, and it's not end of the world if you can't squat deep.

DYShin wrote: How was the ACL reconstruction surgery? How long was the recovery period and what made you want to get it done? Did you have really bad knee problems? And are there any movements you can't do now, or is it as good as new?

Yeah I've had a knee injury on my right knee. It was like a sharp pain in the anterior part of knee, right under the knee cap. I felt the pain at the bottom part of a squat, otherwise it was mostly okay. It hurt to walk a little for a few weeks, but that pain went away. I asked a few doctors and they told me they can't really help me and the only thing they can think of is surgery.

The pain at the bottom of the squat lasted about a year. Now, even the sharp pain at the bottom of the squat is mostly gone. It's more of a discomfort now, and my knees don't feel good if I squat for a few weeks (I don't really do squats regularly atm).

I usually stand around shoulder width and I try to angle my feet out a little. I think my knees shift in and out a little bit when i squat. So either this was the problem or it was me being dumb and bouncing out of the hole (because i've seen some professional weightlifters do it, yeah it was a dumb idea).

I remember asking a chiropractor if this type of injury can heal on it's own, but he said it's probably not likely. He said my body probably just got used to the pain and it stopped sending pain signals.

Do you think surgery is something I should look into to even if it doesn't really hurt anymore? Only back squats irritate it.

Yeah I'll try recording myself when I do squats. It would be great if it was just a technique issue since it's one of my favorite lifts.

when you saw a medical professional, what EXACTLY did they tell you was wrong with your knee? you shouldn't be asking random people online for medical advice.

and if your technique is flawed, whatusername is the last person you'll want critiquing your form. and this:

rival wrote:

rads1 wrote: Should do inverted grip bench presses on my inclines and declines? Are the gains worth it? I also started doing zercher squats, what do you think about that technique?

you should stop asking for weigh lifting advice on this forum. there are better resources outside of here.

That sounds like a horrible experience
How long did it take to get back to your previous strength levels after you stopped using crutches? I remember I tore a tendon in my finger and I wore a splint for a month. After I took the splint off, I think it took months or even over a year to get my old grip strength back. My finger didn't even bend properly for weeks. Was your leg like that too? Maybe it took so long for me because I didn't get physical therapy.

MRI sounds like a good idea. I'll look into it.

Hey senpai, is there any substitute exercise to deadlifts? Every time I do them I have a perpetual fear that I might break my back and have to start at scratch again.

joestarbill wrote: Hey senpai, is there any substitute exercise to deadlifts? Every time I do them I have a perpetual fear that I might break my back and have to start at scratch again.

There are variations of DL with different stand width, such as sumo DL. Squat works a lot of the muscle groups used in DL. As far as developing posterior chain strength and a strong back, there's not really any good substitution that I know of. There is the "back raise" workout and you can add light weight to it to do for many reps, but that doesn't get you the full combo lift benefit of course. It works hampstrings and lower back. I don't think you need to worry about breaking your back. As long as you start light and focus on good form, DL is a very safe lift. The ones that hurt themselves doing DL are people that ego lift, never bothered to learn the right form and try to pick up more weight than they can handle with a bent back. Doing DL actually prevents back injuries from day to day activities by teaching you how to hold your core tight when lift things and strength your muscles and bones. People hurt their back all the time doing yard works or moving things, because they bend at their back and never learned how to lift properly.

Whatusername wrote:

joestarbill wrote: Hey senpai, is there any substitute exercise to deadlifts? Every time I do them I have a perpetual fear that I might break my back and have to start at scratch again.

There are variations of DL with different stand width, such as sumo DL. Squat works a lot of the muscle groups used in DL. As far as developing posterior chain strength and a strong back, there's not really any good substitution that I know of. There is the "back raise" workout and you can add light weight to it to do for many reps, but that doesn't get you the full combo lift benefit of course. It works hampstrings and lower back. I don't think you need to worry about breaking your back. As long as you start light and focus on good form, DL is a very safe lift. The ones that hurt themselves doing DL are people that ego lift, never bothered to learn the right form and try to pick up more weight than they can handle with a bent back. Doing DL actually prevents back injuries from day to day activities by teaching you how to hold your core tight when lift things and strength your muscles and bones. People hurt their back all the time doing yard works or moving things, because they bend at their back and never learned how to lift properly.

I got the form down now, I'm doing a lot of light weights, but I really want to make sure I can nail it before adding more weight. I just have that fear at the back of my head that makes me scared whenever I do deadlifts. Should I invest in one of those waist belts?

The belt doesn't make the move safer. Using the belt too early on can actually be bad for you if your body hasn't drilled the form down. While there isn't a consensus on when to start using lifting belt (I get the same vague answer from online post or videos of lifting champions, coaches or just forums in general: "it depends" or "when you want to"), using it too early has obvious down sides. The belt is meant to allow you to generate more abdominal pressure and therefore lift more than not having a belt otherwise. But it won't protect you from injuries from bad form.

Out of all the lifts, DL are the easiest to drop down if the weight is too much. Millions of people and professional athletes use this lift to condition. It won't be this popular and praised as much if the injury risk is high. Less people condition using Olympic lifts. While they're very good lifts, they require high technical skills and good form. This is also why Crossfit's injury rate is so high - average people doing highly technical Olympic lifts to fatigue.

Ease your worry, take a deep breath into your gut and deadlift.

Is there any difference between eating before or after working out?

joestarbill wrote: Is there any difference between eating before or after working out?

The only major difference would be that if you eat too much before workout and not have enough time to digest, then blood is directed to your digestive system instead of being available to your muscles.

Otherwise, meal timing (protein right after workout, right before workout or otherwise), and meal frequency have not been shown by studies to have significant impact on strength building or fat loss. Essentially, as long as you get your macros in throughout your day, you'll be fine. My source for this is Eric Helms if you're interested. He's a very knowledgeable student of nutrition and fitness, competitor of bodybuilding and powerlifting, as well as coach of bodybuilder and powerlifters. That man has many degrees and knows his things.

Whatusername wrote:

joestarbill wrote: Is there any difference between eating before or after working out?

The only major difference would be that if you eat too much before workout and not have enough time to digest, then blood is directed to your digestive system instead of being available to your muscles.

Otherwise, meal timing (protein right after workout, right before workout or otherwise), and meal frequency have not been shown by studies to have significant impact on strength building or fat loss. Essentially, as long as you get your macros in throughout your day, you'll be fine. My source for this is Eric Helms if you're interested. He's a very knowledgeable student of nutrition and fitness, competitor of bodybuilding and powerlifting, as well as coach of bodybuilder and powerlifters. That man has many degrees and knows his things.

Ok, I was worried about something else like my calorie intake, since I usually eat more after a workout as opposed to before.