Kettlebell Kettlebells to ACL recovery post surgery

[attila vajda]

Hi,

I am two weeks post ACL surgery with hamstring graft. Before my injury I have been training kettlebells the Strongfirst way for two years.

When can I get back to kettlebell training and what are some beneficial exercises that aid recovery?

Also what to avoid?

Are there some good resources, articles for kettlebell and ACL reconstruction?


THANK YOU

Attila

 

[taikei]

Is this question based on doctor's approval to train?

 

[Deleted member 5559]

After a couple knee surgeries, one being a hamstring ACL repair... Swings. First follow your physical therapy even after you feel fine. I did not and ended up compensating for my knee without knowing it. Then, your hamstring will still have a bit of atrophy and the best thing I have found is lots of swings, I mean a lot of swings, lighter and longer swings, lots of swings.

PS. Lots of swings

 

[Makena M]

Hi,

I am two weeks post ACL surgery with hamstring graft. Before my injury I have been training kettlebells the Strongfirst way for two years.

When can I get back to kettlebell training and what are some beneficial exercises that aid recovery?

Also what to avoid?

Are there some good resources, articles for kettlebell and ACL reconstruction?


THANK YOU

Attila

Hi Attila,

I'm at the tail end of my recovery from a hamstring ACL reconstruction. I had to wait 6 wks before doing any strength training of my hamstring to avoid potential hamstring strains. So in the meantime I would work a lot on quad activation making sure its turning on and getting strength back. When you get the okay to work on hamstring strengthening single-leg deadlifts with a kb..eventually performing them on a foam platform, bosu ball or other unstable surface to really promote stability and balance. Kb swings are one that I was able to do when given the okay to work on deceleration. Using a kb to weave through legs while in a squat is another exercise I do frequently in PT. Its similar to dribbling a basketball through your legs and helps with getting use to shifting weight..needs to be controlled and not a swing, also eventually moving to perform it on a bosu ball (for the unstable surface).

The key things right now are quad activation and regaining range of motion. I did acupuncture every two wks during the first 3 months of recovery and it helped a ton with range of motion. It can also help with pain management and breaking down scar tissue. Taking collagen as a supplement is also something to try. It will help the muscle fibers become a ligament and help joint health overall.

Hope this helps!
Its a long process..stay patient and smart about recovery. The thought of redoing recovery has kept me from getting too crazy in training. Also, get creative in PT exercises because it can be pretty cookie cutter. Getting range of motion and working a ton on balance I think have helped me the most. Good news is it sounds like you went into surgery pretty strong so it will come back a lot quicker!

Best,
Makena

 

[pet']

Hello,

Welcome on StrongFirst !

When can I get back to kettlebell training and what are some beneficial exercises that aid recovery?

Instinctively, I would say "when your doctor will tell you that you can". It maybe better to wait and not going too hard too soon. Safety first !

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[offwidth]

I would follow the instructions of you physio to the letter. Once cleared to do so, cycling might be a good option to consider.

 

[Questionfear]

Follow your PT! I had ACL reconstruction several years ago and I was bad about following PT... While my knee did mostly recover, it wasn't until a second round of PT for a meniscal tear that my knee became truly strong, because that time I finally really did the PT.

 

[Tarzan]

Normally after you have an ACL repair the knee joint will have a limited ROM because of the way they set the tension on the graft. Essentially the joint is over tensioned and you have stretch it back out over a period of months before you can fully straighten your leg.

I wouldn't want to do any swings before I was very close to regaining full extension in the knee joint through the activities the physio has you doing.

When you can fully extend it and can walk properly the swings should be beneficial and help stabilise the knee but until then swings could even be detrimental.

 

[Oscar]

I've had that surgery as well, best of lucks with your recovery. One thing I can say: be careful with patellar tendinosis during/after the recovery. It happens quite often, probably because the quad is not well developed. I'd say +1 @Bro Mo , two hand swings can strengthen the body and the posterior chain without overloading quads/patellar tendon.

One thing that I'd highly recommend is buying heavy ankle weights, maybe 6 kg or so. I used them to work on achieving full extension (hanging the leg from the bed with the ankle weights or similar) and also for isometric quad work.

I think I'd focus on s&s as soon as cleared: it doesn't require a lot of knee flexion (which you won't have for a while) and it works the quads without overloading them.

One thing that helped me out a lot was replacing the car by a bike as much as possible, once the bike is cleared.

 

[pet']

Hello,

Swing stance can also be modified a little to tax a bit less your knee. A wide stance (sumo stance) will preserve knee joints

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[attila vajda]

Thank you for your response, it's much appreciated, I'm thirsty for any information.

I have no doctor's approval, in fact I won't have any contact with a physio or doctor for the next four weeks and I doubt that they will know proper kettlebell technique or its benefits for my reovery, but I will ask. I am aware that I must be patient and careful about progression, but it helps to have a general picture about the future of the therapy, or things that must be avoided, for instance. Reading your experienced kettlebell-specific responses are priceless for me!!!

I have a list of exercises to do and the main thing I am working on at the moment is straightening the knee joint, and maintaining my quad, or rather reawakening it as it seems to be slowly disappearing along with my calf muscle. Many things have been and still are a mystery about this recovery and I really have to do my own research as I am completely left on my own for the first five weeks. For example I am not sure whether it is better to leave my brace straight for five weeks, or is it beneficial for my knee to have some movement while I am walking. I read that the acl needs some loading to heal properly, it is a mystery for me what that means and how that looks in a timeframe.. Things like this, so many questions, and there is no physio at the moment or doctor to answer them as they pop up. What I want to say is, that I feel that it's no wonder that acls don't heal properly when there is no proper information or emphasis on therapy.

I take collagen and joint supplement, vitamins, also I did go into the surgery quite strong, I was training bjj, martial arts, yoga full time, and I want to get back to it by the end of this year .

Getting creative about the therapy is what keeps me going, so that it doesn't only feel as recovery, for example I can already do some yoga positions, so in fact I can keep learning yoga at the same time. Otherwise only doing the list of physio exercises can be a bit of a drag...

THANK YOU
Thank you for your response, it's much appreciated, I'm thirsty for any information.

I have no doctor's approval, in fact I won't have any contact with a physio or doctor for the next four weeks and I doubt that they will know proper kettlebell technique or its benefits for my reovery, but I will ask. I am aware that I must be patient and careful about progression, but it helps to have a general picture about the future of the therapy, or things that must be avoided, for instance. Reading your experienced kettlebell-specific responses are priceless for me!!!

I have a list of exercises to do and the main thing I am working on at the moment is straightening the knee joint, and maintaining my quad, or rather reawakening it as it seems to be slowly disappearing along with my calf muscle. Many things have been and still are a mystery about this recovery and I really have to do my own research as I am completely left on my own for the first five weeks. For example I am not sure whether it is better to leave my brace straight for five weeks, or is it beneficial for my knee to have some movement while I am walking. I read that the acl needs some loading to heal properly, it is a mystery for me what that means and how that looks in a timeframe.. Things like this, so many questions, and there is no physio at the moment or doctor to answer them as they pop up. What I want to say is, that I feel that it's no wonder that acls don't heal properly when there is no proper information or emphasis on therapy.

I take collagen and joint supplement, vitamins, also I did go into the surgery quite strong, I was training bjj, martial arts, yoga full time, and I want to get back to it by the end of this year .

Getting creative about the therapy is what keeps me going, so that it doesn't only feel as recovery, for example I can already do some yoga positions, so in fact I can keep learning yoga at the same time. Otherwise only doing the list of physio exercises can be a bit of a drag...

THANK YOU

 

[pet']

Hello,

@attila vajda
Do not go too heavy too soon. Depending on your injury and how you are built, use the appropiate bell weight That way you will get comfortable with the move and will build muscle while learning the right form.

Kind regards,

Pet'