Quad Strengthening After ACL Surgery- Help me blast my quads :)

[dadoody]

I am currently 6 Months Post-OP ACL surgery. Isolated ACL tear. Patellar Tendon Autograph.

My quad strength was determined to be 33% of my normal leg. I wasn't surprised. I was warned about doing knee extensions early on. My orthopedic surgeon told me that machine knee extensions put unnatural torque on the knee, and to not even do them with my normal leg.
Literature I've read also suggest that extensions should be done to about 70 degrees - not completely straight as those last 20-30 degrees tweak the knee and don't build the quads.

So I've been doing 1 legged squats, 1 legged leg presses, ball squats, working the hips, calves, jumps, jogs, lunges, stairclimbs, step downs, and various other activities.


They strap me on a machine today and find that my hamstrings are equal in strength but my quads on my recon leg is only 33% of my normal leg.

So now I'm left to figure out:

What's the best exercise that isolates the quads and really builds up strength fast?

[Radok]

Isolation doesn't = better growth necissarily. The main factor is finding out which exercise allows you to use the most wait with the least risk. I would try doing squats as low as you can, with just a bar, for high reps and slowly add more weight little by little to see when it starts acting up.

[Drandom]

dadoody I have the same problem as you because of a surgery on my knee from about 10 years ago. I would say my left quad is 60% of my right good leg. However the rest of the leg, like he hamstring is exactly equal in strength. I never rehabbed the knee properly and I had never done weight training in my life until know. The bad leg never gave me any problems in normal daily life so I didnt mind. But now that I am lifting weights it is a problem and Im working on trying to get it fixed. Its hard.

[mac520]

I'm suffering from a similar problem. A year after my injury I was in an experiment where they determined my right quad was only using 82% of its nerves. This is compounded with the atrophied muscle. So I've been doing step-ups and pistol squats to try to rehabiliate my quad.

[WibbleWabble]

stationary bicycle that is properly adjusted ergonomically is the best Physical Therapy after ACL surgery. It will get your knee strong and thus get your quad where it needs to be.