Injury Dilemma

Training Bodybuilding
1

First of all, let me say Happy New Year to you all, I only discovered this site about 8 months ago and have been an avid reader since, so good luck to you all with achieving your goals for 2008.

My dilemma is as follows, on Christmas Eve, I had to undergo reconstructive surgery on my ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament)with the result that I will not be playing any rugby for the next 6 - 9 months.

Every cloud has a silver lining as they say, and I have determined to use this time to put on some serious functional mass. The problem that I have is that most functional hypertrophy programs are built around the big compound lifts, and it is going to be around 2 months before I can even start to contemplate squatting or deadlifting with anything like a sensible weight, in fact, it is two weeks before I can even try bodyweight squats. At present, any exercise that even needs me to stand is a problem.

What I am looking for is a program I can fit in around my rehab. sessions for the first couple of months that will ensure me the best possible gains.

I am thinking along the lines of a split routine with chest, back and shoulders as the main body part on each of three days, with perhaps an arm isolation, either tricep or bicep at the end of the session depending on if I have been pushing or pulling that day.

To give you an idea of where I am in terms of ability, I have been “off season” weight training for about 4 or 5 years now, weigh 265 llbs and have the following lifts:

Bench Press: 310 llbs
Straight Leg deadlift (All I could do for the couple of months prior to operation since injury): 350 llbs
Squat: Haven’t been able to do anything more than 200 llbs since the iunjury although that is basically a single leg squat on my good leg.

Any help/ comment would be much appreciated.

Thanks all.

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I just saw that you injured your knee too. I didn’t tear and need surgery on my ACL but I did just have a grade 2 MCL sprain and can’t do any leg stuff for about a month. I am part of the Physique Clinic so check my thread and I talk about my training sessions. Right now I am on a upper body dominate program. You should check it out and see if it is something that you would want to try.

Keep your head up man.

BTW, my family is from Edinburgh and have always wanted to go. I’m very proud to be Scottish.

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Thanks for highlighting that, I’ll keep an eye on what it is your doing. Keep up the good work.

As an aside, I live about 30 mins drive from Edinburgh and am moving there in a couple of months. I really can’t wait, it’s an amazing place. One of the few cities that you can walk out of the train station and know exactly where you are straight away, unmistakeable.

I was at University in England and used to get the train home and whedn you walked out the station it’s very hard not to get goosebumps. Really feels like coming home.

So I guess I’m saying, be Scottish and be proud, great national heritage.