Recovering from Serious Injury and 5/3/1?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
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Hi guys!

I live in a land far away :slight_smile: where good strength coaching and gyms are like a rare plant so I thought I’d ask directly where I found the info.

INTRO
This might be a longish post, and a medically oriented one, but please bear with me. It’s main purpose is my education on my condition and options but I believe many others might benefit from it too.

In 2006 I was pretty strong (in my FALSE oppinion), training and squatting 180-200lbs (with horrible form) and just about to finish college. All was peachy in my life until one day - I was taking photos of a rally stage in the mountains, I turned around to the left (rotated QUITE violently in my hips) and broke my left knee. What began there was a one month of absolute horror, pain and possible death from staff. aureus infection in hospital. Not to mention months and months of quite painful rehab.

DIAGNOSYS
fractura condylli lateralis femoris, ruptura menisci and something a rather. Basically, a long thin piece of bone tore off at the back of the lateral femoral condyle and made a mess back there. In the process, medial menisc also ruptured in a C-shape. They opened my knee, fixed the bone with two titanium screws and sutured the menisc back into shape.

SUMARRY
One month in bed (no movement at all), complete atrophy, infection, heavy antibiotics, etc. Day two after being released from hospital I started working with a private physical therapist which basically positioned me at the edge of the table and started stretching those ligaments, muscles and other tissues back into their original shape.

During the next 3 months I got from 0 degrees flexion to about 100-110 and then I quit. I just couldn’t take day after day of pain and I thought I will never need much more ROM than that (stupid young people). Walking with crutches gave me a herniated disc (L5/S1) and some radicular pain in my right leg.

Had I had access to TNation and StartingStrength back then, I would have been a different person now. Anyway, to make the long story short, through a couple of rounds I tried getting back to weightlifting, each time unsuccessfully.

In Feb 2013 I said f*** em all, the doctors and therapists and I simply began squatting and deadlifting (SS routine). I did this for about 6 months and then I switched to 5/3/1.
I am in my 3rd mesocycle and I am pleased to report stats:

  • 20lbs mass gained
  • deadlift 250 lbs
  • squat 170 lbs
  • bench 176 lbs
  • press 110 lbs

No back pain whatsoever, form on all movements DRASTICALLY improved, much knowledge acquired and the knee all fine.

Untill couple of days ago, that is. I started introducing jumps as per Jims instructions but I simply cant jump and/or run/sprint. After about 50 yards my knee starts to hurt and the next couple of days its all sore and not “right”.

I am in my 3rd day, 1st week of Beyond 5/3/1 and my knee kind of hurts medially but I just can’t tell if it is tendon pain, bone pain, meniscus or just plain ol’ osteoarthritis. How would I differentiate them?

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Here’s what the knee looks like. The problems began the last maximal deadlift day and were perpetuated when I tried box jumps and some sprints as per Jims program instructions. Things never hurt while I lift, just when I run and/or jump

Thank you all for replies and Cheers from Croatia!

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These kinds of questions need to be addressed IN PERSON by a qualified medical professional. It becomes very dangerous and irresponsible to give out this kind of advice over the Internet. I know a lot of people do this but I don’t feel comfortable with it on this forum.

Whatever happens - TRAIN WHAT IS TRAINABLE. Despite what others will have you believe, WILL can never be extinguished on a strong man.

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Hello Jim,

thank you sincerely for taking the time to personaly answer my question, much appreciated! I actually thought this might be what you were going to say as that is the only logicall and right thing.

My biggest issue is that in the country where I live EVERY single medical doctor is going to say “don’t ever do squats, they are bad for the knees” and about that moment all discussion stops :). What can I learn from these people that have no basic understanding of the human body

I will definitely take a week off, get back to the original 5/3/1 and lay off the Beyond. Could be that the conditioning days plus the plyometrics are still too much for it.

All the best!

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[quote]astrbac wrote:
Hello Jim,

thank you sincerely for taking the time to personaly answer my question, much appreciated! I actually thought this might be what you were going to say as that is the only logicall and right thing.

My biggest issue is that in the country where I live EVERY single medical doctor is going to say “don’t ever do squats, they are bad for the knees” and about that moment all discussion stops :). What can I learn from these people that have no basic understanding of the human body

I will definitely take a week off, get back to the original 5/3/1 and lay off the Beyond. Could be that the conditioning days plus the plyometrics are still too much for it.

All the best![/quote]

If any change is going to happen, it will have to come from you. You can’t expect a doctor to be as caring and passionate about your body as you are. Good luck and stay passionate towards your goals.

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Always! Everything I ever do is with passion or I don’t do it at all. Life’s too short for messing around…
Will report my further progress with the 531.

Cheers!

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Just a quick update for all who might stuble upon this, and a true testimonial for Jim from a program user:

  • I quit jumping and did no conditioning with ma sandbag carry for a week and knee cleared up
  • got back to lifting and broke my PR, clean deep squat with 160lbs for 5reps, could have done more but mind is still playing tricks
  • today heavy deadlifts and I set my goals for the year
    Deadlift at least 300-320 and squat at least 220

Will update my progress in a couple of months.

Cheers and thanks for the motivation!

(Jim, I sent you PM but I don’t know if it will reach you since it hasn’t appeared in my SENT messages after submitting it.)