I had my left hip replaced in late March of this year. The doc cleared me to begin lifting last week. I am restricted to keep my torso and thigh at 90 degrees or greater or risk dislocation. My leg is extremely weak at this point so, I am simply attempting to bring it up to the same strength as my other one. When I began last week, I was going to try light DL’s as I felt I could so without breaking the 90 deg restriction. It didn’t work - the leg is just too weak at this point. The only thing I am currently able to pull off is leg presses, leg extensions and stiff legged DL’s. Calf work is pretty much unaffected.
Has anyone here had this surgery? Even if no one has gone through it can you recommend some other exercises?
My 70 year olde brother in law had not troubles after a year.
I am delaying any hip work as long as possible. I have decidewd to limit myself to a set of 10 to 50 lb adjustable dumbells, reps to 30, except calfs to 50 reps.
I am interested in how your recovery goes.
I’m surprised that the doc said you could lift at all.
I have arthritis in a knee, and they want to do a knee replacement. The info brochures they gave me say that you can’t run, or lift anything over 40 lbs once you have the surgery done.
Anyway, I’ve come back from a couple of serious injuries (spiral fracture of the humerus, and torn ligaments in the knee). The arm injury took almost a year to get back to more or less normal, and the knee was about that long. I think almost anything you do to strengthen the muscles around the injured joint will be helpful. I’d think that it might be useful to balance the exercises as much as possible. Now might be a good time to use the machines and do isolation exercises so you can strengthen the muscles with minimal risk of injury.
Anyway, good luck in your recovery.
Phil - Just my $.02 but, I wouldn’t put the hip surgery off for long. Especially if you are in pain. Once the surgery is done the chronic pain is history. There is only acute and it is rapidly decreasing.
Mat - Thanks for the response. My doc practices at a clinic that services some of the pro athletes here in Houston. He only does knees and hips and really encouraged me to lift, just be careful. I am definitely using machines for a while. Doc did say that he would have me doing squats soon. I guarantee that I won’t be going deep for several months.
I have heard that knees are more difficult to get over but, at least the pain would be gone. There is a web site that can give you some good info on knee replacement, bonesmart.org (if I am allowed to post it).
Mat - Thanks for the response. My doc practices at a clinic that services some of the pro athletes here in Houston. He only does knees and hips and really encouraged me to lift, just be careful. I am definitely using machines for a while. Doc did say that he would have me doing squats soon. I guarantee that I won’t be going deep for several months.
I have heard that knees are more difficult to get over but, at least the pain would be gone. There is a web site that can give you some good info on knee replacement, bonesmart.org.
When I was a kid I developed knee pain from over vigoerous olympic lifting. That knee pain meant that over the years I would favour my knees when ever using my legs, eventually my glutes and hammies took over almost all the work and my quads though not small, got very weak (had to hold onto the handrail going down stairs - my wife used to be so embarrassed.
Anyway enough of me. For quads I have found that if I sit back when squatting then the glutes take over. I found that 1/2 front squats or less to a chair, with body as close to vertical got about the best quad involvement I could get. Hips stay over heels knees forward if you try to get near 90 deg you will have put your butt back. Do them real slow, and you may only go about 1/4
Also for quads, I do 1/4 hacks with bar tight up under butt or higher, and just drop a few inches (until my knees hurt - but that is just me) usually use 44-55 lbs and do them very slow. Got this one from a video of Terro Pitkimaki (3rd OG Javelin and 2007 World Champ) they go light back stays vertical only go down a few inches.
A block or plates under your heels will help.
For back glutes, flat back GMs done like OL with back to about 45 degs., SLD off blocks so you can’t do 90 deg
etc.
Good luck be careful and let us know how you go.
[quote]T-M324 wrote:
I had my left hip replaced in late March of this year. The doc cleared me to begin lifting last week. I am restricted to keep my torso and thigh at 90 degrees or greater or risk dislocation. My leg is extremely weak at this point so, I am simply attempting to bring it up to the same strength as my other one. When I began last week, I was going to try light DL’s as I felt I could so without breaking the 90 deg restriction. It didn’t work - the leg is just too weak at this point. The only thing I am currently able to pull off is leg presses, leg extensions and stiff legged DL’s. Calf work is pretty much unaffected.
Has anyone here had this surgery? Even if no one has gone through it can you recommend some other exercises?[/quote]
T-M324 (or should I just call you T)…I just stumbled onto this topic, and I thought I could add something.
Just so happens I have had both my hips replaced fairly recently. I did one on 5/06 and the other on 8/06. I was 49 years old when I had them fixed.
I also had the 90 degrees restrictions for a few months but that seems like ages ago. It was a little bothersome for a few months, kind of annoying actually, but compared to the pain I had prior, it was a piece of cake.
Having had hip problems all my life (not able to bend into a full deep squat for decades) when I finally had the “hardware” put in, I was given the ability to finally squat. I quickly found out that although my new hips worked great, my back, ankles and knees were not even close to being flexable enough.
I walked like Frankenstein for so long that I literally had to learn how to bend my legs correctly, keeping my feet pointed straight, etc, just to stroll down the street…imagine trying to squat with a heavy barbell on my back…fergitaboutit!
It took months and months of stretching my calfs, ankles and lower back, but I am now at the point were I can get my squats all the way down to the grass. This is something I was NEVER able to do during all my years of lifting.
(And I gotta tell you, it feels great!)
I am now, after 2 years, able to do any rountine you throw at me…well, for the most part anyway, I’m still just a little punk after all.
OK, my point to all this…give it time, probably a good year, but you will be back at 110% and best of all painfree.
So, it’s been a few months since you started this thread…how are you feeling now? Are the restrictions off yet? Hip still in one piece?
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