It’s been 10 weeks since I tore my ACL/MCL and meniscus and things are feeling decent since my last update. My knee is still sore and still keeps me from sleeping at night but I’ve started to introduce some light leg exercises to try and build back some strength. My legs have slowly started to come back which is great news.
The problem with a torn ACL is you cannot do any twisting or side to side movement because the Anterior Cruciate Ligament is crucial for stabilizing the knee when turning, planting or pivoting. You can live without an ACL but a knee brace must be worn for most activities to prevent buckling. Movement in a forward and backward plane is okay, so I can resume most activities with caution. I am still unable to do many sports due to my other knee so I am unsure if I want to go through with the surgery as it is a 6 month to 1 year recovery time. I will update everyone with what I decide.
Physique-wise I am very happy with my progress lately. I am sitting at 196 pounds, only 2 pounds up from stage weight last year when I competed in Men’s Physique. I lost a lot of leg muscle due to my knee injury but it is starting to comeback. I’ve been dieting for about 3 weeks and keeping a close eye on what I’ve been eating and it’s definitely working as I am the leanest I’ve been in over a year. It is summer and beach season so I plan to try and stay relatively lean for the summer, alternating between a small caloric surplus and a small deficit.
No, I will not be tracking every calorie all summer; that is not what living a healthy lifestyle is to me. I will be conscious about what I am eating and may count calories for a week or two depending on my goals but that is not how you should go through life. I know I’ve said this many times before but life is all about balance. Eat healthy, well balanced meals, indulge every once in a while and workout consistently and you will not only make progress but also be much happier than if you were constantly restricting or monitoring your intake and counting everything you eat.
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