Recommended gym exercises months after MCL / meniscus heals?

Hello everyone. I tore my meniscus and MCL last March, did not require surgery, and did the 10 days of required rehab. The doctor said all is well but told me essentially to get off my fat ass and get the muscle definition back in my legs. Except for a little hiking I did not do much over the summer. The hiking within an hour or two of here is not so interesting so I did not do much, except for when I could get away to the Adirondacks, which was not often enough. I don't see myself as much of a gym person but I think I need to get my ass in there anyway and try to lose a little weight and strengthen things around my legs and knees so that it is less likely this will happen again when I go skiing. My knee feels good, there is no pain whatsoever, and I no longer have that unstable collapse-to-the-inside feeling I had with the initial injury. However, it doesn't feel quite right sometimes. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, maybe it IS vulnerable still.

ANYHOW, I'm joining a gym. Can some of you ladies and gentleman recommend any particular exercises I ought to be doing to strengthen my legs and knees, and for overall physical fitness? Thanks.

Get into a spin class, stair-stepper, work the leg presses, work the legs in general. I would avoid deep squats with too much weight until you can figure out if it's causing undo pain. The bike is my favorite as it really works on building the legs bilaterally as well as getting cardio, which will help with the weight. Less weight = less knee stress so, that's good. You probably should've started this three months or more ago but, better late than never. Also, see if there's a personal trainer there that can offer specific advice for your situation. A little bit more money but could be worth it for good coaching.

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Originally Posted by GoldMember

Also, see if there's a personal trainer there that can offer specific advice for your situation. A little bit more money but could be worth it for good coaching.

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Personal trainers at most gyms are completely useless, especially for those in the OP's situation. Personally, if it were my money I'd find a good PT/DPT.

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Originally Posted by ma4149

Can some of you ladies and gentleman recommend any particular exercises I ought to be doing to strengthen my legs and knees, and for overall physical fitness? Thanks.

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There are literally a 100+ things you can do. Which of those you should/shouldn't be doing 9 months out from a meniscus and MCL tear is another question entirely. The bike is always a safe bet for knees and you could probably find tons on Google in no time. As said above though, if it were me I'd probably seek out a good PT/DPT, at least to start out. Also, supplemental glycine would be a good idea.

You might try asking the doc to be more specific about what exercises you can and cannot do--getting off your fat ass sounds a little vague.

If it hurts dont do it.

You need a workout plan designed for you by someone who has worked with these type of injuries. You also need them to coach and progress you through the lifts. Or you can just bike. Buy an airdyne and go to town. A complete program will be better but you may injure yourself if you try to learn the exercises and design your own program. If you insist, check out Functional Training For Athletes by Boyle.

Large Muscle excersises and cardio at good to help you become less fatigued later in the day. But you also need to focus on stabilizer muscles. There are stabilizer boards, band workouts, quarter balls to stand on ECT. A good physical therapist can help you set up a program that will work on your specific needs to shred pow all day.

Been there.even if insurance won't cover it, if you go to a good sports PT and tell them you want to pay cash for two sessions to run through a consult on a program they'll be glad to do it,and price won't be too bad.

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Originally Posted by neufox47

If it hurts dont do it.

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Originally Posted by neufox47

You need a workout plan designed for you by someone who has worked with these type of injuries. You also need them to coach and progress you through the lifts. Or you can just bike. Buy an airdyne and go to town. A complete program will be better but you may injure yourself if you try to learn the exercises and design your own program. If you insist, check out Functional Training For Athletes by Boyle.

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Agreed, as an Certified Athletic Trainer and strength coach I think you're better served finding a quality strength and conditioning professional and getting a long term program to address your personal needs