Injury

So training has been going really well lately - particularly the squat which has been making fantastic progress.

But unfortunately I have some bad news in the fact that I have injured my left knee. I went down to a rugby training session and out of the blue when I was standing up from the floor after carrying the ball my left knee popped and then locked up.
This had happened to me before - first time back in March 2013 when doing some MMA with Jon Bradley in Worcester but it popped straight back in and gave me no further issues. Since then it has happened once but again it went straight back.
Unfortunately this time it didn't go back in to place. I went down to A&E and had three people cranking at it trying to manipulate it back into place. This was hands down the most painful thing I have ever experienced. Thinking back to it now makes my ties curl. Horrific. But they couldn't get it back straight - it's much closer than it was but I still can't get to full extension and it also hurts to bend my knee.
I stayed in overnight had a couple of scans etc and then got sent home with a budget knee brace. Less than ideal.

So now I've had an MRI as well and am awaiting my next appointment with the consultant this coming Friday and yes told me to go in fasted to be prepared for surgery to repair my torn meniscus and cartilage.

Now this has obviously put my training back, in particular lower body. But one of my colleagues at Quins has put me on his 6-week bench program for lower body injury players. Its essentially bench press twice a week and then close grip bench once as well. This way it keeps me off my knee but still let's me make some kind of progress. It is a percentage based system and should have me hitting 160 by the end which will be a 15kg PR.

Definitely be keen to have a 160 bench. Then once my recovery is done it will be on to rehab and then back to squats etc. Makes me think that's its basically time to settle and just get focused on the career, and train for enjoyment and performance but not really for any particular sport. I would help however like to start doing more Olympic weightlifting so maybe that can be used as my base and build off that with regular strength training. I'd also like go get back to doing more stuff like farmers walks, prowler etc. I enjoy that stuff and it has always reaped rewards for me.

Anyway there's the update for you all.

Til next time.