Adarq.org

Yeah cartilage likes compression and relaxation cycles.

So start walking more, which has helped me a couple of years ago, along with the backwards walking up a slope.

I think I have some cartilage chip off the back of my left knee cap, which the MRI I had never showed....
I originally got my MRI for a possible meniscus surgery, but the knee specialist surgeon said mine was fine with even some fat inside it for lubrication - even after years of hard jumping on concrete.
But I had clicking/pops and pain in that knee from the cartiledge catching in there once in a while... which one of the female assistants pointed that there might be damage there but the doctor ignored it...

Soft tissue work and stretching did eventually fix the patella mistracking that caused it, and then that period of walking and backwards walking did the rest.
But it was originally hurt on one jump I took after a multi year break from BBall, where I was fat, poor mobility tight and weak muscles, and years of sitting on my ass.
It still clicks and pops when I do quick unweighted leg extensions, but no pain, and not every time.
And I can feel a "bump" when doing it slowly

Lesson - don't jump when your out of shape! And ease back into it.
Body does not like valleys and peaks, keep to a steady upward slope of stress increase.

usually tendinopathy takes more than just release work and stretching to fix, since the tendon itself gets damaged, and takes many months of gradually higher, long duration loading from ISOs and slow tempo quad work to fix. Shallow angles to start so the tendon doesn't get compressed against the patella as it will be swollen from the injury.
And stop loading it while you do the rehab

This is a sound progression, but you can use other exercises like leg extensions which isolate the problem area
https://www.jump.science/2020/12/jumpers-knee.html

Sounds more like patella tracking issue you fixed.

If the pain is below the knee cap then it's most likely a meniscus damage or the cartilage on the bottom surface of the knee cap.
Need an MRI to see which.

Meniscus damage on the outer side can heal naturally , but inner damage won't, due to no blood flow

Sunday 11th June 2022

Lower body and upper back still achey, erectors pretty sore from lat/thoracic active stretches I have been doing
Poor sleep last night
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Morning mobility work and upper body stretches
soft tissue work on feet, calves, legs and back

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BBall practise session at WLC outdoor courts - 40 mins

Bodyweight without shoes  - 90.7kg

Dribbling drills - 15 mins

Low intensity jump shots, layups, post moves, around the rim, and slow jogs after ball here and there, on balls of feet

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Rotating sets - 30 secs to 1 min between each

A) Hops- low effort 3x10

B) Jumps in place. Continuous: - Jumping 12 inches 2x5, 12+ inches x5
Pain free and feeling good

C) Jumps/standing dunks on 8 feet rim x3 warmup
x3 - standing, single arm, 1 hand to mid 9 feet backboard
x3 - 3 step LR plant jump to 9'7" touch
x3 - 3 step jumps
x3 - 3 step, and 1 running jump

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stretch

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Jumps about the same as last week. Felt tired so kept volume lower today
No issues with patella tendon and achilles on any of the 2 foot jumps and hops I did.

Tried 1 single leg jump at medium speed/effort and left patella tendon hurt at a 3/10
So it's better than before, but not fully healthy yet.
Single leg jump is probably the highest loading rate for the patella tendon

Ok swelling means it's not a tendon issues, so it's likely cartilage
Might need key hole surgery to clean it up

From memory you hurt it on a single jump after a long lay off, which sounds like an internal injury.
tendon ones happen gradually over a long period of time from incomplete recovery

have you had any scans etc?

It sounds more serious than tendon or tracking issues. Could be internal like meniscus or the patella cartilage?

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edit - maybe hit up the Squat University guy

Thursday 9th June 2022

Third training day in a row, and not feeling too bad.
Thanks to training sub-maximally and not feeling drained after each session.

Achey all over, quads still pretty sore when I woke up, but felt better later in the day

Feels good splitting up the upper body session into Push and pull days.

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Morning mobility work

Walk - 22 mins

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Tendon health+rehab -  Upper Pull - Week 2, Wave 1

Bodyweight with shoes, winter clothing - 92.7kg

general mobility drills
side leg raises - x 20
Band pull aparts - high to low reverse grip: Light rogue band x20

Split squat ISO on balls of foot, rear leg straight: 90 degree knee angle - 30 secs

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Rotating sets - 1 mins rest

A) Lateral leg drive into wall ISO: 30 Seconds x3 sets @ RPE 7

B) SSB Calf Raise - single leg - BW warmups - hold at neutral, with 1 inch ROM slow Raises (x12) -
30secs x 30kg, 50kg, 55kg 60kg, 65kg @ RPE 8

ISO only - 30secs x 70kg

2/10 right achilles insertion pain on 50kg set, 1/10 on 55kg in the first 5 secs
3/10 on 70kg ISO

A) Pull up/Chin up - Hang and 20 scap shrugs, 10 wide grip
alternating between 1 pull up, wide pull up and chin set each rotation

Pull up - leg assisted x10
BW x1, x3, x3 @ RPE 7

Pull up - Wide, snatch grip -  BW x3, x3, x2 @ RPE 8/8/7

Chin up, shoulder width -
BW x1, x3, x3 @RPE 6

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High angle rows - 20kg x12, belt 40kg x10, 50kg x6
belt-
60kg x12 @7
57.5kg x12 @7
55kg x12 @7

Pull up. Wide grip, leg assisted: BW 2x12 @7
Pull up, leg assisted: 2x12 @7
Chin up, leg assisted: 2x12 @7

Kettlebell rotator cuff corkscrew: 5kg plate 2x20 @3
Front raise band cuff pulses: Light Rogue mini band 2x3

Incline Dumbbell curl - 45 degrees, arms angled out, 1 sec up, 3 secs down - 15lbs x8, 20lbs x5 @8
Incline Dumbbell hammer curl - 45 degrees, arms angled out, 1 sec up, 3 secs down -  15lbs x6, 17.5lbs x8 @ RPE 8

Leg extension, single leg - 1 sec up, 3 sec down between 10 and 60 degrees for 30secs - 15kg, 22.5kg
1 inch ROM at 60 degrees for 30secs - 35kg x 2 sets

Chest supported trap raise, side and bottom: each position, Thumbs down, hold at top - 2.5lbs x6
5lbs 2x12 @7/8

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stretch

Tuesday 7th June 2022

Trained today, but still feel sore in lower body from Sunday, and overall fatigue as well.

Will add another day of rest next week between BBall/Jumps and this session.
Also thinikng about shoving an upper body session into this slot, and move this session back one day.


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Morning mobility work and upper body stretches
soft tissue work for lower body and whole back

Tendon health+rehab - Day 1 Lower 1 - Base Building Week 2 - Wave 1

Bodyweight in shoes, winter clothing = 92.7kg
general mobility drills


split squat ISO, rear leg straight, on balls of feet, at 80 degrees knee angle - x 30 secs
Front plank x 30 secs
glute bridge hold x 30 secs
Side plank- x30 secs each side

Half kneeling weight shift: - 10kg in plates 5x5 secs x 2 sets

left side hurts quite a bit more than right side

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Alternating sets - 1 mins rest

A) Leg extension ISO, single leg - 6 sec Concentric, 10 sec hold at top, 30 and 60 degrees, slow eccentric - 15kg, 22.5kg
3 sec Concentric to 60 degrees, 30 sec hold -  30kg

B) olys with 20kg bar - powercleans, hang snatch hi pulls and power snatches
C) Overhead squat - slow tempo - Broom 2x10 in Nano X
D) Low bar good morning: 20kg 2x10

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Alternating sets - 1 mins rest

A) Clean/Snatch high pulls - 3x clean high pull + 2 snatch high pull  - 40kg, 60kg, 65kg
crisp and snappy


High bar squat: - Oly shoes - slow eccentrics - 20kg x10, 40kg x5, 60kg x5, 75kg x5, x1, 90kg x1, belt 95kg x1
belt - Oly shoes
95kg x12 @ RPE 6.5
90kg 2x12 @ RPE 7

Still feeling heavy, so recovery not there yet. Too close to BBall/jumps session.
Closer stance today, and form was much better

Sets of 12 today was pretty brutal, but good for dialing in my form...4 sets next week!
Next week will be 100kg x12, 95kg x12, 90kg 2x12

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Alternating sets - 1 mins rest
A1)Sumo Deadlift - oly shoes, belt, hook-gripped - 60kg x5
A2) Stiff legged deadlift - oly shoes, lowered down to soft touch on floor, dead stop - 60kg x5, 80kg x5, 95kg x12 @ RPE 7

felt hard today, due to squat fatigue, but it still felt heavy for my upper body

B1) SSB tibialis raise - in oly shoes, Romaleos 2 - BW x12, 30kg x 6, 55kg x10, 50kg x12 @ RPE 7
B2) Single leg split stance tibialis raise, in oly shoes - BW x9, x8 @ RPE 7

C) SSB Good Morning: - belt, oly shoes - 30kg x10, 50kg x6
belt - 55kg 2x12 @ RPE 6/6.5

D) SSB Calf Raise - single leg -  1 sec up and 3 secs to just below neutral  - BW x6, 30kg x 6
50kg 2x8 @RPE 7 

2/10 right achilles insertion pain on last set

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SSB Bulgarian Split Squat -  hand supported - rear foot on 6 inch step, toes down. front foot heel off edge of small step.
Each side back to back, 2 secs up, 3 secs down - Non lock - BW x6, 30kg x6
47.5kg x5 @RPE 8
47.5kg x6 @RPE 9

getting some random pains in lower sartorius tendon area on both legs on the first reps on heavy sets

Leg Curls - end of unit elevated 5 inches - 20kg x10, 25kg x6
explosive concentric
27.5kg 2x12 @RPE 6/7

dropped the loads way down

Jefferson curl, single dumbbell, 3 position - alternating to front, left and right - 15lbs x6, 25lbs 2x12

Sunday 5th June 2022

Whole lower body and erectors still pretty sore
Upper body a bit as well.
But feeling good mood wise.

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Morning mobility work and upper body stretches
soft tissue work on feet, calves, legs and back

---

BBall practise session at WLC outdoor courts - 40 mins

Bodyweight without shoes  - 91.5kg

Dribbling drills - 18 mins

Low intensity jump shots, layups, post moves, around the rim, and slow jogs after ball here and there, on balls of feet

---

Rotating sets - 30 secs to 1 min between each

A)Pogo hops- medium effort 5x10

Stiffer pogos today
third set, 1/10 right Achilles pain, 2/10 pain on 4th set, 5th set OK

B) Jumps in place. Continuous: - Jumping 12 inches 4x5 (+1 set)
All pain free and easy

C) Jumps/standing dunks on 8 feet rim x3 warmup
x3 - standing, single arm, 1 inch past top knot of Blacknet. About 9'5" inch touch
x4 - single arm, 1 step jump to 9'7" touch
x4 - 3 step jumps
x4 - standing dunks on 8 feet netball rim
x3 - jumps against 8 feet netball rim. Standing vertical, touched elbow on rim, 1.5 feet from elbow to finger tips

Standing vertical - Touched about 9'5.5",  1 inch higher than last session
2 inches higher off a step, 3 inches higher off 3 steps

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Standing Box jump - 20 inch wall, landing with straight legs x3

post session - 
split squat ISO, rear leg straight, on balls of feet, at 80 degrees knee angle - 2x 50  secs
Wall sit, heels off the floor - 2 x 50 secs
single leg Calf raise ISO - at neutral  2x 50secs

stretch

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legs and hip muscles pretty sore today, but still felt pretty explosive.

Standing vertical was around 25+ inches, where I touched my elbow on 8 feet, so up an inch from last week.
Top of my head is about 2 inches higher than my elbow, so head was above 8 feet today on vertical.
Top of head traveled around 26 inches on that jump
I feel like I have another 3 inches in me if I was fresh.

First time jumping off a step against the 9.5 feet backboards in a long time, and got 2 knuckles on it, so around a 9'8" touch
Wasn't expecting that, at my current bodyweight and fatigue, so progressing well.

left patella tendon hurt at a 3/10 on one jump landing, but fine on the others