I think it’s safe to say that if you're a frequent reader of this site, you know full well the extreme benefits that can be derived by lifting massive weights with our lower extremities. For those of you who need a quick lesson, here it is in a nutshell...

Compound lifts utilizing several major muscle groups simultaneously have time and again proven to significantly increase free-flowing testosterone levels as well as growth hormone levels within our bodies. More specifically, the intensity at which these lifts are performed as well as the volume and rest periods between sets play a crucial role in just how effective these exercises can be. The vast majority of studies done on this phenomenon indicate that using poundages of about 70 percent of your 1RM (on the either deadlift or squat and to a lesser extent the bench press) for 4–6 sets and 10–12 reps will net you the biggest spikes in growth hormone release. Testosterone release spikes are typically seen with slightly higher intensities (75–80 percent of 1RM) and about 6–8 reps. Lastly, a factor of paramount importance in this process lies within the amount of recovery allotted between sets. To put it simply, rest should be between 30 and 60 seconds (depending primarily on GPP, the percentage of 1RM being used, total sets, and overall volume).

Now, with all this said, here is how I managed to add five pounds to my pre-surgery body weight while dropping three percent body fat in the three months following ACL reconstructive surgery on my right knee.

If you're like me—and I like to think that most of the dudes on this site are—not being able to lift weight can be one of the most devastating things that could happen to us. Aside from family related crisis and terminal illness, not being able to work out and hit new PRs is about the worst thing I could be deprived of. Food and the other obvious amenities would probably run a close four and five.

In the days following my surgery, I began experiencing night sweats, dizziness, loss of appetite, hallucinations (during one of the nights, my girlfriend appeared to me as the grim reaper), and an overall feeling of shittiness. When I eventually came to terms with the fact that frozen peas on my forehead, Sour Patch kids, and a steady dose of oxycodone simply weren’t getting the job done, I gave in and took a trip to the hospital. As it turned out, I had developed a pretty bad infection at the site of the pain catheter in my upper right hip. Lucky for me, the golf ball-sized hematoma hadn’t spread to my femur. As the doctor put it, “a few more weeks of antibiotics and rest and you should be fine.”

As I hobbled out of the building, I remember frantically trying to formulate a way for me to minimize the atrophy that was undoubtedly about to hit my body and how I was going to regain whatever I was going to lose once I got back in the gym.

Two agonizing weeks, two bottles of Keflex, and about 120 hours of 'call of duty' later, I was finally feeling semi-human again and had already had a plan of attack mapped out for my grand return to the weight room.

Coming to terms with the fact that I wouldn't be squatting or deadlifting any time soon, my primary focus was to be centered on compound upper body lifts that would give me the most bang for my buck. After careful deliberation, here’s what I decided to go to work with:

The core four

Note: Of these lifts, I was also able to perform the many variations of each lift and a creative list of auxiliary lifts typically performed in addition to these main movements. However, due to the fact that I was essentially a vegetable when I started this thing and the overall work being performed as a result of the core four, almost all the extras were done in the form of a supplementary lift day and with me firmly planted on a bench or physio ball with my pathetic right limb wrapped up like a gordita and weakly extended out in front of me.

As explained earlier, the primary factors that come into play when attempting to achieve the largest spikes in hormonal levels are the amount of muscle activated during each rep, intensity, volume, and rest. Now, granted, not one of these lifts can even come close to the physical exertion experienced during a set of heavy ass deadlifts or hitting a 5RM in the back squat, but my goal was to come as close to that feeling as possible without either tearing my new ACL again or passing out in the middle of an overhead lift, thus impaling myself (probably one of the classiest/most ironic ways for an avid lifter to go out).

In order to achieve this, I took the same principals used for the squat and deadlift and applied them directly to the core four. I allowed minimal rest between sets (30–45 seconds), and as a time tested tribute to the Russian conjugate method and Dave Tate, I clipped a set of chains to almost everything I did and was never more than an arm’s length away from a mini-band.

Here is a sample of what the lifts ended up looking like:

GPP

1) Hand bike, 2 X 30 seconds

2) Physio ball seated alternating heavy ropes, 2 X 30 seconds

Pre-habilitation

1) Mini-band internal/external rotation, 2 X 8 each

2) Mini-band scare crows, 2 X 10

Lift

1) Barbell bench (with chain), 6 X 12 (30–45 seconds rest; 67% of 1RM)
2) Kettlebell band resisted floor press, 5 X 10 (30––45 seconds rest; 75% of 1RM)
3) Weighted wide grip pull-ups (25-lb vest plus 27.5 lbs of chain hanging from a dip belt), 5 X  failure

Paired with
4) Neutral grip band triceps push-downs, 3 X 12, 10, 8 (increased distance away from axis after each set)

5) Reverse band chest supported T-bar row (wrapped pro band over chest pad and on to each handle of machine), 5 X 8 (75–80% of 1RM; 1:15 rest—I was shot at this point)

Along with my scheduled physical therapy, I was able to perform this type of workout twice a week in conjunction with the aforementioned supplementary lift once a week and an active recovery day, which essentially ended up just being me rolling around like an idiot on a foam roller while simultaneously trying to regain the ability to lift my right leg off the floor under my own power.

Final things worth noting:

  • Exercise order and pairing was cycled each week with a different core lift taking over as the primary focus that day.
  • Percentages were based off my new 1RM for each lift, which were tested prior to beginning this program. Each was significantly lower than my pre-surgery numbers.
  • Because I was unable to work at this time, my diet, supplement stack, and sleep habits were what I would considered to be flawless. I literally had nothing to do each day except eat, sleep, and get ready for my lift or therapy. It was the way life should be.
  • I had a spotter when I did my pull-ups just in case I didn’t nail the landing following my dismount.