The Accelerate ACL Blog provides tips and the latest research on how to speed up recovery from ACL surgery during all stages of the process – from time of injury to return to sport.
We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you! Our very own co-founder, Zach Michael, was recently featured on the esteemed Starting Block Podcast, where he delved into a comprehensive discussion about Accelerate ACL’s revolutionary approach to ACL recovery and the remarkable insights gained from working with clients who are behind schedule in their…
Welcome back to the Accelerate ACL Prehab Series! Previous posts have covered: The importance of ACL prehab and the goals you should strive to hit in prehab Different types of exercises you can expect to be included in a quality ACL prehab program, The exact exercises Accelerate ACL trainers combine with the Neubie to generate…
Today, we are thrilled to share some remarkable news inside the Accelerate ACL family – the return of Breece Hall, running back for the New York Jets. As many of you may know, Breece suffered a devastating ACL tear last year on October 23, 2022. This injury had the potential to put his career on…
Welcome back to the Accelerate ACL Prehab Series. Previous posts have covered: The importance of ACL prehab and the goals you should strive to hit in prehab Different types of exercises you can expect to be included in a quality ACL prehab program, and The exact exercises Accelerate ACL trainers combine with the Neubie to…
Previous posts have covered the importance of ACL prehab, the goals you should strive to hit in prehab, and different types of exercises you can expect to be included in a quality ACL prehab program. This post will dive one step further and reveal the exact exercises utilized in the Accelerate ACL prehab protocol. Keep…
The most recent ACL prehab blog post focused on 8 ACL Prehab Goals To Hit If You Want To Go Into Surgery Feeling 100% (if you missed it, you can check it out here). Goal setting is an imporant part of the ACL recovery process, and everything you’ll do throughout the recovery process needs to…
If you’re feeling your way through the ACL prehab process, you may have heard a few ACL prehab goals to strive for before heading into surgery from your doctor. These goals often include targets like: Normal gait Knee extension range of motion = 0 Knee flexion range of motion at least 120 degrees Perform 20…
A few weeks ago I was working with a client virtually who was 10 weeks post-op. We had started working together around week 3, and to date, he had been absolutely dominating the recovery process. In addition to his physical therapy appointments, he met with me virtually 1x/week to determine the best plan of attack…
If you’re like most people recovering from ACL injuries, you’re constantly thinking, “how am I doing compared to everyone else?” or “is this normal?” Now, before we go any further, I need to say… everyone’s ACL recovery is different. Someone who’s way ahead 2 weeks out may have anterior knee pain spike up on them…
A few months ago, a woman who had recently torn her ACL reserved a time on my calendar for a phone conversation (you can do the same here). She initially said that she just wanted to learn more about the program and its cost, but when I got on the phone with her, it was clear…
Having worked with professional athletes all around the country, we’ve had the good fortune to compare and contrast methods used by the physicians, physical therapists, and athletic trainers they work with. Our goal with this blog is to share that information with you. As you might expect, the way a professional athlete approaches ACL recovery…
Accelerate ACL clients are set up to optimize all facets of the recovery process. Yes, the technology and workouts you have access to through the AACL program can drive game changing ACL recovery results. But if you’re not giving the body the things it needs to recover in between workouts, you’re going to limit how…
We receive a lot of calls and online inquiries from parents of high school athletes who have just torn an ACL. We love our kids more than anything, so I imagine many of these calls come from parents who have spent the night on Google, Facebook, and Instagram trying to figure out what’s best for…
Inspiration for these posts comes from the questions we receive from clients, those of you on our email list, and the social media support groups we help out with (Facebook and Reddit). These are excellent communities and we highly recommend getting involved during your recovery process. This week an athlete posted the following on the…
Last weekend, University of Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee took home the national championship in the 125 pound weight class. On it’s surface, the story isn’t that unique – the Iowa wrestling program has a rich tradition of great wrestlers. But, when you dig a little deeper (perhaps down to the level of his knee), the…
This post will be slightly complex and technical in nature, and more than likely contain information you haven’t heard anywhere else. However, I believe that understanding these concepts may be what stands between where you are now in your ACL recovery journey and where you WANT to be in your ACL recovery journey. I also…
It’s something you’ll hear over and over again during recovery after ACL injuries and surgery. We’ve gotta get your knee straight. In most cases, it is THE number one priority immediately after injury and then again after surgery. Getting your knee straight after ACL surgery (or more technically known as “full knee extension”) is correlated…
Athletes commonly ask us, “Is it ok to wait to have ACL surgery?” I’ll start this article with a few general thoughts and reasoning on the question and then we’ll take a quick look at a research study that was conducted in the British Journal of Sports medicine tackling the exact question. Keep in mind…
Before you read: This is a long one (5 minute read), but I didn’t want to leave a single word out.. it’s that important. The information in this post may appear “scary” on its surface, as it describes problems that can develop months after ACL surgery head on (no fluff here). I always take the…
The term “arthritis” is used a lot to make people believe they have a chance of developing a debilitating condition after ACL surgery. It’s a word that makes people feel like they aren’t necessarily in control of their recovery process or their long-term health. The truth is that arthritis isn’t as “big and scary” as…
There’s no getting around it — pain after ACL surgery is part of the process. Those who understand pain and how to interpret it will be able to use the information to optimize their recovery outcomes. They’ll understand when it’s ok to confidently push in to pain and when they may need to dial things…
The isometric wall squat is a staple of the Accelerate ACL program. When this exercise is performed correctly, it provides a host of benefits for athletes before and after ACL surgery. The exercise can be used for the following: Building strength in the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and other supporting muscles of the hips Gradually exposing…
If you have read the white paper offered on the website, you have a strong understanding of the 7 biggest challenges associated with recovering from ACL surgery. This is an important first step in optimizing the recovery process, because you are now armed with the information needed to know what you’re up against. In this…
A lot of focus during recovery from ACL reconstruction is placed on restoring quad strength and size after surgery, and rightfully so. We shared a few tips on ways to efficiently do just that here and here. However, many athletes also have difficulty fully activating the calf muscle after surgery. This article will cover why…
One common term we like to throw around with Accelerate ACL athletes is “compensation pattern.” The term is used to describe an improper movement pattern that places more stress on parts of the body than normal (for example: for a number of reasons, running or jumping can put more stress into the knee than it…
As many of you reading this already know, ACL reconstruction surgery is far more than just a physical process. There is also a mental side to coming back from an ACL injury. The recovery process requires a great deal of mental fortitude in order to recover fully and return to sport with confidence. The mental…
After an ACL injury or ACL surgery, many athletes report experiencing increased frequency of muscle cramping. Oftentimes, this cramping occurs in the toes, calf, or hamstring. It’s important to note that this is a normal part of the process and that a cramping sensation isn’t necessarily a bad thing. So why does it happen? Let’s…
As an athlete, ACL injuries can feel downright devastating. And believe me, as a former athlete myself, I get it. When you experience an ACL injury, you don’t just lose the ability to play your sport — you lose all the things that come with it. The pride in being able to work your butt…
Direct current electrical fields can modulate a number of factors involved in the healing response after AC surgery, as it brings needed blood flow, nutrients, and specialized cells to the area. In order to facilitate the ACL graft-tendon healing process, low levels of DC stimulation are applied as close to the surgical site as possible…
Our team is so proud of Kaleb coming back from THREE surgeries! Not only a great talent on the field, but an even better young man. He is so much more than just a football player, he’s an inspiration for anyone struggling through adversity, coming back from injury, and even more specifically, ACL surgery. We…
A few weeks ago, Zach was asked to interview on Kneed to Know, a show that focuses on helping people to get fit after knee surgeries and injuries. During the interview, Zach and the host, Josh Bond, discuss the following: The importance of utilizing an ACL prehab program to go into surgery feeling 100% How…
Last week, we caught up with a number of pro athletes in the Exos training facility just outside of Dallas. I noticed that one of the athletes had been instructed to do “quad sets,” but was having a difficult time activating the quad, due to a few common compensation patterns that set in after knee…
While coaching our athletes, performance specialists at Accelerate ACL are trained to use positive cues as much as possible. In general, we try not to use terms like “Do not do x,” because we find athletes respond and learn much better to the more positive version of the cue like “Try doing y.” However, there…
Tearing an ACL can feel like one of the most devastating moments in an athlete’s career. But in devastating moments, there are two types of athletes. On one hand, there are athletes who let the devastation overtake them into a downward spiral. On the other hand, there are people who use these moments to dig…
After an ACL injury or surgery, most athletes have two primary goals: I want to get back on the field as soon as possible I want to ensure this never happens again One of the most significant obstacles in achieving those goals is rebuilding the quadriceps muscle on the affected knee. Immediately after the ACL…
Tearing an ACL can feel like one of the most devastating moments in an athlete’s career. But in devastating moments, there are two types of athletes. On one hand, there are athletes who let the devastation overtake them into a downward spiral. On the other hand, there are people who use these moments to dig…
The Accelerate ACL team combines the latest ACL recovery science with the world’s leading recovery technology to help clients crush their rehab milestones. The Accelerate ACL protocols help athletes complement their physical therapy program to speed up recovery from ACL surgery, accelerate healing day and night, and push themselves through high intensity work for unparalleled…