DMGKnee/Workout Update
Once again, this is really just for me, but if anyone's interested...
I did a run/plyometric workout last night, and feel great this morning. It's the same workout I've been doing about once a week for the last month or so. Basically I run to the local park, do a leaping/agility set, do a slow & easy lap around the park, then another leaping/agility set (with some core thrown in if I feel good), and then run home. All told: 3+ miles of running punctuated by plyo work.
Here's the complete plyometric set:
- Standing longjumps: Do three reps, with a 1-2 second rest between. Then, do two sets of three jumps in quick succession.
- Standing longjump to sprint: one jump, then sprint for 10-15 steps, with a quick slow-down.
- Shake out, wait for my heart rate to drop back below 150bpm
- One set of 20 "ice skaters": jump back and forth from one foot to the other in a low skating motion, jumping as far sideways as possible.
- Active recovery: trot backward back to where I started the longjumps and sprinting. No hurry, emphasize a smooth, elastic landing.
So, that circuit gets executed twice in the course of the 3-mile run: once after mile 1, and again after mile 2.
I'd love to add some depth jumps (jumping onto/off of benches and such), but since I'm on a soccer field, this'll have to do. And anyway, these are the exercises that have given me the biggest strength and elasticity gains in the past, so they're a great place to start. In a couple of weeks, I'll try adding some more agility-based stuff too. For the moment, I've learned to keep my workouts under 45 minutes, and no more intense than this. I have to admit I was pretty wiped out when I got home, but I felt better after stretching, and much better after eating, so I think I hit the sweet spot: intense/long enough for maximal gains, short enough that I don't overtrain.
After these workouts (and Krav), my knee has been a little sore, but less and less so each week. Considering I could barely walk enough to go shopping last spring, I'm really happy with the progress. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.