The 5 Best Weight Room Exercises After ACL Surgery
Recovering from an ACL injury is a long arduous journey, physically and psychologically. We recommend introducing weight room exercises after ACL surgery as soon as athletes are able to walk without crutches, swelling and pain are under control, and knee extension is restored in the surgically repaired knee. Weight room exposure is crucial for rebuilding strength, coordination, and confidence. A well-designed strength training program can help you return to your sport stronger and more resilient than before.
Listed below are the five best weight room exercises for athletes recovering from an ACL injury. Each of these movements will restore knee stability, rebuild quad and other important leg musculature, and improve sports performance via improvements in coordination and total body strength. They can also be considered important tools for reducing ACL injury risk for healthy athletes. It is important to note that we implement proper progressions into most of these advanced movements. Ultimately, the goal is to get our ACL reconditioning athletes performing these exercises confidently, aggressively, and most importantly, pain free.
1. Depth Jumps
Video Example: Watch here
Why It’s Great for ACL Injury Recovery: Depth jumps are one of the most intensive exercises implemented within the weight room. When recovering from an ACL injury, the goal is to progress an athlete to eventually perform this exercise. Our philosophy is that we want our athletes to touch intensities that will prepare them for the demands of sports. Depth jumps do that by exposing the knee joint to forces that are comparable to cutting and stopping in soccer.
How to Implement Depth Jumps:
With Plyometric exercise, especially very intensive one such as depth jumps, the volume should remain relatively low
15-30 reps total
2. Snatch
Video Example: Watch Here
Why It’s Great for ACL Injury Recovery: The snatch is a powerful Olympic Weightlifting exercise that improves explosiveness and coordination capabilities. It has the potential to be one of the more intense exercises we can perform in the weight room. At TKO, you will progress to performing a full snatch, which may take 3-6 months. Regressions and variations of the movement are implemented so that we can eventually get our ACL reconditioning athletes to perform a full snatch.
How to Program the Snatch: Due to the snatch being an intense and technically challenging movement, the volume stays relatively low.
Sets: 2-6
Repetitions 1-5
Typical progression model:
Muscle Snatch, Above Knee Hang Snatch, Below Knee Hang Snatch, Power Snatch and Full Snatch.
Catch positions: Power Position (quarter- half squat) and Full Catch (full squat)
3. Full Squat
Video Example: Watch Here
Why It’s Great for ACL Injury Recovery: Full squats are a foundational weight room exercise and are a staple within the TKO ACL Reconditioning protocol. Progressing athletes to perform full squats, meaning hamstrings smashing calves all with an upright torso, is ultimately the goal. This exercise has the highest loading potential relative to knee bending (flexion and extension). This is important because being able to move heavy loads with full knee bend is required for a healthy knee joint.
How to Program Full Squats: the objective is to work up to heavy loads with low to moderate volume. We are trying to maximize the loading potential on the legs and the body as a whole.
Sets: 2-6, Repetitions: 1-8
4. Barbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
Video Example: Watch Here
Why It’s Great for ACL Injury Recovery: The barbell RDL strengthens the hamstrings in a lengthened position. Developing strong and resilient hamstrings provides the knee with stability and helps athletes become more resilient to knee injuries. Heavy RDL’s are a must in any training program, including a return to play (RTP) program because an athlete will experience reduced range of motion and knee instability after an ACL tear.
How to program the Barbell RDL:
Start with two leg RDL’s with a comfortable load and pain free range of motion. After proper tolerance has been built, start accessing more range of motion by standing on a plate. Range of motion (ROM) and load are equally valuable for this exercise. Once adequate ROM is achieved progress to heavier loads. Build a stable foundation of strength bilaterally then progress to unilateral loading with the Single Leg RDL.
Sets 2-4, Repetitions 3-8
5. Heavy Unilateral Exercises (e.g., Reverse Lunge)
Video Example: Watch Here
Why It’s Great for ACL Injury Recovery: Heavy unilateral exercises, like the Reverse Lunge or Bulgarian split squat, target each leg independently, addressing muscle imbalances and improving single-leg strength—critical for developing confidence and function in the injured leg. Single leg exercises also provide extra stress to the groin, glutes, and spinal stabilizers. Once an athlete is loading heavy unilaterally they are in a great spot in terms of progressing to other more dynamic and intense exercises.
How to program Unilateral Exercises:
Unilateral exercises should be implemented in the strength program as soon as possible, alongside traditional squats and RDLs. Examples include split squats, lunges, Bulgarian split squats, and high box step-ups. The split squat and the lunge are going to be the exercises with the most loading potential.
Sets: 2-4
Repetitions: 3-8 per leg
Regain Your Strength & Function…
Strength training is a valuable contributor to a comprehensive rehab plan for recovering from an ACL injury. It helps athletes rebuild strength and coordination, improve functional mobility, regain lost muscle mass, and target neglected muscle groups that may help reduce the risk of reinjury. These five exercises—depth jumps, snatches, full squats, barbell RDLs, and heavy unilateral exercises—are the bedrocks for athletes looking to return to the field fitter and more resilient.
If you’re in San Diego and recovering from a torn ACL or ACL reconstruction, we offer free ACL consultations to help design a program tailored to your specific needs. Whether your goal is to enhance sports performance, or simply regain confidence in your knee, TKO’s approach is the solution you are looking for!
