Comments on: The Tommy John Surgery Experience Pt. 3 http://danblewett.com/2009/06/the-tommy-john-surgery-experience-pt-3/ Strength training, Personal training, Warbird Academy, DBSP, Bloomington IL Fri, 18 May 2012 13:42:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dan Blewett http://danblewett.com/2009/06/the-tommy-john-surgery-experience-pt-3/comment-page-1/#comment-2347 Dan Blewett Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:10:08 +0000 http://danblewett.com/?p=64#comment-2347 Find a good doctor and follow his instructions. Find a good doctor and follow his instructions.

]]> By: Dallas http://danblewett.com/2009/06/the-tommy-john-surgery-experience-pt-3/comment-page-1/#comment-2345 Dallas Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:24:25 +0000 http://danblewett.com/?p=64#comment-2345 I am a high school student that has to get TJ... any advice? I am a high school student that has to get TJ… any advice?

]]> By: Steven http://danblewett.com/2009/06/the-tommy-john-surgery-experience-pt-3/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Steven Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:14:26 +0000 http://danblewett.com/?p=64#comment-7 thanks for the info...yea I'm still not full ROM for bending the elbow I can get to 125 passive ROM and 135 active ROM and 140 is full ROM for me. I hoping to be back game ready next 1st of March which will be 10 months out from surgery. The Doc said this is reasonable so that is what I am on schedule for now. Good luck with you recovery. I was reading your hip stuff to and my right hip (push off leg) is the tight hip. I tweaked something in my hip flexor over a year ago and not it "pops" when I open it thanks for the info…yea I’m still not full ROM for bending the elbow I can get to 125 passive ROM and 135 active ROM and 140 is full ROM for me. I hoping to be back game ready next 1st of March which will be 10 months out from surgery. The Doc said this is reasonable so that is what I am on schedule for now.
Good luck with you recovery. I was reading your hip stuff to and my right hip (push off leg) is the tight hip. I tweaked something in my hip flexor over a year ago and not it “pops” when I open it

]]> By: Dan Blewett http://danblewett.com/2009/06/the-tommy-john-surgery-experience-pt-3/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Dan Blewett Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:03:30 +0000 http://danblewett.com/?p=64#comment-8 I had full ROM after about 3 weeks. Since I was never braced, I was free to start loosening it up from the start. It wasn't a nice and fluid motion at 3 weeks, but I could fully extend and flex it at that point. After about 6 or 7 weeks I had fluid motion back to where it was just like my left arm, without the tightness at each extreme. At 6 weeks I started strength training again, and for my chest I started with wall pushups, worked down to bench pushups, then finally regular pushups. So after 6 training sessions (3x week for 2 weeks) I could do full pushups. They sure weren't easy, though. I had lost a lot of strength, but It came back pretty quick. I actually never do pull ups, only chinups, because they are so taxing on the rotator cuff, and can overbuild them. Chinups recruit the lats and biceps much more, while omitting the rotator cuff muscles, and as such are better for pitchers. I started light on lat pull downs and got stronger at them, but holding my bodyweight was too much for my forearms for a long time. Chinups are taxing on the forearms, and they would make me sore for days afterward, which started to interfere with my throwing, and this was 5 or 6 months post-op. Chinups stopped making my forearms sore and tired at around 8 months. Remember that youre doing so much rehab and throwing that your ligament and forearms are already getting worked hard, and while they need to get stronger they still need rest. Chinups were too much for me, especially as I started throwing harder. I do them occasionally now, but I still limit them while I'm in-season. You'll find that the hardest thing is finding a balance between rehab, throwing and strength training, because you want to be strong and fresh in all areas, but some interfere with each other. Anytime you add something new to your training, closely monitor yourself the next day. If you listen to your arm it will tell you when to back off of something. Hope that helps. If you have any other questions feel free. I had full ROM after about 3 weeks. Since I was never braced, I was free to start loosening it up from the start. It wasn’t a nice and fluid motion at 3 weeks, but I could fully extend and flex it at that point. After about 6 or 7 weeks I had fluid motion back to where it was just like my left arm, without the tightness at each extreme.

At 6 weeks I started strength training again, and for my chest I started with wall pushups, worked down to bench pushups, then finally regular pushups. So after 6 training sessions (3x week for 2 weeks) I could do full pushups. They sure weren’t easy, though. I had lost a lot of strength, but It came back pretty quick.

I actually never do pull ups, only chinups, because they are so taxing on the rotator cuff, and can overbuild them. Chinups recruit the lats and biceps much more, while omitting the rotator cuff muscles, and as such are better for pitchers.

I started light on lat pull downs and got stronger at them, but holding my bodyweight was too much for my forearms for a long time. Chinups are taxing on the forearms, and they would make me sore for days afterward, which started to interfere with my throwing, and this was 5 or 6 months post-op. Chinups stopped making my forearms sore and tired at around 8 months. Remember that youre doing so much rehab and throwing that your ligament and forearms are already getting worked hard, and while they need to get stronger they still need rest. Chinups were too much for me, especially as I started throwing harder. I do them occasionally now, but I still limit them while I’m in-season.

You’ll find that the hardest thing is finding a balance between rehab, throwing and strength training, because you want to be strong and fresh in all areas, but some interfere with each other. Anytime you add something new to your training, closely monitor yourself the next day. If you listen to your arm it will tell you when to back off of something. Hope that helps. If you have any other questions feel free.

]]> By: Steven http://danblewett.com/2009/06/the-tommy-john-surgery-experience-pt-3/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Steven Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:43:46 +0000 http://danblewett.com/?p=64#comment-9 Really good blog. I had TJ on 4/29/09 by Dr. Steve Jordan in Tallahassee the FSU team doc. I pitch at Jacksonville University in FL. It's interesting how everyone's rehab procedures are different like you said, I have noticed the same things. I'm supposed to start throwing at 12 weeks. I had a semi hard cast for two weeks, then brace for another 4 weeks. When did you achieve full ROM on your own and when were you able to do a pull up or push up? Really good blog. I had TJ on 4/29/09 by Dr. Steve Jordan in Tallahassee the FSU team doc. I pitch at Jacksonville University in FL. It’s interesting how everyone’s rehab procedures are different like you said, I have noticed the same things. I’m supposed to start throwing at 12 weeks. I had a semi hard cast for two weeks, then brace for another 4 weeks.

When did you achieve full ROM on your own and when were you able to do a pull up or push up?

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