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Week 4

Day 24: Tightness, Truth, and Not Giving Up

"The day started stiff and stubborn, with yesterday’s gains fading faster than expected. Weight loss became visible, physio turned intense, and the gap in quad activation was impossible to ignore. Painful progress, but real progress."

Pain Level 5/10
Swelling 6/10
Progress Photo Day X

I woke up feeling extremely tight today. For a moment, I hoped that yesterday’s session with Taka would carry over longer, but the effect faded quickly. Stretching helps when the tightness peaks, but only temporarily. Relief comes and goes, never quite staying long enough.

I went to my kids’ school to watch them perform. A lot of people commented that I looked thinner. Yesterday at the doctor’s office, the scale showed 81 kg. That is three kilos down, measured in the afternoon, fully dressed. Realistically, it is probably closer to four. The doctor said it is normal. Muscle mass disappears fast when it is not being used. Still, seeing it reflected back through other people’s eyes hits differently.

After that, I went to the gym. Chest and triceps today. I am not giving up easily. If muscle is being lost where I cannot train yet, I will build wherever I still can.

In the evening, I had physiotherapy with Cleyber. If I thought Taka was rough, Cleyber definitely took the crown. He released my quad, hamstring, and calf thoroughly and drained fluid from the knee. It was extremely painful, but afterward the knee felt noticeably lighter and more mobile.

He was not happy with my extension, which means that remains a clear priority. We introduced a few new exercises. One standing exercise using an elastic band pulled around the knee, and another focused on leg raises. He said leg raises are good, but for now they still need to be combined with electrostimulation. We also worked on lifting the heel with a straight leg using only quad activation. Comparing both legs made the difference obvious. The operated side is still far behind.

The session reinforced something I am starting to believe strongly. Good physiotherapy is not passive. Manual work, muscle release, and direct intervention matter a lot.

I came home, did two more Game Ready sessions, and went to bed early. Today hurt, but it moved things forward.

Key Takeaways