>>146936
I feel like I have already done a several paragraphs long rant about my recovery from a MCL tear or whatever it was somewhere in the depths of /fit/ catalog, but I can make a shortened version, while I'm messing around in the gym, so you don't fuck up your knee.
It took me about a year and a half in total, to regain some stability in my knee. When a physiotherapist says, that you have to take things slow and gradually build up from zero, you actually have to do it. It's an annoying and long process, which, maaaybe, will help you regain some of your previous stats and it will take a whole lot of dedication.
For me, the recovery consisted of 5 parts and I did legs 3x a week, for at least an hour a day.
First was rest. You have to take some time off, but that doesn't mean, that you should avoid /fit/ lifestyle. Take good care of yourself, get a leg massage done by a professional, so your muscles have atleast some kind of movement.
Second period was yoga ball time. It was about 2 months of doing various basic movements, rotations, twists and stuff, just to feel the legs, core and back actually working again.
Third was resistance band workouts. Again, 2-3 months of increasing tension rubber bands, to build some muscle strength and continuous development of stabilizer muscles.
Fourth phase took also about 2 months, maybe a bit more, and consisted of balance surfaces and resistance bands.
Late in this phase, I started light jogging.
Fifth phase also took about 2-3 months and in this phase I did track and field exercises, jogging and balance surface workouts.
I still add balance surface workouts after leg day and I can pretty easy squat 2pl8 for 10 reps now. I always wear a heavy duty knee band, so it takes a bit of stress off from it, but for weights up to 50 kg, I don't bother with it. When doing this kind of leg exercises, don't bother with weights. Go for high quality, slow reps, high in numbers, and slowly build up.
Stationary bike will be your best friend, while recovering. If you have access to a mechanical bike, where you can cycle forwards and backwards, you are golden. Don't rush your rehab and remember that your own health and safety is your priority number one.