@SteveM - since posting this and still waiting for another MRI and to see an Orthopedic doctor, a guy at the gym was doing some very 'unique' mobility and strength exercises. I 'know' him and asked him why and he said he has read/watched just about everything Ben Patrick / knees over toes guy has produced (he has knee and hip issues). There are a couple other guys who are excellent too and he made hour long videos with them.
I started slow and am just a month into it. Would have to look into the exact date, but it hasn't been that long. I considered myself flexible before, but my hips were never great for specific kicks or specific stances. Lower back putting my pelvis and legs into the wrong position, toes/ankles/knee/hip flexibility/mobility/strength have all improved. I highly recommend starting sled work - backwards and pushing. I use bands because there are no sleds at the gym.
I am back to a total leg day but it is not hypertrophy based but you can still grow. Expect DOMS as you will be using muscles/strengthening ligaments/tendons/joints and pushing your joints past what most people do. Start very slow, if you decide to do it, and just add in one movement a day. My hip pain is 100% gone, my lower back pain is pretty much non-existent, and my knee pain and ability to put stress on each one is much better.
The leg day is about 45 minutes because it involved a lot of mobility which you don't realize but is vastly increasing your flexibility and the strengthening exercises make what was a 5-7 on the pain scale reduce to 1-2 or it has for me.
My right hip was so bad, that basic sitting on your butt and moving both knees to the floor, to the left/right, with my back straight was not possible without pain. Now I can do it with ease.
It is much like progressive overload with weights - slowly adding in exercises and increasing the depth you go. It would take a few pages so I would recommend watching some of his videos.
I do backwards and forward sled work every workout day, all mobility drills between my upper body work, and do the strengthening ligament/tendon/joint muscle work for my legs 3 times per week.
Your workouts may be a little longer because you are ready to do the strengthening exercises for your lower body at the end of your upper body days. You already did all the mobility work between sets. It is just 2 exercises and I am still in the infancy stage, so on the non leg day - I do not push it too hard. On my leg day which is one of the three hip/knee/ankle/toes I push it to failure.
If too much damage is done, there is a limitation on how much you can get back, but I had no idea how much seated cable good mornings and seated deadlifts would increase my mobility/flexibility/strength in my hips/groin/lower back.
It goes against what has been preached for decades, but I was either going under the knife or trying this. I will continue with hopes it continues to improve.
It is worth trying as you really have nothing to lose. Do not push yourself too fast with too much pain or you could get frustrated and quit.
Good luck.
