Having a new ACL really messes up your biomechanics, especially if you've lived without one for about a year like I did. The muscles in your legs are wonderful at adapting without you even being aware of it to whatever weaknesses you have. In my case, they were compensating for the lack of an ACL and probably also the torn meniscus to provide me with stability. So even though I was doing a lot of pre-hab exercises prior to surgery to strengthen my quads, it's a whole different ball game now that I have an ACL because it provides a lot of tension and support that the muscles must now re-adapt to. My quad strength is improving already, even from yesterday, but they are very weak.
Here's my leg at rest:
Here's my leg at full contraction (notice the awe-inspiring, rippling muscles):
And just so you can see how weak the muscles still are, here's a comparison to my other leg (notice how high the right foot is off the ground compared to the left (I didn't lift my leg, this is just purely from contracting the quadriceps):
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