Aneurysym and Post-Op Weight Lifting Restriction Question

[T-Money]

Hi.
For those of you who have had valve replacement and aneurysm repair, please share your answers to the following questions:

What is the maximum amount of weight you use when lifting weights?

Do you have restrictions on body weight exercises, such as pull ups and push ups?

Back in April I started doing P90x and finished two round (still working on round 3). I started using light dumbbells (8-20 lbs per arm) and eventually graduated to using dumbells ranging from 8-55 lbs per arm depending on the exercise. After reading some recent posts I got scared out of my mind that I may be using too much weight. After consulting my cardio, he suggested I draw the line at 40lbs per arm and I'm OK to do push ups and pull ups. This is fine with me. I understand and agree with the logic regarding BP during exercise, etc. However, I'd like to hear what other aneurysm folks are doing.

Thanks for being such a great resource!

 

[SumoRunner]

What is the maximum amount of weight you use when lifting weights?

Do you have restrictions on body weight exercises, such as pull ups and push ups?

I don't go heavy but I've done maybe 175 bench and 110 military. Mostly I'll work with dumbbells at 20-25. Push ups I do in sets of 30, 40 or 50. Last march I did one session of 8x50, plus a few to warm up. That was 420 within an hour workout. I couldn't do a pull up to save my life.

 

[T-Money]

Thanks Jack!!!

 

[Turkey Hunter]

I don't go heavy but I've done maybe 175 bench and 110 military. Mostly I'll work with dumbbells at 20-25. Push ups I do in sets of 30, 40 or 50. Last march I did one session of 8x50, plus a few to warm up. That was 420 within an hour workout. I couldn't do a pull up to save my life.

his is very good advice...except the pull up thing LOL.....light weights and lot's of reps.....
It took me ten years to get my cardio to ok me lifting again.....

 

[67walkon]

I think the issue is that we are prone to aneurisms in other places, such as the brain. They don't want us putting a lot of strain on our arteries.

My favorite exercise is riding a road bike; in a typical year, I ride a little more than 5,000 miles. I'm not fast, but I can maintain a 19-20 mph pace for a long, long time.

Because of that, my weigh lifting isn't very important. I do curls with 60 pounds and lots of reps. I do the bench and fly type machines with about 70 pounds. When I do quad exercises, I use quite a bit more weight, but not over 200 pounds anymore. I never did heavy weights before.

I think the best answer is just don't strain to the point blood vessels are bulging out. We don't want any aneurisms to pop!

 

[mainframe]

"You’ve got to ask yourself one question: “Do I feel lucky?” Well do ya, punk?"

Dirty Harry


Right after my first surgery, I told my cardiologist I enjoyed lifting weights and thought I would continue. She told me "well fine, but if you get a severe pain in your chest to call 911". My aneurysm wasn't fixed at the time because it was only 4.3 or so. In the few years between my first and second surgery, there was a time or two that I was strong enough and able to do a set (6-10 reps) of bench press at 275. Dumb bell benchs with around 90 each arm. I didn't take it real easy at the time with any of the other lifts either. I never had to call 911.

Last summer a month prior to my valve going downhill I was doing a set of 10 at around 225. Dr. Miller told me that my aorta was thin enough to read the newspaper through. I feel pretty lucky thinking back to last summer. I should say I do make a effort to breath when lifting and maybe that helps alot.


After my second surgery Dr. Miller told me "no restrictions". I asked "can I lift weights" and he continued to say "no restrictions". I ask more than a couple of times. I lost alot of strength due to a long hospital stay but got back in the weight room around May and in the 4 weeks or so I was able to work out I got back to lifting around 135. That used to be the warm up. I've had 2 surgeries since for sternal infection including one a 5 weeks ago where my pec muscles were moved around a bit. The doctor wanted me to not lift anything for 6 weeks which is over next week. To quote the Bud Light commericail "Here we go"!

 

[JeffM]

T,

I don't have an aneurysm, but my aorta is enlarged. The advice I've been given, I've been told, is the same as that given to an aneurysm patient. I was told push-ups and pull-ups OK but be careful with the free weights. Instead of being given a number restriction, I was told to avoid really heavy weights and to use my head. I love pull-ups and find they do a great deal for my upper body strength and physique. I do many variations on push-ups, my favorite being placing my hands on both sides of a Bosu (flat side up) while placing my toes on a large Yoga Bal. I'll do sets of 12 concentrating on my core by holding a solid plank position. Between these and the pull-ups, I work all the major muscle groups as well as lots of smaller groups. I mention these because they're examples of exercises we can do that mimick real life moreso than the traditional resistance moves with weights. I know people who are doing P90X and I've researched it a bit. Looks awesome. I also like CrossFit. My brother runs a Crossfit program in Chicago and I've seen a lot of that program.

When I do use weights, I avoid bench, military, squats, shrugs or anything that would typically require very heavy weights with both arms simultaneously. Instead, I will use one dumbell or one cable at a time so that my upper body undergoes half the strain. I admit, this would have been a tougher mental transition if I'd gone through it when I was younger, but at 55, I've had so many reminders that I'm getting older and am mortal like everyone else, that I'm able to accept and, in fact, appreciate the adjustments.

Good luck with yours!

 

[Duff Man]

I think 50 or 60 pounds is too much for dumbbells for the average person with an aneurysm or dilitation. I don't know, maybe you guys are super ripped and it doesn't phase you as much. My comfort level is like 30-35 pounds for curls, and really there's other methods to build that don't involve nearly as much weight. I might take a 5 pound dumbbell and curl it 130 times instead, for example.

The goal really is to avoid a valsalva maneuver that increases intra-aortic pressure alot.

 

[Turkey Hunter]

I think 50 or 60 pounds is too much for dumbbells for the average person with an aneurysm or dilitation. I don't know, maybe you guys are super ripped and it doesn't phase you as much. My comfort level is like 30-35 pounds for curls, and really there's other methods to build that don't involve nearly as much weight. I might take a 5 pound dumbbell and curl it 130 times instead, for example.

The goal really is to avoid a valsalva maneuver that increases intra-aortic pressure alot.

The 60# dumb bells are not enough for me....then again I am a very large framed man,.
6' 6" and 255 to 260#........

 

[Philip B]

Restrictions?

Restrictions?

Opinions from health professionals seem to vary.

Life post-op with no restrictions has been enjoyable for me. Doing lighter weights with more reps is a self-imposed part of my fitness program. I've never been to fired-up about doing heavy weight lifting anyway.

-Philip

 

[jake]

Lifting after surgery

Lifting after surgery

WOW!

A lot of what I am reading here is in stark contrast to what I was told by every single surgeon I have had contact with. I visited surgeons at 3 reputable hospitals (ranking 1, 3 and 11 for aortic repairs nationwide) and everyone I met with was singing the same tune regarding lifting. Nothing more than 50 lbs.

I had an aneurism of the ascending aorta that was dilated to 5.0cm when it was repaired. I am now 44 and for the 10 years preceding the surgery, I used to do cement work with my cousin during summers when I was off of my teaching job. I would not think twice about busting out 10 or 12 yards of concrete myself and load it over the side of a dump. I would typically work circles around the "youngsters" until I injured my back breaking up a fist fight at school.

Fast forward to my surgery (12-03-10) and my surgeon indicates that I am to lift anything over 50 lbs. I have not been diagnosed with any connective tissue disorders, and I have undergone testing for other aneurisms and none were found. I asked if this was just a "me thing" and was told that every single graft recipient is put on a 50 lb weight lifting restriction and that isometric workouts are the answer, no free weights or machines. Gradual increase of resistance is required from now on.

It sure does not break my heart that I cant do cement work any longer, its just that while I was working on that, I really never had to touch a barbell. I am surprised that so many people on the site have either not been given any lifting restrictions or that they were given a far higher restriction than I was given.

I questioned my surgeon and asked him why so many others were not given the same restrictions. He was very clear and imperative that it is irresponsible for anyone who has had a repair of the aorta to be lifting heavy weight intentionally when we know that there is a pre-disposition to aneurism. I indicated that I understood that if maybe I was diagnosed with a CTD like Marfans or something, but clearly, my situation was a result of a bicuspid aortic valve. My surgeon explained that the problem with failures occurs where the graft was stitched to the existing aorta. He indicated that he has personally had graft patients who experienced tearing away of stitching during heavy lifting in the past causing leakage and internal bleeding. He explained that the stitching acts almost like a postage stamp perforation and can tear away under extreme duress from heavy lifting not just due to the weight, but more over the spike in BP when the weight is initially moved.

After reading all of this, I am now totally confused about some of these contradictions between so many folks who, not only lift well more than 50 lbs but use free weights and machines all the time. My doctors have told me my days of heavy lifting and free weights are over. I am an automotive tech instructor and it’s very tough to hold to a 50 lb. restriction when pulling heads off of an engine or picking up a crankshaft. At this point, I really don’t know what to believe after reading that so many of you routinely lift WAY more than 50 lbs. with incident.

 

[railrider 242]

I am post op 6 years Jan. 17 I enjoy aeoribic excercise which consists of bike riding and walking..I was a monderate weight lifter before my valve and aortic root replacement..My surgeon is a weight lifter himself he actually advocated me getting back on a weight lifting regiement as soon as my sternum healed..Here is the advice he gave me "lighter weighs more repetition" ..Here is another piece of advice he gave me..Watch your breathing "if you are having to hold your breath to lift then for a valve receipent you are lifting to much..I will be 57 in March and my past lifting practices are just that a thing of the past, the regiment I use now I throughly enjoy and it keeps my muscles toned and at may age that is fine with me...