TheGymGuy
Well-known member
EDITED: I needed to come back to be as strong and healthy as I was during my peak. My motivation behind the recovery and trying so hard is to get back to my previous levels. As you will read below, it was very gradual and slow, but completely doable.
This is a little over 8 weeks post OHS for me and I have been gymming 3-4 times a week. It used to be 6, but I do not want to push it for now. I am lifting with my powerlifting team as they are getting ready for a big competition this June, 2012. I will not be competing but will be there to support them and take lots of pictures. Being with these guys inspires me and since everyone works very very hard it makes it that much easier for me to try a tiny bit harder to get in better condition. My main goal at the moment is to get healthier, change the body composition for the better and regain some strength and muscle mass in that order
I have been progressing slowly and so far so good. Even though some muscle mass has been lost (on the order of 10 lbs), I found that the body remembers most everything and in just 4 short weeks I have made lots of progress.
EDITED: Added history of exercise activities in historical order:
5 days post surgery: 2 mile walk - http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?39987-2-mile-walk-today
9 days post surgery: 4 mile walk - http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40029-Almost-a-4-mile-brisk-walk-today
4 week update with links to 1,2,3 weeks: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40146-4-week-update
5 weeks post surgery: 5 mile speed walk and jog in an hour - http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40226-Runners-and-Joggers-5-miles-today-week-5
6 weeks post surgery back to gym: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40281-GymGuy-went-back-to-gym-Week-6
List of exercises I deemed safe at 4 weeks or as your body allows you: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40147-A-little-bit-of-exercising
These next several videos are detailing my progress (I do not tape every session, just some) and even though I am at around 70% of where I was (used to work with 400+ weekly), things are looking very promising. If you were going to watch just one video, please watch the last one, it makes me the most happy with the little progress I made.
week 4 It all started here with Cable Squats. Cable SQ - 70x15 - 2012-04-22 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw4Q0dlCX-I
week 6 Several sessions after, I was here: SQ - 135x10, 155x10- 2012-05-08 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qohDfS0OTP0
week 7 Another week later: SQ - 185x10, 225x10 - 2012-05-15 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p8_50ZDhkQ
week 7 Two days later, still feeling good: Paused SQ + minis bands 250x2, 275x1 - 2012-05-17 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZhAh2MflK4
week 8 A week later, which was 2 days ago: SQ - 275x3, 315x3 + bonus 255x10 - 2012-05-22 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFh_pROKVlg
One thing that I need to share is that I wear heart monitor at all times and it beeps at me when my HR gets over 140 which happens more than I like at the moment. Also, I measure my BP before and after and monitor my Heart Function/Behavior by taking 1 quite minute breaks to look for PVC, A-fib, etc. I have had some PVC here and there, but very little and it does not bother me. Not enough to get Beta-blockers or anything like that.
My cardiologist told me to be smart and play it by the ear. He said I will feel and know when to back off. I am listening to my body and consistently do tripple checks while I am in the gym. I will be meeting my surgeon next week and will run these things by him.
EDITED: 22 months update detailed here: http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...ate-Powerlifting-10k-runs-and-other-fun-stuff
GymGuy
P.S. I had CT scan and and Echo past week. Nothing that we would not expected after surgery has popped up. Matter of fact the ECHO is awesome. Other than my HR which is higher now than before everything else looks better. The mean pressure gradient across Aortic Valve is 10 and peak is 18, with my native valve it used to be mean 45 and peak 78!!!!!!!!! My left ventricle is now mildly-moderately dilated and used to be moderately to severe. I forgot what else, but most things were decent. A tiny bit of pericardial effusion, says minimal, (which should work itself out), some other little things, all of which my cardiologist said to ignore.
This is a little over 8 weeks post OHS for me and I have been gymming 3-4 times a week. It used to be 6, but I do not want to push it for now. I am lifting with my powerlifting team as they are getting ready for a big competition this June, 2012. I will not be competing but will be there to support them and take lots of pictures. Being with these guys inspires me and since everyone works very very hard it makes it that much easier for me to try a tiny bit harder to get in better condition. My main goal at the moment is to get healthier, change the body composition for the better and regain some strength and muscle mass in that order
I have been progressing slowly and so far so good. Even though some muscle mass has been lost (on the order of 10 lbs), I found that the body remembers most everything and in just 4 short weeks I have made lots of progress.
EDITED: Added history of exercise activities in historical order:
5 days post surgery: 2 mile walk - http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?39987-2-mile-walk-today
9 days post surgery: 4 mile walk - http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40029-Almost-a-4-mile-brisk-walk-today
4 week update with links to 1,2,3 weeks: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40146-4-week-update
5 weeks post surgery: 5 mile speed walk and jog in an hour - http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40226-Runners-and-Joggers-5-miles-today-week-5
6 weeks post surgery back to gym: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40281-GymGuy-went-back-to-gym-Week-6
List of exercises I deemed safe at 4 weeks or as your body allows you: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?40147-A-little-bit-of-exercising
These next several videos are detailing my progress (I do not tape every session, just some) and even though I am at around 70% of where I was (used to work with 400+ weekly), things are looking very promising. If you were going to watch just one video, please watch the last one, it makes me the most happy with the little progress I made.
week 4 It all started here with Cable Squats. Cable SQ - 70x15 - 2012-04-22 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw4Q0dlCX-I
week 6 Several sessions after, I was here: SQ - 135x10, 155x10- 2012-05-08 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qohDfS0OTP0
week 7 Another week later: SQ - 185x10, 225x10 - 2012-05-15 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p8_50ZDhkQ
week 7 Two days later, still feeling good: Paused SQ + minis bands 250x2, 275x1 - 2012-05-17 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZhAh2MflK4
week 8 A week later, which was 2 days ago: SQ - 275x3, 315x3 + bonus 255x10 - 2012-05-22 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFh_pROKVlg
One thing that I need to share is that I wear heart monitor at all times and it beeps at me when my HR gets over 140 which happens more than I like at the moment. Also, I measure my BP before and after and monitor my Heart Function/Behavior by taking 1 quite minute breaks to look for PVC, A-fib, etc. I have had some PVC here and there, but very little and it does not bother me. Not enough to get Beta-blockers or anything like that.
My cardiologist told me to be smart and play it by the ear. He said I will feel and know when to back off. I am listening to my body and consistently do tripple checks while I am in the gym. I will be meeting my surgeon next week and will run these things by him.
EDITED: 22 months update detailed here: http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...ate-Powerlifting-10k-runs-and-other-fun-stuff
GymGuy
P.S. I had CT scan and and Echo past week. Nothing that we would not expected after surgery has popped up. Matter of fact the ECHO is awesome. Other than my HR which is higher now than before everything else looks better. The mean pressure gradient across Aortic Valve is 10 and peak is 18, with my native valve it used to be mean 45 and peak 78!!!!!!!!! My left ventricle is now mildly-moderately dilated and used to be moderately to severe. I forgot what else, but most things were decent. A tiny bit of pericardial effusion, says minimal, (which should work itself out), some other little things, all of which my cardiologist said to ignore.
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