Weight Lifting

[wgreene]

I am new here so please bare with me. I had a mechanical valve put in 8 weeks ago. I was fairly active before surgery and have been doing cardio for the past 5 weeks, each week increasing intensity. Doing really good overall. I have noticed that my upper body seems to have lost muscle and would like to to get back to lifting weights. According the doctors and discharge forms I can now lift 30 lbs. In four weeks the limitations are suppose to be lifted. My question does anyone have any experience lifting weights at the stage I am now at? I was thinking of starting to to use nautilus machines limited to 20lbs upper.

Thanks

 

[dick0236]

Welcome wgreene. There is a bunch of folks on this forum that lift, so they will come by with their experiences. Follow your cardios advice as you can do a lot of damage by doing too much too soon. A few years ago, I had an orthopedic doc counsel me to "cut all my weights in half and double my reps" to maintain good muscle condition.....unless I wanted to "bulk up" to impress the girls(he said with a grin):tongue2:.

 

[middleman]

Wgreene,

I am about 4 weeks ahead of you in my rehab. My cardiologist has increased my cardio to an hour a session and more strength training. The therapist is watching my upper body so that I don’t over do it especially with the chest area. They are worried about doing damage to my chest were it was cut. We have increased my weight over the last 3 weeks. I can’t tell exactly how much because the therapist has removed all of the weight numbers off each of the machines. But it has felt good to work on my upper body and to rebuild what I lost. Prior to adding the weight, I was doing light or range of motion exercises to just keep things moving.

One thing that my therapist says, if it hurts, don’t do it. My guy is a little conservative, but when I have pushed it, like this morning, it takes me a pain pill and a day to recover. It has been tough for me to go slow, but it has been worth it.

Are you doing a cardio rehab program? If you are, have a talk with the therapist on the best course of action for you. http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/images/smilies/thumbup.gif

 

[wgreene]

Jim, I have no rehab program. I saw the cardio doc at 2 weeks post-op and the surgeon at 3 weeks. Neither said anything about a rehab program. I have been doing my own thing I guess. I want to start lifting. When did you start lifting and how much?

Wade

 

[middleman]

Wade,

If your doctors won’t do it, I would check into a physical therapy office that can do a cardio rehab in your area on your own. Before I started, I heard nothing but good thing about rehab and I wanted to get my old body back fast as I could.

Your doctor can write a prescription and get you on the program. I not only did I get a prescription from my surgeon and my cardiologist but my GP was ready to write one too, if they would not. My insurance covers about three months of rehab.

As for the weight, I am guessing, but I think that I am doing 40 pounds(four plates) in a pull down bar. I work an hydro machine to work my chest- 4 sets of 20, with the same of leg lifts I am up to 4 pounds free weight on my working my chest area. I am also sneaking in some push ups off my knees. My workout runs about an hour and half.

One thing I watch very close is my heart rate. I invested in a heart rate monitor after my cardiologist read me the riot act when I was bragging how high I was getting my heart rate. I learned very quickly about over training. It was the way I worked out prior to my surgery. That was a big change for me.

But I am not an expert in this area. This forum has some people that have a lot more knowledge and experience.

I hope this help.

Jim

 

[wgreene]

Jim, thanks again for the advice. As far as rehab, I don't think it would be a problem getting a prescription, but I think it is a little late for me to start. I know it would be good thing but I have returned to work (3 weeks ago) in which I do a lot of field work as an engineer. Not an over exerting job but does require a lot of time right now as I have a large project and out of the office with travel a lot.

I guess my doc didn't think I needed rehab guess they deemed it not necessary, at three weeks I was walking about a mile a day and I was in good shape. I have talked to a few people that have had this same surgery and I have recovered a lot quicker. I guess I was in good shape going in and it showed coming out. The only real side effect was soreness in the chest.

My next appointment with my cardio is a month and a half. As far as cardio I was told I could do as much as I could and still carry on a conversation, I go just a tad bit above that. I have been using a heart rate monitor for a few years. Prior to finding out I had a problem with my heart (6 months ago) I would run about 150 bpm, after diagnosis they limited me to 130 bpm. Since surgery I have been taking a beta blocker which has significantly limited my heart rate. Resting is 51 bpm, working out on an elliptical type machine I get it up to 110 max. This is something that is hard for me to get used to.

Wade

 

[NealR]

I asked me surgeon about weight lifting prior to surgery, and his nurse shortly thereafter. As far as recovery, was to do a little at a time, and increase as time goes by. Add a little more each week. However, the surgeon, prior to surgery, recommended that weight lifting was indeed ok, but avoid the "need to push out your breath" by exerting too much in order to lift the weights. I guess he meant not to over do it.

I am almost 2 years post op, and train with weights 3x/week, I took this advise well, and so far, no problems. I wouldn't call myself a bodybuilder, but am in very good shape.

You are getting a lot of good responses, and all of them sound good to me.

Hope your recovery continues to go well!

 

[jendyk]

The sternum is a bone and needs to knit properly. That takes time. If you can localize the muscles you are using and avoid stressing those that would separate your sternum, go for it. Machines are better for this than loose weights, I would guess. That is why it is advised not to drive. It is the steering suddenly to avoid accidents or to park that can separate the healing already done in the sternum.

 

[Ray Norsworthy]

My surgeon told me that after 3 months there would be no restrictions, other than to increase the weight gradually. I'm certainly not going to start out trying to squat with 500 lbs.

 

[wgreene]

I am at 10 weeks and started this past week. Using machines to allow better control and starting out with low weight and doing more reps. No pain so I think I am on the right track. I will add a little each weak. I am not looking to 'bulk up' just stay in shape.

Wade

 

[hook]

I am about 15 months post op, and I do some strength training about three times a week. I focus on pulley, dumb bells, and machines, with reps in the 15 to 20 range, feeling muscle burn and fatigue on the last rep. In the weights world I would consider this a "light weight workout", but I am not sure how the cardiology world see it. For anyone who has ever bulked up knows you must tear down the muscle in order to gain results; I just hope what I am doing is not causing issues with my valve or the tissue around it.

So far it has been a good thing, and getting my muscle back has helped me feel more youthful and strong.