Time for a new weight lifting topic

[Baby Barista]

This thread felt lonely, so I thought I'd post something new.

I've always been into lifting weights and running. The last few years, I've taken to P90x as it fits well with my lifestyle (two kids) and time constraints. At 37, I'm still pretty strong... 1 rep max on bench: 325... 1 rep max squat (when I could still do them) 435. I'm wondering how long after surgery, did people really feel like they had their "game" back?

I don't plan on resuming any of the impact activities of P90x until 8 months - year, but what about the non-impact exercises: push-ups, pull-ups, lunges? I'm curious how other people have handled this?

Once I'm healed, I'm anxious to find out what it feels like to get into a normal squat position. I've had FAI all my life and have never been able to do standard width, toes ahead squats : )

[Dannywayoflife]

I asked about this yesterday with my surgeons team. They said that they like people to wait a year to resume activities like squat etc. I think this is pretty smart as it takes a year for bone density to normalise and it can also take a year for the hip capsule to fully repair. I think very light strengthening exersises are fine but what we would term propper lifting youd be best to wait 12 months tpo allow your body time to fully recover

[hernanu]

I'm at a year, have resumed weights, cutting the leg weights in half for now. I haven't resumed squats, dead lifts, but have been benching since about four months in.

I decided to resume my usual three sets of four exercises. I haven't done progressive since I was throwing the shotput in high school, just do 3 sets of 8 of everything. No belt, wrist anything, always wanted the full stress to be handled by my body appropriately (and not to lift something with aids).

I started very light with benches, 170 (3 X 8  ) at four months, very light with leg presses at 190 (3 X 8  ), curls at 70 and other exercises to avoid being bored (lat pulldowns, etc.) mixed in. All bracketed by elliptical and the bike or treadmill (walking) and calisthenics. Then stretching to cool down.

I'm now at 225 bench (3 X 8  ), still low on leg presses but high on reps - 250 at 3 X 30, and other exercises as noted above, but with about 20 pounds more per exercise. Running on the treadmill and have added about 15 minutes of heavy bag work.

Before the OA, I was at about 250 on the bench, about 450 - 500 on the leg press and other exercises mixed in, with all reps at 3 X 8. I also played soccer, basketball and did martial arts at night.

So not back to as before, but working close to it on the arms, looking to get back to soccer and maybe basketball (a friend of mine just tore his achilles playing hoops, but that can happen anywhere), but I probably will limit my leg presses / squats, etc. to less weight and more reps.

I started push ups and pull ups after about five months after outpatient PT, stayed off lunges (my stabilizers were too weak) and also made sure I added my PT exercises to my regular workout, since I had neglected my core too much in doing my regular workouts.

[Dannywayoflife]

I don't think there's anything wrong with training upper body stuff as soon as you want. I'm not massively fussed about heavy squats again if anything I'd like to loose some size off my quads! But I'd like to dead lift again as it's my favourite lift I used to be pulling around 450 at 81kg body weight:-)

[sdunn4]

Interesting about resuming the lat pulldowns!!  I am at almost 12 weeks out and had assumed the lat pulldowns with the restraint across your hips would need to wait for at least the 6-month mark.  Any comments?  Is the hip strong enough at that point to do these exercises? 

I have gotten back up to 250 for the bench press and I do the triceps push-downs on my cable machine, seated bicep curl / overhead dumbell presss, along with dips and chinups.  I would love to resume the lat pulldowns!

Steve

[hernanu]

Don't remember when I went back to lat pulldowns, steve - might have been at 5 months or so, it was not at three or four.

[ScubaDuck]

@Steve-  I have always preferred doing lat pulldowns while kneeling on the floor.  I feel like I can isolate more.

@Hernanu - Don't the high reps build bulk?  I thought I heard it was better to do three sets of low reps ( 6 - 12) for strengthening.

I have been doing a kind of one legged squat on my operated leg.  This is similar to what my PT had me do horizontally on their special machine.  I don't think I am doing it very deep but it makes me stop and wonder if I should be doing it at all.  It definitely works the hip capsule.

I have been focussed on my lower body and aerobic work but will soon be mixing in upper body weights as well.

Best wishes.

Dan

[Baby Barista]

I just had to come back to this topic for a good laugh. A couple weeks ago, I was actually thinking about lifting weights. Now I struggle to pinch a loaf and sit up in bed. Ahh, being healthy has so many different definitions! 

[hernanu]

Don't sweat that, you're right, at where you are weights were a remote dream.

• At 8 weeks weights meant ankle weights while I did PT (2 lbs to 5 lbs, woo hoo!).
• At 12, I tried light upper body weight workouts, got dizzy a few times (unused to it, I think).
• By 4 months, I was doing low weight leg presses (180-200), a lot of upper body stuff.
• By 6 months, close to my old lifting with upper body, very careful with lower body.
• At one year, I am getting back to full, still low weights on the legs, but actually starting to do more with the upper body.

I'll probably adjust the weight / reps as I get more comfortable. Like Danny mentioned, I don't want to bulk up more on the thighs, just work for strength within reason and make sure my supporting muscles are built up as well.

[Baby Barista]

Yeah, think my leg work moving forward will be lower weight, high rep. My legs have actually always responded pretty well to high reps. Used to do this thing in college with a training partner... where we'd put 225 on the bar and do 3 sets of 50 reps. It was insane and frequently led to puking in a garbage can. Oh, the days when we were still 'invincible'. 

[hernanu]

Actually doing 3 sets of 250 @ 30 reps now, so not as crazy as that, but still show you what we can do with these bionic hips.

In the meanwhile, going to experiment with it until I find a common ground, maybe up the weight a bit and lower the reps a bit.. who knows, does feel good to do these with impunity.

[zeke]

I cant wait to get back to doing P90X it looks like I have sometime until that happens...I'm only on  my 6th week of recovery but I have been lifting weights for my upper body since I came home from the hospital and I do a walking DVD with half squats everyday or so...just taking it slow.