How soon to start lifting heavy again

[BryJohn 72]

Right now I'm benching 225lbs ten times and maxing at 300lbs and go relatively heavy with all my other lifts. I know ill have to take it slow after surgery but how soon will I be able to get back to lifting like I do now.

[Matthew 27]

I started full activities and lifting heaving after 3 months out. Really depends on how well you've healed from surgery.

[aroundhky 1,174]

"BryJohn".....if you are used to working out before surgery like myself, you'll find the first couple of months post-op very frustrating. With that said, try not to get too discouraged like I did. I saw my strength and muscles nearly waste away before my eyes for the first 1-2 months post op. Right after surgery, I made sure to walk, walk and walk some more. Though this didn't really help preserve any muscle/strength, it did help me get back to the gym sooner than I otherwise would have. Everyone is different and has different Dr requirements. I started back at the gym slightly sooner than my Dr recommended. I went to the gym somewhere around 3-4 weeks post op (Dr suggested 6 weeks), but I went EXTREMELY light. Such as just getting the movements from my lifts in without any weight that I could really feel. Ex: Deadlifts.....I just used the barbell, practiced my technique/form and did those really light lifts for about 2 weeks. Then added a slight amount of weight each week, until around 5 months post-op, then I was back to pretty much my old max lifts. Again, everyone is different, just make sure to ease back into it really slow, and maybe even absurdly slow, and you'll be fine.....don't want any injuries to make the recovery slower than it already is. Then just make sure you get in the proper nutrition that allows you to get the most out of those workouts and keep your end goals in mind. Good luck!

[Chris P Bacon 46]

I started lifting heavy six weeks after surgery. I eased into but by 8 weeks I was pushing myself pretty hard. Everyone's different so just listen to your body.

[BryJohn 72]

Thanks guys. I have a month till surgery so I'm going to hit it as hard as I can until then.