Recovery Post Surgery

[SOAD]

Okay, I have read it takes around one month to recover after surgery before you can partake in exercise.

Does this just hold for direct exercises? I.e. bench press, directly involving the chest. How does it usually take before you can do indirect things such as squats. How about leg press where the lower body is completely isolated?

I am a competitive powerlifter and want the surgery to impede as little as possible on my training cycle if possible.

Thanks.

[DrBermant]

Okay, I have read it takes around one month to recover after surgery before you can partake in exercise.

Does this just hold for direct exercises? I.e. bench press, directly involving the chest. How does it usually take before you can do indirect things such as squats. How about leg press where the lower body is completely isolated?

I am a competitive powerlifter and want the surgery to impede as little as possible on my training cycle if possible.

Thanks.

I take care of many competition and non-competition bodybuilders from around the world.

Here - Gyno and BodyBuilding

Puffy Nipples and Bodybuilding

Here - Gynecomastia and BodyBuilding

Here - Gynecomastia Treatment

and

Here - Gynecomastia BodyBuilding.

I would suggest looking beyond each link's first page at all of the views for each patient to better understand the difference in the look before / after surgery.  There are other examples of lean patients, but thought this would be a good start.

Recovery after surgery depends on the original problem, what was done, injury during surgery, bruising, skill of your surgeon, after care, how you heal and other factors.  Although I do not tear the muscle, the recovery is sort of like a sprain you can get back when your body lets you, not before.  The body does not heal on a time schedule.  Push it too far too soon and you will set yourself back.  My patients are typically walking around comfortably with very little to no pain medication the day after surgery.  The walking is fine, bouncing is not comfortable. Putting the arms up over the head, now that is putting injured tissues under strain. 

I prefer to individualize the recovery plan for each of my patients.  Such issues are best explored during a consultation with the doctor with who you are planning surgery.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Chest Sculpture