Hey dudes, I'm 3 weeks post op at the moment and anticipate being cleared to start lifting weights in the next week (hopefully) or few weeks. I've been going to the gym and just doing walking for now, but mostly getting my body adjusted to getting up and actually going to the gym before work. SO my questions:

1. What is the best type of weight training post op or what has been successful for any guys in here? I've worked out in the past and am familiar with several styles of working out like alternating muscle groups (i.e. back and bi's, chest and tri's, etc.). I'm also familiar with full body workouts a few days a week, compound exercises, light weights higher reps, lower reps with higher weights, etc. Basically I have a basic understanding of HOW to workout, just not sure WHAT to focus on, especially considering the limited calories?

2. Speaking of calories, I've been recording my macros, getting between 60 and 80 grams of protein, and around 600-800 calories. I'm sure I need to push that up a bit once I start eating regular foods, but what would be a good goal to aim for in the future? I am currently 265, 5'8", 40 years old.

3. Should I be focusing on weights AT ALL? Or should my efforts be focused on cardio, then weight training later?

I should probably mention my goals: obviously to lose weight, and just "get healthy". I'm not trying to get super bulky or win a strongman competition, but I certainly wanna develop SOME muscle tone as I lose the weight. Thanks in advance!

Although I personally love working out - especially weights - I sometime fear that it's counter productive. The issue is that it makes me incredibly hungry afterward, which often leads to over eating\not sticking to the plan. Just something to watch out for.

Remember: Abs are made in the kitchen.

38 minutes ago, disco stu said:

Although I personally love working out - especially weights - I sometime fear that it's counter productive. The issue is that it makes me incredibly hungry afterward, which often leads to over eating\not sticking to the plan. Just something to watch out for.

Remember: Abs are made in the kitchen.

I'll certainly keep that in mind!

I have a thread going about this very topic over in the fitness and exercise forum (link below).

I have personally been focusing ONLY on weight training since about 3 months post op. My goal was to fill out muscle to prevent the empty bag loose skin look. LOL. I absolutely think weight training is the way to go and would recommend starting ASAP.

Edited December 1, 20187 yr by BlueCrush

8 hours ago, BlueCrush said:

I have a thread going about this very topic over in the fitness and exercise forum (link below).

I have personally been focusing ONLY on weight training since about 3 months post op. My goal was to fill out muscle to prevent the empty bag loose skin look. LOL. I absolutely think weight training is the way to go and would recommend starting ASAP.

Awesome! I'm following the post and see you're killing it. I guess I'll start light and work my way up.

Hey T.C.

I'm eight weeks post-op (gastric bypass) and I've started working out. I'm 65. Have no blood pressure/cholesterol issues-thankfully! My starting weight before surgery was 311. I'm now 270 -in just 8 weeks. I'm super excited about that.

What I would suggest since your calorie level is so low is to do a 30-minute walking routine. Once you start with solid food, I would then up the work out to a non-stop work out. To give you some idea, here's what I do.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Warm-up (that time doesn't count against my total allotted time) When I feel warmed up, I work upper body with a weight that I can handle and I do around 3 to 4 sets of each body part with 12-14 reps per set. As I add weight, I drop my reps by two. So: 14, 12, 10 etc. Right after I've done my sets, I hit a heavy bag for 3 minutes and then immediately go to my upper body routines. No resting. That's the key part.

Tuesday, Thursday: I do cardio only...Seven minutes on a treadmill with a pretty steep incline and a higher pace...then hit the heavy bag for another 3 minutes and then go right back to the treadmill.

You're probably wondering why I don't work legs. At my age, I have to bum knees and don't want to do too much to aggravate them. Not to mention, four months ago I had a total shoulder replacement and so the weight training works perfectly with my shoulder rehab.

I hope that helps!