Hernia recovery and weightlifting/gym work

I know a few of you guys have had hernia ops and like to lift or do some gym workouts so am looking for a few stories of recovery and return to weights etc.

Before the op I was following a regular lifting schedule similar to 5×5 but had settled on 60kg squat, 120kg deadlift, 50kg press and row and a 45kg overhead. 15 minute hill sprints and box jumps were part of the weekly routine on top of that. Occasionally I’d throw in a few other odds and sods just to keep it interesting but that was the main structure.

I’m interested in how much you were lifting before the op and how much you lift now i.e. have you had to reduce your bar weight due to pain or discomfort? Also how long it took for you to return to weights/gym. I’ve been told nothing for 8 weeks, maybe even an extra 4 before returning to strenuous stuff. Hate the sound of that but I’d rather heal properly and lose strength than risk another tear.

Open surgery on a femoral hernia, left with a 4.5 inch scar and a lopsided Brazillian to boot. Lovely.

Femoral rather than Ingunal hernia? After my open inguinal repair years ago I was told nothing more than 10lbs to lift for 3 months then build up slowly. Lifting weights puts enourmous stain on the area.

Femoral hernia repair is a bit more variable with regards to how it is done compared to other sorts of hernia such as inguinal. Some methods of femoral hernia repair are much stronger than others so probably wise to err on the side of caution and build up slowly, especially if your scar is directly over the hernia site.

Femoral rather than Ingunal hernia

Yeah. 8 years old but no problem until last week. Got it lifting a tree that got hung up on the stump. I know – I’m an arsehole. 🙂

Lifting weights puts enourmous strain on the area.

It does, hence my trepidation. I just went outside to dispose of some paper in the recycling bin and have to lift a house brick to get the lid off. Felt that, which surprised me.

Some methods of femoral hernia repair are much stronger than others

Interesting. The surgeon said they’d used a free mesh, of which I took a mental note hoping to read about it later but can’t find a thing on the web.

Its more what you do with the mesh. Some just use it to create a bung and then try to oppose the pectineal/lacunar and inguinal ligaments – structures that form a triangle around the canal.

Probably a better solution is to slip the mesh as a sheet from above to cover the entrance to the canal – if you had this then the cut is usually a bit higher and time to resumption of normal exercise might be a bit shorter.

Either way given a couple of months and I’m sure you will e fine.

Had double inguinal, was told not to lift more than body weight, currently lifting two and a half times for reps in the deadlift.
The op was two years ago and i was back in the gym in a week, not something i would advise doing because i still have pain now which i think is down to pushing too hard too soon.
After heavy squats and deadlifting i have to take painkillers in the evening just to be able to get some sleep.

Sounds a bit shit, Twinwall. What sort of pain i.e. sharp, tugging or ache-y etc…? And what are you hitting it with – prescription or milder?

Useful info, Flex. Much appreciated.

Also, when you returned after that week’s recovery (heh) did you lift big or take it easy for a few weeks…?

I had an epigastic hernia done around a year ago and used to also train essentially in the exact same way as you on something resembling the stronglifts 5X5 thing. I was squatting 100kg when I got the hernia, I think shifting camera gear in an airport.

I found that after 6 weeks I was able to return to my cameraman job, but often had a feeling of pulling or itching round the area and sometimes had some pain. I didn’t do any box shifting or anything like that for something like 10/12 weeks, and then slowly returned to body weight squats and the like after 3/4 months or so.

It has taken me up till now to get back to lifting the same kind of weights as I was before, and a heavy ab session still hurts me quite a lot for a few days afterwards.

It is a very mixed bag from my understanding of the subject, and different people respond completely differently to the surgery and mesh.

I’ve been reading about different recovery stories on other forums today and as you put it, definitely a mixed bag. I guess time will tell.

Thanks, Joe.

and a heavy ab session still hurts me quite a lot for a few days afterwards.

I find that and I’ve not had a hernia op!

Dear god give me strength.

Is that your tip for recovery, Davey – prayer…?

🙂

Hi teasel, started off by just doing stuff in the gym that didn’t engage the abs, at about three weeks tried some pull ups and was convinced i’d knackered up the repair. After six weeks i started doing dead lifting, when i pushed it a bit it would be very painful, sharp, tugging and achy.
My 1rm for deads was 130kg before repair now at 160kg at 60kg bodyweight.
Sorry, the op was exactly 12 months ago, don’t know why i put two years!

My tip for recovery is to let things knit together before you start ripping them apart.

Quite. So are you suggesting the advised 3 month period is too short?

And thanks for your tale, Twinwall.