Member
Training With Stent
Good evening Rip,
My father and I are going to purchase equipment for a home gym in the upcoming months. He would like for me to train him.
He had a stent put in last year and his cardiologist advised him not to do any big effort. Can he perform the basic lifts with a stent? Also, can he perform HIIT intervals on the airdyne?
He is 62, 5 ft 11 in. 175 pounds, skinny fat with no previous history of strength training. He has diabetes and had a heart attack in his mid 40s.
Thanks!
TMPHBITEU
I know of no reason why he would die the first time he performed a squat with an empty bar, and I know of no reason why he could not then adapt to 50 pounds and safely squat that weight. And the 55. And then 60. Etc. I may be wrong. Has he been advised to never do anything with his stent?
Member
I had a stent put in after a full blown MI two years ago at 58, and got just the opposite advise. Exercise every day. I've been lifting seriously for a year and a half now, and have never experienced any problems. I had a followup stress test a few months ago, and have lessened my odds of another MI from 50% in the first 3 years to 4% in the next 10. I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but I'd suggest your Dad get another opinion. Both the Canadian and American Heart Associations emphasize daily exercise.
TMPHBITEU
The problem is that both the Canadian and American Heart Associations mean "walking" or maybe "jogging" when they say "exercise."
Member
This is just one experience, I know, but I had my aortic valve replaced at age 60, which is a lot more invasive than a stent (open chest, open heart). I was out walking hills on the fourth day after surgery, and walking, then running as much as I could tolerate for the next few months. Started easy, and kept adding a little at a time. Cardiologist was very pleased with the result, put no restrictions on my activity other than what I felt I could tolerate. I train pretty heavy now with no problems at all. Even at 62, you're about as healed as you're gonna be after 3 months or so. The scar tissue continued to change over the years (my keloids disappeared), but that's mostly just cosmetic.
I don't know whether your dad has any special conditions that would make his mileage vary, but almost everyone I know who has had heart surgery feels better and is quite a bit more vigorous than before the surgery.
The only thing scary is what happens when I don't train.
Member
I had 2 stents in the main artery 5 years ago@ 55. My cardiologist suggested I not do any strenuous activity for 90 days or so. Weight training, he felt is fine just don't strain. I took 1 year before I started serious strength training again. I have been lifting heavy now for about 2 years. I go for a checkup every 6 months, nuclear stress every 2 years.
Even though my doc doesn't approve of the kind of heavy lifting I'm doing, he knows he's not going to talk me out of it.
I've come off all med's except a statin and aspirin.
Member
Well, I don't know your father's particulars, so I can't advise on what he should do, but I can say I'd be tickled as shit if one of my patients wanted to start SS. I'm not a cardiologist, but I can think of no reason that a stent would prevent him from training. As noted, when most physicians talk about "exercise" they are usually referring to some type of mall walking, 5 lbs. dumbbell waiving nonsense that would barely be beneficial for the most deconditioned, sickly, comorbid, obese double amputee just out of the ICU after being intubated for 5 weeks. It's maddening. And this is what they recommended for otherwise healthy people.
Member
Thank you all for your responses. I showed my father this thread and then he said he didn't ask his doctor specifically about lifting and exercise, he asked him about yoga and some upside down poses so it is my fault for having misunderstood him. Anyways, he will ask his cardiologist and we will see what he says and whether my father decides to lift or not if the advice turns out to be negative. I have spent some time explaining the virtues of strength training and of "vigorous" exercise in general to him so it is up to him.
Once again, thank you all for your time!
Member
Hi Big A, was hoping that one of the better informed docs on the board would answer but here goes-long story short,training aftet a stent should not be a problem. But,a couple of questions-does your dad get chest pain on exertion? Does he have have any narrowing of his coronary arteries that were not severe enough to warrant a stent?Originally Posted by BigA
If the answer to either question was yes, then you may have to talk to his cardiologist before barbell training. If his cardiologist says he can jog or do light exercise, then he should be probably be good for barbell training.
Deal with one variable at a time - would train for 2 to 3 months with the barbell before introducing HIIT
Disclaimer: the above advice is a work of fiction from someone with no medical training. And it's been a very blurry Friday evening spent with John Walker
Member
I could put it this way (and sometimes do): you have to exercise. It is not optional. Nobody gets a pass. You may choose to ignore this obligation, but nature is very unkind to sedentary people. You will suffer greatly for this choice. If you truly are someone who is incapable of physical activity (doubtful), I'm sorry, but you're fucked. That's a very bad situation to be in. You'd better be figuring out what you can do and start doing it. Patients will counter with any number of excuses..."my knees hurt, my back hurts, I can't stop smoking, you just don't understand." Whether I understand or not is irrelevant. Whether I have personally gone through your unique travail is immaterial...you still have to figure out a way to do it, and if you don't, you're still fucked. Nature doesn't care if your knees hurt.
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