Training During Chemotherapy

[jpwk]

Hello guys,

I was recently diagnosed with leukemia and am currently undergoing chemotherapy. I will be hitting a phase of lighter chemotherapy my doctor calls the "maintenance period" where the chemotherapy will be less frequent and taxing on the body in about three months' time, and hopefully will start Starting Strength then. I have previously lifted and was squatting and deadlifting around 100 kg(220lb) for fives.

Any advice? Should I alter my diet? (I am obese, around 110kg)

Thank you in advance!

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have a guy in the gym who has been training while on chemotherapy for about a year. Start light, like you would anyway, and go up from there as your recovery permits.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Trained a college football player over the last few years who has been battling cancer and going through chemo. Performance will vary from session to session. Tolerance to volume will almost be obsolete. Focus on 1-2 main lifts per day and utilize a "top set" approach rather than sets across. Take advantage of your good days, but don't try and push too hard on days you really feel like shit. Ok to go light and easy on your bad days

[jpwk]

Thanks guys for the advice guys, will keep that in mind. However, I don't think I quite understand what a "top set" approach means. If it is not too troubling, could you explain what that means?

Many thanks.

[k_dean_curtis]

I am 6 weeks post chemo and radiation for stage 4 throat cancer caused by HPV virus. I eat clean, ex athlete, balanced work life, great family and social structure; yea, life is unfair. Cancer is gone, way better results than docs expected, but now I am recovering from the treatments themselves.

Oncologist is also a ND,MD,PHD, and a college tennis player, understood where I was coming from. Hopefully what I did will help OP decide.

I stopped SS workouts the week treatments (8 weeks) started and just did light dumbbell stuff at home, and worked out of the house full time. Gyms are terrible over the winter about bugs. In my case getting a head cold or the flu would have put me in the ER with a feeding tube and tracheotomy. While going thru treatment please be careful to stay well from everything else besides the cancer.

I started back at the gym 2 weeks ago once my chemo doc gave me a thumbs up on my blood work / immune system. Weights are literally 30% of where I left off, adding weight very slowly. You don't want any soreness or inflammation, play it safe.

Biggest issue for me is eating. Before treatment at 5'7'', 55 yrs old, my weight was 175 (nude) at 12% bodyfat. This week weight is 154 and 9%. Yes I am naturally lean, but at 55, 9% is way too freaking low. You have a vicious cycle of needing to eat more, but because they exploded a bomb in my neck so even drinking water hurts, and the nausea from chemo, it is a fight. If you are obese and not having your throat destroyed during the treatment, you will have a way easier time than I did. Get your protein and try not to lose too much weight too quickly.

When you start back, a single top set for each exercise is fine. You might want to do that for a few months until your recovery returns.

Also, you have to do your PIC line hydration daily. Get home health to do it on the weekend too if needed.

Try to sleep 10 hours per night and a nap. You will need it.

This is going to sound cheesy and maybe disingenuous, but I am telling the truth. To keep up my spirits and motivation, I have been reading the forum and every video/article since my ordeal started. Staying in the community and seeing others here who have also been to hell and back, and are STILL lifting, and improving, greatly helped me to prove to myself that my weight and strength WILL be back to my old self soon! I utterly despise cancer and what it does to people, but I beat it and will not allow it to happen to me again.

If anyone else wishes I can add much more detail of how my cancer was defeated.

[jpwk]

Thank you so much for the kind words and advice. It really does help to have someone who has gone through the same if not worse treatment as I have and know how it feels. I did have a PICC line awhile back but had it removed due to an infection. Couldn't lift with the PICC and hence lost most of my muscle mass. Hopefully I'll be able to kick this cancer in the butt and start focusing on getting stronger!!