Heart Failure and Starting Strength/Barbell Prescription

[Matt Buckels]

There seems to be so little information out there on this, but I wish there was more. I just happened to stumble across this post. I had a heart attack 9-11-17. After doing cardiac rehab, started lifting in December with the empty bar. Squatted 155 this week. Left the hospital in September weighing 152 pounds, now up to a lean 178. Went in Wednesday to have a defibrillator implanted, so unfortunately will be out for awhile.
It would be great to see more info on strength training after heart issues and/or with implanted devices. It seems the advice we get is to "just exercise", "but not too much." What does that even mean?
New here, but really appreciate Starting Strength and the GreySteel videos. Thank you gentlemen.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

It seems the advice we get is to "just exercise", "but not too much." What does that even mean?

That's a rhetorical question, Matt. You know what it means. It means nothing.

[Ronster1970]

Had a heart attack in December ... actually the 16th ... slowly coming back ... squat was 220, dead 260, benching 140 ... way off what I had done actually earlier in the day I had the heart attack ... but go slow and do it ...Here is the problem, all the doctors I have talked to tell me not to lift weights, do cardio ... you need to figure out what works best for you, go slow, do both as needed ... but do not stop.

[pkelly54]

Thank you for this thread. I find it encouraging. I was in the hospital this February with heart failure due to A-Fib. I am looking to get back to training. I also credit the strength I had from weight training helping me recover quickly. Doc Sullivan called it Barbell Medicine. I think he is correct.

[mindcrime]

I don't have much to add, other than another "n=1" anecdote. I had a heart attack in November of 2014. Had a stent placed in one artery and the docs told me that as long as I took my drugs, ate right, and got exercise, that I'd be fine and that I could do everything I could do before the MI. Five months later I did a 6 hour MTB endurance race, and later in 2015 I started lifting regularly again and training for more MTB races. No problems with my heart... the only thing that knocked me off track was a MTB crash that resulted in a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder, but that's a different story.

I didn't lift again until about 5 weeks ago, and now I'm back at it pretty hard again, and am already seeing my strength go up and my bodyfat numbers come down. I'm 44 now.

Not sure if that data helps you at all, but best wishes to you and your dad going forward nonetheless!