Heart Attack Yesterday

[ERdocDD]

Hey Rip
4 months now on LP. Love my strength.
45 male, familial hyperlipidemia, on statin. Had chest pain 2 nights ago, went to the er, and had a heart attack.
Took me to the cath lab, got a stent.
Feeling better now. Glad I am strong going into this.

All I can do, while lying in the hospital bed, is think about when I can start lifting heavy. Hate the fact that I am gonna lose gains- as I said, I have never felt better with my strength. I really think I got me through this.

Worried too because they are gonna start me in a beta blocker, and my exercise/cardiovascular tolerance wll be affrected.

Any thoughts on how to get back to the training? Where to start?
Maybe pass on to Austin.

Thanks Rip.
Glad to be alive!

[Mark Rippetoe]

We'll ask.

[David Kirkham]

I'm 51 years old. I had a "widow maker" heart attack 4 years ago. I remember going into the ER and my blood pressure was 240/168. They gave me morphine and...when I woke up the cardiologist told me he placed a stent in my Left Anterior Descending, across the Left Diagonal. Both the arteries were completely blocked shut. He said I shouldn't be here typing right now.

On my first visit to the cardiologist I asked him if I would ever be able to dead lift 300 pounds again. He blinked his eyes, deflected my query, and quipped, "You are lucky to be alive. Why don't you just take it easy for a while. I'm surprised you are even here."

As soon as I was released, I called Rip. Rip stressed to me what he thought I could do but he really didn't know what to tell me. Rip was kind, yet clear, that in the end I was on my own, in uncharted waters, and working against a lot of medical thought. He only theorized what he thought might help me.

Less than 2 weeks after my heart attack I got back under the bar to strengthen my cardiac muscle and work out the scar tissue so it didn't harden into a knot (just waiting to kill me at a later date). I thought about the risks Rip warned me of in that earlier phone call, "This may very well kill you" and wondered if I would die on my first rep. I was seriously scared. I took my sons with me into the gym in case they had to call 911. I was too scared to lift alone any more. When I got there I just quietly stared at the "Rip Rack" I had welded together after reading his book. I thought about how that bar had made me strong enough to survive my heart attack. Then the thought flashed in my mind, "Who wants to die in a wheel chair on oxygen?" So I stood up, stepped under the empty bar, took a half valsalva, closed my eyes, and went into the hole--not really knowing if I would come back out.

It was pretty humbling to see that empty bar laughing at me the first time so on the next workout I added 5 pounds, just like SS recommends. When I got to where I was starting to strain I cut back to 2 pounds/workout and just kept pushing (lightly). I didn't dare "Jesus rep" anything for 3 years.

Keep in mind, we lifters are a different bunch. We can't stand not being in the gym and challenging our bodies--and our minds. The thought of not lifting was too painful for me (quality of life thing) to contemplate, so I got back under the bar. I lift because I believe it makes my life better. I took my health into my own hands and jumped off the cliff, so to speak.

Use my comments (and anyone else's here) at your own risk. Lifting just might help you too...or, it might kill you. Only you can decide.

Finally, for whatever it is worth--tonight I will squat 380, press 190 (deload week on press--I pressed 250 two weeks ago), and pull 425. I am FAR stronger now than I have ever been in my life. I can only tell you what has worked for me--so far.

Thanks Rip for that phone call.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

I don't know that I have anything substantive to add to this. Make sure you are up front with your doctors that you will resume lifting. Share your concerns about the beta blocker--it is not absolutely indicated in all post-MI patients. And when they clear you for physical activity...well, return to physical activity. Be judicious. Work your way back.

[David Kirkham]

Sorry, I forgot to mention the drugs, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers.

All these things drove me crazy. I saw Sully's video on them and when he listed the side effects I said, "Damn...I wonder if Sully was looking at me when he wrote that list?"

I had anxiety for the first time in my life, heart palpitations, racing heart beat, cough, etc. etc. etc. They kept changing my meds for 3 years but after seeing Sully's video I went to the cardiologist and said, "I'm not taking any of these any more. They are driving me CRAZY!" He just smiled and said, "That's OK. You are fine. You don't need them." As I was leaving I said, "Oh yea, remember when I asked you if I could ever dead lift 300 again?" He looked puzzled, then laughed and nodded. "Well, I lifted 400 last night." He shook his head and said, "Keep doing whatever you are doing. It's obviously working."

I threw the pills away and never looked back. All my symptoms gradually faded. I do still take aspirin.

None of what I am saying should be construed that I don't like or trust my cardiologist. I actually really like and respect him. He just is a 150 pound marathoner who looks like he is allergic to iron. He just doesn't get lifters...not many do.

[ERdocDD]

Thanks guys.
The cardiologist told me two weeks. My EF is normal.
He said the same about the beta blocker- just temporary- I was tachy pre- and post- cath. He felt anxiety or just heart in a hyper-excited state.

I just can not imagine not lifting. It’s become such a big part of me. Feel like I am wasting away already!

I guess in 2 weeks I will start with some light weights, and see how it goes.

[Farback]

I had an unexpected STEMI in February 2014. Ended up with one stent and I’ve been on a 81mg aspirin and 20mg statin since. I started powerlifting as a way to put in the required exercise to strenghten and maintain my cardiovascular fitness. My cardiologist was fully supportive. I’m about to hit 62 and I'm still an active firefighter.

I ramped things back up slowly and carefully following my doctors advice. After a year I had a great result at my final stress test, exceeding even the military deployment level. Good luck with your comeback.

[David Kirkham]

Farback,

Thanks for chiming in.

I find this thread fascinating. All the "keyboard squatters" on the internet scream about Rip teaching "stripper, taco squats" entirely miss the incredible power of the SS linear progression model.

Regarding heart attacks, in 4 short years, we have gone from:

"[You] are on [your] own, in uncharted waters, and working against a lot of medical thought."

"This may very well kill you."

to today:

'Yea, shit happens. Tell your cardiologist you are going to train again. You should probably wait a couple of weeks to make sure the stent doesn't blow up or your new meds don't make you faint or do anything else stupid. Then just start your LP over again--like the rest of us do when shit happens--with an empty bar. Start judiciously and WORK UP. Certainly, this may very well still kill you, but what are your options? Surrender?"

Doug and I were commenting the other night between sets, "Everyone starts with an empty bar. And everyone goes back to an empty bar--several times. It's the cycle of life."

The Grim Reaper is going to have to wrestle the bar from me on my last rep of my last set.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

It's a whole new world of thinking.

[Pluripotent]

[ERdocDD]

“Stripper, taco squats”?
Hadn’t seen that one! Hahaha

Thanks guys.
Went for a 1.5 mile walk today. No problems.
I am telling you.... going in to this strong has probably made this an easier recovery!

Thank you all for the comments!
Great to know there are others in my boat!

Hate the thought of an empty bar... but I guess shit happens!