Originally Posted by
BPJ
Great question.
I just had a bilateral inguinal hernia repair just over one month ago, and I am being slow and careful about adding weight to the bar. The weights still feel light but I am forcing myself to stick to the 5# per session plan. 5x5 isn't strictly following the program, but the higher volume from extra sets improves my sleep quality immensely. As soon as any of my reps feel grindy, or recovery is an issue, I'm dropping back to 3x5.
Given the pain, inconvenience, and expense of the surgery, I don't want to risk screwing it up.
Also, I'm old.