Hey! I just wanted to post an update of my progress, for anyone that happens to find themselves in a similar situation:
After my umbilical hernia repair surgery, I was completely out of training for 2 weeks, although I did try to gently walk and move around (OK’d by doc) as much as I felt able. At the beginning of the 3rd week, the doctor approved returning to regular physical activity as long as it didn’t make my repair site too sore. I did as much as I could (running, hiking), but didn’t do any strength training that week (didn’t feel ready for it).
Week 4 post operation, I returned to structured training, going back to the volume I was at 3 weeks before the surgery (as Scott recommended). This worked really well, and I had good grades for all of my training sessions. Max Strength (especially Killer Core warm up) felt really shaky, but that resolved after a week or two. I definitely dropped weights down to a low level and returned them progressively, and as Scott said, you have to go by feel. I was worried about tearing my incision or the hernia repair itself, so I added weight slowly over a couple weeks. I lost the most progress in Strength, although it is returning quickly.
It has been 7 weeks since my surgery, and I’m starting to feel back to normal. For anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation, my biggest recommendations are to follow Scott’s advice above, to listen to your doctor in regards to recovery time, and to be patient. I was super psyched to return to training, and it was really hard to wait long enough and not to push too hard when I finally was given the OK. Listen to your doctor and your body!
