Pre-BMX strength training, does it help implants feel better?

LRGO2016

Prior to my prophylactic BMX, I had been working out (for almost a year) 3 days per week on whole body strength training and weight lifting. My goals included performing a single, unassisted pull up and losing weight. I lost 30 lbs and had gotten to the point I could pull up 1/2 my body weight before the BMX.

Now, post exchange, my anatomical 495 cc squishies feel GREAT. They seem weightless and I hardly notice them. I've read posts by others in these forums that their implants feel heavy and uncomfortable. I'm wondering whether there is a connection between comfort post-exchange and pre-surgery muscle tone and strength. I'm not a medical professional so my questions are strictly from a layman's point of view. I am a scientist so I'm curious if my good outcome may be somehow related to my pre-surgery conditioning.

Are there any body building BMX, implant ladies out there who can comment on their level of comfort? I'd like to take a poll: Please answer these questions if you are willing:

1) Did you do any upper body strength training prior to your MX or BMX? (Yes, No)

2) Characterize your pre-surgery strength (weak/average/strong/very strong).

3) How much upper body activity did you do prior to your surgery? (no workouts/regular moderate exercise/strength training/body builder)

4) What was your muscle tone prior to surgery? (poor/average/good/excellent )

5) Did you have reconstruction with implants? (Yes, No)

6) Do you feel your implants match your pre MX size?

7) Are your implants comfortable, feel weightless or excessively heavy?

Here are my answers:

1 - yes

2 - strong

3 - regular strength training

4 - pec muscle tone = good.

5 - yes, Mentor, anatomical, 495 silicone implants.

6 - yes, good size match

7 - weightless and very comfortable outcome.

The connection I suspect between presurgery conditioning and postsurgery comfort may not exist. My experience may be unique or due to my choice to undergoing this surgery preemptively. Either way, if there is a benefit gained from strengthening our pecs prior to or following reconstruction, I'd love to share our observations with the medical community and each other.

Feel free to expand on the above questions or comment with your own ideas on why your implants are or are not comfortable. Who knows, we may discover something that will benefit us or someone else in here.

muska

Hi LRgo, I am typing this on my phone and will answer your questions later. Based on my experience - see my med history in my profile below - pectoral muscle training before BMX w implant reconstruction might not matter or make things worse (assuming the implant goes under the pectoral) Your excellent results are most likely due to the skill of the PS and also to the fact that your surgery was preventative, i.e.less tissue removed and less damage done.

Editing to add answers to your questions:

1 - no

2 - average

3 - regular moderate or less

4 - pec muscle tone = average or less

5 - yes, 500 ml Mentor

6 - no, I wanted it smaller than pre-surgery

7 - yes, they are comfortable enough for me to not remember I have them most of the time

SummerAngel

My answers:

1) Yes

2) very strong

3) strength training

4) excellent. My PS told my family in the waiting room after my TEs were placed that I had better pecs than he did!

5) Yes

6) They're larger, 550ccs

7) My implants are comfortable, but I can definitely tell they're there. I would not call them weightless, nor would I call them heavy.

farmerlucy

1) No formal training, but lots of heavy lifting, tree trimming, yard work

2) Very strong

3) moderate

4) Very good, PS said my pecs were very strong

5) yes

6) almost exactly, mentor moderate profile 421.

7) I can feel them if I think about it. The expander process was excruciating, and I promise you I'm no wimp. Took several years to get to where I don't notice them all the time.

LRGO2016

thanks for the answers ladies. So far it sounds like my current comfort and recovery may be luck of the draw or related to the skills of my surgeon. Every doctor I spoke to prior to my PBMX said my PS is top shelf. So far, other than his unwillingnessto prescribe strong pain management, I'd have to agree. I feel great, my foobs are the perfect size and my healing is right on track with his predictions.

Only issue I am struggling with is getting my drains out!. I am 3 weeks post exchange and still have these darn drains. That is purely the fault of my immune system pumping out white blood cells to the injuries. Other than that, I'm happy as a clam!

;-)

Keep the responses coming ladies... I'm predicting we might see a relationship between comfort perception and physical fitness. But I could be wrong.

Either way, when I'm release to work out again, I'll be back at the gym trying to ease myself back into my longterm goal of an unassisted pullup one day! I'll be sure to consult my Dr for an appropriate exercise plan to get there!

downdog

LRGO, I do believe the answer to your question is a resounding 'yes' and I have recommended strengthening pecs pre-sx in other posts to potentially avoid or minimize the dreaded iron bra feeling. Lots of of pec stretching leading up to sx also helps. I also worked with a PT after. The size of the implant is a factor. Accommodating a large implant under thin and tight pecs is going to mean a lot of discomfort and potentially ongoing pain. Large is relative to the habitus of the woman. A skilled PS is also critical to an optimal outcome. A lot of women opt for a PS who does recon exclusively, thinking this will give them the best results. If you opt for autologous recon, then I agree find someone who does a lot of microvascular sx, so likely a PS whose practice focuses on recon exclusively. Implants were my only recon option, so I chose a PS whose practice focused on implant recon and breast augmentations, many on bodybuilders, for an optimal cosmetic outcome, because I have an ultra low % body fat. I added extra pec workouts 6 weeks prior to surgery to give my PS even more to work with. There is a thread on here about pre-pec implant recon (above the muscle), which is a great option for women to consider, but I wasn't a candidate because of my leanness. It took a lot of work and time to get back to my pre-sx strength, but I have even surpassed it. It took months to be able to do one-armed push-ups again and I was able to pullups sooner, which while they are a compound exercise, they are fundamentally a back exercise. BTW, pullups don't utilize the pecs much. Chin-ups (palms facing your face) with a narrower than shoulder grip use the pecs the most of the various types of pullups, but they also involve the biceps more than other forms and grips. Tricep dips utilize the pecs much more than pull ups, as do most forms of push-ups. My favourite pull-up is the wide (overhand) grip, which is the most challenging. Almost 1 & 1/2 years post-sx, I do 3-4 sets of 15 of these 2x weekly, which is more than I did prior to surgery. I can also crank off push-ups and dips and anything pec-intensive, so it is absolutely possible to recover strength after pec dissection. Good luck on achieving your pull-up goal. If you want it, you'll get it! Work on negatives (slow count 4-8 seconds on the descent), as well as hold at top and you'll build your pull-up strength. Grip strength holds a lot of people back, so do some reverse curls. I promise, you won't get noticeable bulk in your forearms. Being strong doesn't correlate to bulk in women, even though muscle weighs more than fat. I'm 5'7" 108lbs.

1. Yes
2. Exceptionally strong
3. I am a race athlete, but do bodybuilder weight training 5-6x/ wk plus other training.
4. Very developed. They mask the step off effect at the top of my implants. (Very thin skin and no fat). My foobs look totally natural and real, even naked.
5. Yes
6. 295 anatomicals (Allergan 410s). These are a B on me and I was formerly an A.
7. Weightless; I am not even aware that they are there, unless I do very high impact activities. I had no pain ever again 4 days after sx.

LRGO2016

Downdog, thanks for a thorough comment on the impact that pre mx exercise and conditioning has had on your recovery and outcome! I'm so pleased to hear thar you have regained and surpassed your pre surgery ability too!. That is encouraging. I'm also 5' 7" and I used to be much like you, 115 lbs with no body fat. A runner and hiker. then about 20 years behind a desk in the deep south added 60 extra lbs to my frame! My goal of getting back in shape and losing the excess weight (I'd lost 30 lbs before my surgery made me sedentary and stopped my upper and lower body workouts) is to allow me to do all the outdoor activities I love in retirement. I'm actually hoping to be able to do both pull ups as well as chin ups. When I retire, I am moving to the mountains and plan to start climbing, caving and hiking again. I want to hike the Appalachian Trail, entirely. So losing the flab, regaining my muscle mass and toning everything is my real goal. I want and will need to be able to pull myself up with only my arms when caving. I've learned the hard way that it isn't always possible to use your legs to climb out when you are in a hole in the ground! ;-)

At the moment, I have no pain with my implants, and once my drains are removed and I'm cleared to begin my workouts again, I intend to resume my training. Though my current 10 lb lift/pull limit will slow me down a bit. I'm hoping my PS will help me design a workout plan to help me get back in shape again after all these surgeries. I will ask him to refer me to a physical therapist, if he is unable to assist me with a workout plan. I really don't want to tear anything by working out too hard too soon.

bella237

1 yes

2 average

3 moderate strength training

4 good

5 yes

6 no

7 don't notice them much

A couple months before surgery (I and neoadjuvent chemo) I scaled my chest weights back because I didn't want to build muscle in that area so I did super light weights, but a lot of them. I also started doing daily upper body yoga inspired stretches (heart openers) in the hopes that having muscles that were nice and limber would help with the BMX and TE fills. It did, I have little to no pain after the first week post-op. My PS and BS both think it helped me recover quickly.

LRGO2016

Thanks for chiming in Bella! Good to hear from your doctors that they think it is a factor in your recovery.

The evidence here so far suggests a positive correlation between physical fitness pre surgery and post surgery comfort. You introduce the idea of stretching as well. I wonder if those who do routine stretching are more likely to have greater comfort post surgery. It makes sense to me....

I'll reiterate, this is a non-rigorous survey and our sample may be biased on many counts, but so far it seems to correlate.

Interesting...