What about my Olympic Weightlifting?

This is very interesting to me. I am 4 weeks out from bilateral mastectomy, no reconstruction, no radiation. I haven't started tamoxifen,yet, but got the prescription. I have been back in the gym for two weeks now, adding exercises back in. No upper body lifts, but quality time with squats, good mornings, stationary bike, any machines isolating leg muscles. Pilates and stretches almost every day. I started pulls , but only to the hips,with 35 pounds, but this is leg and back muscles not chest. I do wonder when I can add overhead lifts again and fear lymphedema, because I want to compete in weightlifting again. The fluid retention from the lymph node biopsy got a little less, but still bothers me.

Hi yogapath, and welcome to Breastcancer.org!

There's also some good advice on the main Breastcancer.org site's page on Exercise After Surgery, where it's suggested you also speak with a lymphedema specialist and/or a physical therapist who has experience with breast cancer patients.

We hope this helps and we look forward to hearing more from you soon!

--The Mods

I lifted before and after but did notice that when i started lifting afterwards that any exercise that involved the pecs was much more difficult and uncomfortable. If i do to many push-ups, i end up getting a cramp type pain at the bottom of my expanders. I am hopeful that some of this will resolve with time and with the actual breast implants. I have heard conflicting stores regarding using really heavy weights and causing shifting of the implants from their original position due to the strength of the contracting muscles.