Weight training

Had a PM installed Nov. 2012 after a year and a half of investigation.
I wasn't an easy sell.
I have lifted weights all my life, low weight and high reps.
My problem is what is acceptable now and what exercises should I avoid?
I would love some advice?
Thanks!!

4 Comments

weights

by Tracey_E - 2013-04-09 11:04:25

Why did you get the pm? If the pm fixes your problem and you are otherwise healthy, you should be able to do whatever you want as long as you feel ok. Ease back to where you were, don't try to do it all first day out.

There are some conservative drs who say no heavy weights above shoulder level, no pull ups or anything hanging, no cleaning the bar. A few even say no weight above the shoulder. I don't think cleaning the bar is a problem as long as the bar doesn't sit on your device, just my personal opinion though my dr agrees with me. There are not enough of us out here that they really know what's safe and what isn't so just use common sense and go with what you are comfortable with and what feels good. I think a lot of times when drs give excessive restrictions it's either fear of malpractice or just ignorance because most of their patients are sedentary, not based on solid facts.

My dr's opinion is the leads are so grown in with scar tissue that nothing I do is going to hurt them. He told me to forget it's there, go live my life. And so I have! I got my first one in 1994, am on my 4th now. I've never held back and never had a problem. I do Crossfit so it changes every day, some days low reps/high weight, other days high reps/lower weight usually with lots of running and crazy stuff thrown in. To give you an idea, yesterday was clean/jerks on 55#, then rowing, squats, sandbag getups (20#), pull ups (assisted, still can't get up by myself, darnit)- 1 min at each station, 4 rounds after a half mile run for warm up. Some drs would probably tell me not to do about half of that :o) The only thing I had trouble with was the getups, too much up and down makes me dizzy but that's the beta blocker I'm on, not the pm.

Weight training

by LynnT - 2013-04-10 05:04:12

Thanks for the info.
I got my pacemaker because of AV Block and missed beats .
60 was an average heart rate for me.
I had no symptoms until I fainted.
Heart healthy, using PM less than 1 per cent of the time occasionally. No meds.
Cardio rehab, will check into.
Light weights for me also 20 pounds.
I have gotten my cardio work outs back, running ect...
And I have started weight training with but not with any real commitment , fear being the motivating factor.
Will stay with light weights, clean smooth movements and think I will limit overhead exercises as It doesn't feel great right now.
Thanks for the support...my life became small for awhile,, and I am looking forward to living fully again.

fear

by Tracey_E - 2013-04-10 08:04:09

The fear is perfectly normal!! As you heal and feel better, it should go away. I have av block also, but mine is all the time so I pace every beat I take. We have the best problem if we have to have a heart condition. Our sinus node (nature's pacemaker) works normally but sometimes the signal doesn't get through to the ventricles. The pm is always watching. Every time it misses a beat, it steps in and makes a signal that mimics what our heart should have done which causes the beat. Easy fix!

Go with what you are comfortable with! But don't be shy about adding in the overhead weights as you feel up to it. You will not do any damage with 20#.

Your world can be as big as you want it! I consider myself lucky to live in an age where my problem has a fix. I had both of my kids after I got the first pm, I hike or ski every vacation, I'm a girl scout leader and don't have any problem keeping up with the teenagers. I took a dozen of them ziplining last week, so feel free to question my sanity, but I had a blast. It takes a while to get used to having this little computer, to trust it and eventually forget about it, but the day will come when you realize you haven't given it a thought in days, or weeks.

Proceed with caution

by Jennypl - 2013-04-11 01:04:52

I would be very cautious as far as weightlifting goes. I've had my icd/pacemaker since 2004 and I am experiencing lead interference now from lifting weights. I'm a 40 years old, and have always been very active- running, lifting weights, cross training... My dr recommended no shoulder/ chest workouts with weights, and I thought as long as I didn't do too many reps or too heavy a weight I would be fine. I now am facing a lead replacement soon ( my second thanks to the Medtronic lead recall in 2007) from an atrial lead that is about to break from weightlifting friction from the clavicle bone on the leads. Ask your doctor and FOLLOW their advice - don' be like me. Lead extraction isn't fun!

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I am just thankful that I am alive and that even though I have this pacemaker it is not the end of the world.