Strength Training After Top Surgery

For many trans and nonbinary individuals, top surgery can be a major step in alleviating gender dysphoria. While it can greatly improve your quality of life, it is also a major surgery that requires a fair bit of post-operative care. Returning to the gym post-top surgery can be an intimidating process, but can help aid in recovery and enhance long-term results.

Improve Recovery

Staying active throughout surgery recovery will aid you in the healing process. This typically starts in the form of some gentle walking starting with just around the house movement in the early days of recovery working up to longer walks in the weeks that follow. Movement helps circulation and can assist with lymphatic drainage to reduce swelling.

Every surgeon will have slightly different guidelines, and it will vary based on the needs of your body. Generally, your surgeon will clear you for more activity around the four week mark, with a typical return to all activities around six weeks post-op. Throughout the recovery process, the way your body feels and how your body is healing will largely dictate your activity level.

Introducing weightlifting once you’re cleared to do so can help re-strengthen muscles you weren’t able to use much in your recovery process and help you in the process of getting back to pre-surgery fitness levels. 

Maintain Mobility

A major aspect in top surgery is maintaining your mobility post-surgery. While you don’t want to lift your arms overhead too soon, failing to do so can mean tightness and reduced shoulder mobility. Your doctor will advise you on when you can lift your arms overhead and can talk with you about risks of stretching your scars, but moving your arms once you’re cleared to do so is vital to keeping your shoulders healthy. 

While it may take up to a few months to begin lifting weights overhead, doing so will help you rebuild your shoulder strength.

Further Sculpt Results

One of the greatest benefits of strength training if you have top surgery is that building your muscles can help further sculpt your chest into the shape you want. Building your pectoral muscles and upper body can help those seeking a more muscular masculine figure achieve the look they want. 

Weightlifting can be an excellent tool for gender affirmation, in addition to helping build your confidence. 

Train With Those in the Know

In addition to working with your surgeon to determine the timeline of when you can return to or begin weightlifting, it’s beneficial to work with fitness trainers familiar with top surgery recovery and the considerations that come with returning to fitness post-surgery. At Solcana, we’ve helped many folks returning to weightlifting post-top surgery. Additionally, we have a Trans Strength class, taught by trans trainers, where folks can lift together and find community.

Try our Trans Strength class free today and see if our community is right for you - text (612) 808-0252 or email us [email protected] to get started.