My Arm/Chest Workout is in the Toilet

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keithjleslie
keithjleslie Posts: 9 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Guys, don't laugh at the weights here but I have a serious question at the end. I had a bariatric surgery about 3 and a half months ago. All my fat life I have been pretty strong. I was never a big bencher but I could lift a lot of weight. Because of the surgery I lost quite a bit of muscle mass when I got back into the gym. My starting bench weight was about 90lbs (made me very sad) but I got it up to 120 (still pretty sad) within a couple weeks. I was pleased with my progress. I was doing 4 sets of 12 reps. For the past 2 weeks I have not been able to get through a single work out. I have had to drop the weight. I am back down to 90 and struggling to get through it. I have had similar but not as dramatic changes in my curls and pulls. The only thing that hasn't changed is my tricept workout and lat pulldowns. I was lifting every other day then I started giving it another day of rest because I was having difficulty. I don't know what is going on. Any ideas? Over the past month my weight has dropped from about 305 to 281.

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  • moustache_flavored_lube
    moustache_flavored_lube Posts: 849 Member
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    Maybe you need a few days off. Or perhaps your glycogen levels are low? Are you fueling properly prior to your workout?

    I understand that bariatric surgery can make it difficult to absorb the proper nutrients, that could also be a culprit.

    Basically that drop sounds to dramatic to attribute to muscle loss, especially if you are training regularly
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
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    It's the rapid weight loss, you won't be making any gains.
  • keithjleslie
    keithjleslie Posts: 9 Member
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    I tried a protein bar before my workout last night and toward the end of my work out I did feel "stronger" for lack of a better term, but I don't think I waited long enough to start. The surgery I had does not have absorbtion issues but my caloric in take is only 600 to 800 calories per day so it could be that my glycogen levels get depleted quickly. I am wondering if a higher weight/lower reps/fewer sets might be better for me considering I probably depleat my glycogen levels more quickly than someone with a whole stomach.

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