Can I lift hard if I have AFib?

[Melody68]

I always get great help here . . . I'm 69 and have been on TRT for 1.5 years. I love it, it helps me exercise hard and I have much less aches and pains and fatigue than I used to. During that time I went from a sloppy 250lbs to a hard 215lbs (I'm 6'3).

In December last year shortly after a bad bout of Covid I had a TIA and the doctors said that I had AFib. I was also on a higher dose of T at that time. Was the TIA related to my T use? We'll never know. They put me on lifetime Apixaban blood thinners to prevent blood clots.

I now have my T dose down pat and feel really good. I don't feel any symptoms of AFib; it's almost as if I don't have it anymore, but that's likely wrong. I exercise hard, often going very close to failure. That worries my wife, and given my history I guess I can't blame her. My difficult question - does pushing the weights hard worsen the AFib condition? Will it make it worse over the years? Is there someone in a similar position as me?

And if I back off from the training intensity, can I continue my physical development? Most of what I hear suggests that you're really only building muscle during those last few gut wrenching reps.

Second, Covid left me with what the doctors call "adult onset asthma". Unless I inhale a hit of corticosteroid before going to bed, I'll end up coughing all night. I inhale once and it's all fine . . . but I hear that a corticosteroid can prevent building muscle. Is that true or a myth? The doctors suggested that I inhale 4 times daily; I only do the once . . . Many thanks!

 

[jayt]

I always get great help here . . . I'm 69 and have been on TRT for 1.5 years. I love it, it helps me exercise hard and I have much less aches and pains and fatigue than I used to. During that time I went from a sloppy 250lbs to a hard 215lbs (I'm 6'3).

In December last year shortly after a bad bout of Covid I had a TIA and the doctors said that I had AFib. I was also on a higher dose of T at that time. Was the TIA related to my T use? We'll never know. They put me on lifetime Apixaban blood thinners to prevent blood clots.

I now have my T dose down pat and feel really good. I don't feel any symptoms of AFib; it's almost as if I don't have it anymore, but that's likely wrong. I exercise hard, often going very close to failure. That worries my wife, and given my history I guess I can't blame her. My difficult question - does pushing the weights hard worsen the AFib condition? Will it make it worse over the years? Is there someone in a similar position as me?

And if I back off from the training intensity, can I continue my physical development? Most of what I hear suggests that you're really only building muscle during those last few gut wrenching reps.

Second, Covid left me with what the doctors call "adult onset asthma". Unless I inhale a hit of corticosteroid before going to bed, I'll end up coughing all night. I inhale once and it's all fine . . . but I hear that a corticosteroid can prevent building muscle. Is that true or a myth? The doctors suggested that I inhale 4 times daily; I only do the once . . . Many thanks!

Dude, I feel your pain... after the Covid booster I had AFIB and a rough time, ending with some stents and a pacemaker. I have been on TRT for 15 years. I still go to the gym daily and sit at a pretty lean 195 lbs. but I have given up free weights and concentrate on the machines. I am doing 150lbs on the flys and 75 on bicept curls, chest press. it is a ***** .... but it maintains my tone and I feel good afterwards. I should mention I am 75... Feel free to share more, would like to share stories and or successes. Good Luck

 

[Melody68]

Dude, I feel your pain... after the Covid booster I had AFIB and a rough time, ending with some stents and a pacemaker. I have been on TRT for 15 years. I still go to the gym daily and sit at a pretty lean 195 lbs. but I have given up free weights and concentrate on the machines. I am doing 150lbs on the flys and 75 on bicept curls, chest press. it is a ***** .... but it maintains my tone and I feel good afterwards. I should mention I am 75... Feel free to share more, would like to share stories and or successes. Good Luck

Hey brother, good to hear from you. Yeah, Covid was a b-tch, some people got lucky, some didn't. You sound like you're doing pretty well, and you're lifting some good weight.

I'll be 70 next February, and I've been thinking about how I'm going to approach old(er) age. I see so many of my friends and they're either too fat or too skinny, with some of them looking downright frail. I didn't want that to happen to me so I looked into the TRT, and I don't regret it. I had tried lifting weights at various times of my life, but I never had much luck building any muscle and ended up quitting after a few months. Then I started the TRT, got too enthusiastic and quickly gave myself a bad case of tennis elbow, which took 9 months to heal. One day, during that rest period and about six months into TRT, I was shaving and noticed, for the first time in my life, that I had some curves on my upper arms . . . I was developing delts! And I wasn't even lifting because of the tennis elbow. When my elbow finally got better, I started lifting and can't seem to stop.

I've got a simple gym in the basement with a couple of strong benches, a good lat machine (plate loaded) and a set of cast iron dumbells that I bought on KIJIJI. I also got a good deal on a ton of old plates. I'm all set, although the exercise room does look pretty bleak. But I love it down there.

I'm too lazy and probably too anti-social to go to a gym. You mention that you train on machines now, no more iron. Are machines easier on the joints that you do that? Do you go to failure on the machines? Do you ever feel that the lifting is too stressful for your heart and your AFib? And what about muscle - were you still able to build muscle in your 70's?

 

[jayt]

Hey brother, good to hear from you. Yeah, Covid was a b-tch, some people got lucky, some didn't. You sound like you're doing pretty well, and you're lifting some good weight.

I'll be 70 next February, and I've been thinking about how I'm going to approach old(er) age. I see so many of my friends and they're either too fat or too skinny, with some of them looking downright frail. I didn't want that to happen to me so I looked into the TRT, and I don't regret it. I had tried lifting weights at various times of my life, but I never had much luck building any muscle and ended up quitting after a few months. Then I started the TRT, got too enthusiastic and quickly gave myself a bad case of tennis elbow, which took 9 months to heal. One day, during that rest period and about six months into TRT, I was shaving and noticed, for the first time in my life, that I had some curves on my upper arms . . . I was developing delts! And I wasn't even lifting because of the tennis elbow. When my elbow finally got better, I started lifting and can't seem to stop.

I've got a simple gym in the basement with a couple of strong benches, a good lat machine (plate loaded) and a set of cast iron dumbells that I bought on KIJIJI. I also got a good deal on a ton of old plates. I'm all set, although it does look pretty bleak. But I love it down there.

I'm too lazy and probably too anti-social to go to a gym. You mention that you train on machines now, no more iron. Are machines easier on the joints that you do that? Do you go to failure on the machines? Do you ever feel that the lifting is too stressful for your heart and your AFib? And what about muscle - were you still able to build muscle in your 70's?

I always enjoyed free weights, but as one ages the chance of even minor injuries with them goes up. The machines better protect form and concentration on the muscles worked. They are 100% better for joints and chances to avoid strain, tears and muscle pulls. Go to failure on the machines, and you will build muscle. again I am 75 so am careful, and yes I still build muscle. Personally, I feel that lifting has improved my strength in terms of cardio and AFib. Exercise is the key to feeling good and assuring that my body works at my age. I can stoop, walk, run and move as well at 75 as I did at 40 all because of my exercise and lifting. Do not try to bench 300, too much risk but what I have done is decrease the weight and increased the reps. So today for example, my curls are 75 pounds on the machine but I do 100 reps, flys, I do 125 pounds but again 100 reps. 100 reps for each exercise. Find a gym near you that you like, I belong to a private gym but find that it is too quiet, so also belong to a big gym, LA Fitness. going to the big gym, I have met some others to hang with and being around younger people really helps me with motivation... the sights at the bigger gym are better too..... the ladies in those tight tight compression pants is a strong motivator.

 

[jimweisback]

I always get great help here . . . I'm 69 and have been on TRT for 1.5 years. I love it, it helps me exercise hard and I have much less aches and pains and fatigue than I used to. During that time I went from a sloppy 250lbs to a hard 215lbs (I'm 6'3).

In December last year shortly after a bad bout of Covid I had a TIA and the doctors said that I had AFib. I was also on a higher dose of T at that time. Was the TIA related to my T use? We'll never know. They put me on lifetime Apixaban blood thinners to prevent blood clots.

I now have my T dose down pat and feel really good. I don't feel any symptoms of AFib; it's almost as if I don't have it anymore, but that's likely wrong. I exercise hard, often going very close to failure. That worries my wife, and given my history I guess I can't blame her. My difficult question - does pushing the weights hard worsen the AFib condition? Will it make it worse over the years? Is there someone in a similar position as me?

And if I back off from the training intensity, can I continue my physical development? Most of what I hear suggests that you're really only building muscle during those last few gut wrenching reps.

Second, Covid left me with what the doctors call "adult onset asthma". Unless I inhale a hit of corticosteroid before going to bed, I'll end up coughing all night. I inhale once and it's all fine . . . but I hear that a corticosteroid can prevent building muscle. Is that true or a myth? The doctors suggested that I inhale 4 times daily; I only do the once . . . Many thanks!

I'm at age 76 with afib for 26 yrs. Paroxysmal afib which comes and goes with about 7 to 8 episodes a year.
Have had TIA before going on TRT, but nothing since micro dosing 14mg per day. Lift 5 days a week but no more extreme lifting due to fears of afib. Have researched all I could about afib, lifting and TRT. My advice is search out doctors who are not stuck on non existent studies but rather those who are more open minded about your condition and meds needed.
I was told by VA that TRT can prevent afib episodes but one needs blood work every 6 months to keep levels mid range and look for MVC levels.
I still run and get heart rate up but heavy lifting I stay away from as heavy dead lift last yr. caused afib
episode. Take magnesium supplements at bed time for cardiac relief, 80 mg asprin 3xs per week, and xaralto for blood thinning. No cure for afib so it is what it is. Good luck to you