Deadlift

I have been deadlifting but when I start getting around 495lb I start to have discomfort above my pace maker around where the leads would be, I have heard that if you deadlift to much your coller bone could come down on to the first rib thus crushing the pace maker wire. My doc told me when I first got my device that all I could do is run, he didn't want me to lift any weights not just for the first part of healing but forever, I dont think so, I'm lifting anyway.

27 Comments

Addicted?

by ILoominatedEKG - 2012-10-03 02:10:16

Trying to pry crack out of the hands of an addict is impossible, but here goes.

Doing something that you know may well kill you just because you want to is insane. If you're on roids, get off of them before you make your decision. If you're not on roids, go get some help man. That is not even close to rational thinking.

Okay, I'm running out of THIS room. The dude can prolly kill me with one hand.

WIth good intentions - Dave

dead nuts

by manaman - 2012-10-03 06:10:01

If you enjoy being cut on and want to do some perminant heart damage ( It takes open heart surgury to repair a hole that a lead can make ) Enjoying exercise is great but STUPIDITY is not something to brag about!
cecil

DevilDog

by DevilDog - 2012-10-03 06:10:04

lol no roids for me i'm a former marine, I was discharged for the pace maker, I am training for a power lifting competition just wanted to know if anybody had clavical crush, and it's not stupid if you know your limits and talk to docs and others for advise.

Respect!

by gulliver80 - 2012-10-03 06:10:08

Big Davy!

Much respect pal for lifting hat shy of 240kg!!! That said, chill out on the lifting! Listen, I am as keen as the next guy when it comes to training, doing triathlons, cycling... Blah blah (I have an ICD) but just relax and enjoy the lifting - take it easy! What you training for? Worlds strongest?!

Braveheart -

Darren

Dang Cecil

by ILoominatedEKG - 2012-10-03 06:10:42

I thought I was a jerk. But you make me look good. I like that in my friends. LOL

Dave

damage

by Tracey_E - 2012-10-03 07:10:31

Normal lifting isn't likely to cause the clavicle to crush the leads. Competition weights, who knows. No amount of lifting is going to cause the leads to perforate the heart. About the only time that can happen is when the lead is first placed.

Worst case, it'll cause the lead to get impeded and need replaced. I did this a few years ago. I don't know if it was my activity, the way my leads are placed (I do not have a normal placement, they bend at a 90-degree angle) or just bad luck. Whatever, it was no big deal to replace the lead and I'm not doing anything differently with the new one. I can't deadlift anything close to 495, lol, but I do a lot of other things not recommended by some cardiologists. As long as I feel good, I am not spending the rest of my life on the sidelines worried about my leads.

DevilDog, good luck with your competition!

Why the token bench?

by Jari - 2012-10-04 10:10:02

I've bench pressed 335 lbs pounds with a pacemaker. Up to you but I've never really had a problem with my pacemaker because of benching.

DevilDog

by DevilDog - 2012-10-04 12:10:15

thanks jari for the info, this will be my first comp, It's with UPA in WA state weight class is 242lb not sure my projected total I'm hopeing to get a 495 plus squat dead lift 495 and a token bench of 100lb.

I deadlifted 700 pounds.

by Jari - 2012-10-04 12:10:26

Come back and talk to me when your in my league deadlift wise. Didn't really have any soreness at the pacemaker site when I did it or the years I've deadlifted building up to 700 pounds. I'm subpecoral so that may of made a difference. Look up Rick Walker, very strong power lifter who also has a pacemaker.

There's been lots of very strong guys with pacemakers. There's going to be doctors and naysayers on this site telling you not to. But between you and me I would rather be in a pine box than half assing a modified like because of a tiny little battery in my chest. It I break it I will get it fixed, simple as that. All those endurance athletes with pacemakers have a higher chance of being hit by a car on one of there rides or runs and being killed than I do lifting some heavier weights a couple times a week.

I'm not completely sold on the clavicular crush theory because I lifted from the age of 14 to 25 without a problem. But don't do front squats. Once I hit around 400 pounds my clavicle definetly crushed my wire. But other than that I've never done front squats and never had a problem.

What fed are you lifting in? What weight class? What's your projected total?

I can bench?

by DevilDog - 2012-10-05 07:10:06

My doc scared me with the bench, he said I'f I did any kind of bench or chest excercise I would do damage, I think I need a new doc, I have stayed away from it for 5 years, Do you guys feel any kind of pain? do you just take it easy if it does and slowly get up to heavy weight.

no

by Tracey_E - 2012-10-06 09:10:12

The weight I do is nowhere near what you probably do, but I bench press and anything else I want. My doc and rep both said not to worry about it. If it hurts, stop. If it feels ok, go for it.

The only thing I don't do is ring rows, but not because I'm worried about damage, it just aggravates the scar tissue and leaves me sore for a few days. Easier to do presses or pushups instead to work the same muscles.

There are some really really conservative drs out there! I always wonder how many of them have actually seen damage and cases where things went wrong, and how many just don't have other young active patients so they don't know any better. I suspect it's the latter. Most of their patients are sedentary so they don't know how to handle those of us who aren't.

I got my first pm in 1994. I'm still the youngest patient in his office almost 20 years later, but I'm lucky that my dr is my age and an athlete, and he has a great relationship with the rep, who supervises many reps over half our state and therefore has other active patients. I was not given any restrictions when I went home from the hospital, I never heard of that 6 week stuff until I came here. Every single time over the years when I've asked "is it ok if I ....?" the answer is always YES, everything from pulls ups and bench presses to traveling the world and having babies. He always tells me my problem is fixed, go have fun and quit worrying about it.

Devil Dog

by DevilDog - 2012-10-08 09:10:05

Thanks jari I'll start slow no shirts, just raw. I'll do a narrow bench to start off. I'll keep you guys posted my first comp is middle of feb.

subpec placement and lifting...

by turboz24 - 2012-10-08 10:10:14

So, any pain issues associated with the subpec placement and weight lifting?

Yes you can bench

by Jari - 2012-10-08 12:10:19

I've been doing bench presses for 10 years without a problem. All kinds. With dumbbells, barbells, bands and chains. Personal pr of 335 but its my shoulder reconstruction holding me back no the pm. There's a couple of guys with pm benching high 3's low 4's on bodybuilding.com.

The only exercises I've heard causing a problem are front squats from personal experience and power cleans from doing some research. And that's from the compressive forces resting on the clavicle.

In my opinion start slow and easy. You might feel some discomfort with the scar tissue moving around an stretching a bit at first but after that you will be fine.

And if you damage your pacemaker so what. Go eat it fixes. I don't you think about tearing a muscle squatting and deadlifting. I've never been restricted before. I've recently come across a new cardiologist who recommended I do less with my arm but did admit he never dealt with someone in my situation.

Let us know when your benching in the 300's. I'd stay away from bench shirts tho. I don't know if the compression for a few hours at a time doing bench sessions might displace the pm out of his pocket. So stick to raw benching.

Good luck.

Climbing trees

by ILoominatedEKG - 2012-10-08 12:10:26

My doctor told me I can resume trimming trees out of electric lines. I don't think we have to baby it as long as we don't get stupid. It's just hard to know exactly where that line is sometomes ..............

turbo

by Tracey_E - 2012-10-09 10:10:48

Hi Turbo!!!!!!!! Long time, no see, nice to have you back. Are you getting yours repositioned?

not yet

by turboz24 - 2012-10-10 02:10:24

When I'm due for replacement beginning of next year, yeah. Definately looking into repositioning.
I also probably need the lead removed and replaced. Lead is positioned right next to a spot that is causing one of my many misfires. Had 22 spots ablated on the outside in February, but they couldn't totally get that one without damaging the ICD's connection.

Subpec feels great

by Jari - 2012-10-10 10:10:07

Ya sub pec gives me little to no discomfort. Sometimes the odd exercise might irritate it a bit but that's it. Never felt it playing sports. Would totally recommend it for comfort and appearance reasons. And I've always been sub pec but don't find the recovery that traumatic.

And devildog. I was going to recommend starting with a narrower grip til you get comfortable. Keeps more stress on triceps and shoulders and less on the pectorals if there not use to it. I use a bit narrower of a grip but more because of shoulder issues.

just hope that..

by turboz24 - 2012-10-10 11:10:05

I hope the same is for an ICD. might be a little harder to for a 2.5" x .5" thick device. Mine irritates me a good deal just under the skin. Might irritate less since it would probably move less.

How's the benching coming?

by Jari - 2012-11-01 01:11:04

Hey devil dog, just wondering how the bench pressing is coming along.

Going good Jari

by DevilDog - 2012-11-03 08:11:15

Hay so I'm doing the close grip and it's working well I feel almost no chest pain or soreness I'm up to 225lb but it will get better I haven't benched since high school, My main focus is dead’s and squats till my bench looks better, really hoping I get over 1,100lb for my first power competition at 198lb class. Thanks again for the help. Semper Fi

You guys give me hope.

by ManDroid - 2013-01-15 01:01:33

I'm glad to see some powerlifters on here. I'm a 21 year old college student studying sports medicine/pre-physical therapy. I got my ICD put in on 11/20/2012, and pre surgery had been really getting into powerlifting. In August I had a 375 bench, 450 squat, 485 deadlift and a 240 military press. But when I started getting my heart checked out they told me to stop pretty much all exercise. I just started doing some cardio a few weeks back. I've atrophied a lot, since I've been relatively inactive since October aside from walking. But I've been dying to get back in the gym. The doctors told me not to lift heavy again, but seeing the numbers you throw up makes me feel like I can still hit some decent lifts, without too much fear. In light of all the recent heart troubles, I've made it my goal to drop a solid chunk of weight and lower my body fat. I'm sitting at about 250 right now, but I'd like to hit the low 230s before the semester ends. I think for now I'll probably be doing more of a bodybuilding style program, just to ease back into it, and try to clean up my body composition.

Jari I believe you mentioned your PM is sub pec, would having my ICD subcutaneous rather than sub pec make too much of a difference for lifts?

Again, glad to see you guys not let your devices hold you back from lifting. Makes me feel great knowing that it's still a possibility for me.

First power lift soon.

by DevilDog - 2013-01-17 11:01:00

Ok so my bench is up to 265lb narrow grip feels good with now pain, Best dead is 475lb and best squat 495lb all in the gym, I don't know if ill do better or worse in the comp, weight class 198lb. I'll post what I get shortly comp is in a month. Thanks for all the help guys.

Just checking in

by Jari - 2013-03-10 03:03:59

Haven't been on the forum in a while but glad I checked in. Glad your bench has improved Devil Dog, how did the competition go?

Mandroid, I personally can't comment on subcutaneous but there's lots of guys lifting on bodybuilding.com with subcutaneous pacemakers that are doing quite well.

On a personal note I've still been hitting the weights hard since my last battery replacement in August. Started running a lot more but still squatting in the 4's, dead lifting in the 6's and benching in the 3's.

My first comp.

by DevilDog - 2013-03-13 05:03:53

It went well for my first try I got 475lb for squat for my opener, I got red lighted on my 495, Bench 275lb opener, 300lb second try then red light on 310lb my ass lifted from the bench, dead lift 455lb opener then red light on my 495lb, weight class 220lb, 475 squat, 455 dead lift, 300 bench.I was really nervous with all the people watching, I hope I do better in December.

Good to hear

by Jari - 2013-04-05 06:04:07

Glad your competition went well. Squat and deadlift should be well into the 500s and bench should be well into the 300s by then.

Man.

by MannyOWar - 2014-04-16 06:04:47

That's an incredible, nuts amount of weight. VERY impressive. I lift at a pretty novice level.

I'm 6'0", 175lbs and I deadlift about 150lbs. Pretty weak, I know but I've only been working out for about 7 months.

495lbs with a pacemaker is flat out inspirational.

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