I'm working on it now, although I only have like a two pack at present. Well, I can't honestly say that I'm all that interested in a six pack but I am working out my abdominals pretty good. I'm sure I could achieve a set if I set my mind to it. I have no physical limitations for doing so.

Yeah I'm starting again, I do ab ripper x, from the p90x workout videos. Awesome ab workout, plus it builds a lot of core ab muscles, my abs are jacked! I have an inginual hernia scar on my lower left abs, 7 inch midline scar, then my ostomy site scar on my lower right abs. All of them feel great!

No six packs, but before my scar tissue, did do crunches, etc. to work out the abs. Dr had always said not to over do it.

Thanks for the responses. How long did you guys wait after takedown to start working out your abs? I am a little over three months out and still have some tenderness in the area at the moment.

I think I started at about the 3-4 month mark - although I began slowly and have gradually moved to higher impact. I am currently 8 months out and don't feel limited in any way.

Thanks Tincan that is great to hear. What have been your most noticeable improvements from 3 months out to 8 months out?

I use my Rogue Abmat all the time. I did sit ups maybe 2 months post up. I never do crunches though, full away from the wall situps. Doing ab work was way easier for me this time around than a tummy tuck surgery I had 2 years ago since that was more muscles involved.

My most noticeable improvements? I think that I am just getting stronger and more confident in what I can do. On exercise days I normally do some resistance work, sit ups and then a 5K run. At first I could only do light work (including maybe 20 sit-ups) and couldn't run a full 5K until about 4 or 5 months out (and quite slow at that).

Now I can do much more. Currently at 55 sit-ups (goal of 100) and a sub 30 minute 5K (goal of 25 minutes). Progress has been slow but steady.

Of course all of this is tied together with things like diet and loperamide intake. If I'm not eating well and take more than a couple of loperamide a day, then my energy levels tend to plummet and it is difficult to do much of anything.

Are you guys not scared of getting a hernia from too much ab work? My surgeon said i could never do 'heavy' ab work and i'm scared to do any! I know i'm a chick so i don't want to be ripped but i'd like some tone. I have NO core strength at all.
But i'm starting a 12 week Better Body fitness challange on the 15th and i know the trainer LOVES ab work(like crunches with arms over ya head holding a sandbag and crunching it to your chest).
Good luck with achieving your sixpack. Hopefully i'll stop being such a girl about ab work and get into it too

I used to work my abs pretty hard a few years back and was able to achieve a 6 pak. It's not quite there anymore but it can be done. I will always have the flat mark from the stoma but you can hardly notice it anymore. Never worried about the hernia thing. Just dont try and do too much too fast. Good job you guys!

I started working out my abs about 2 months after my surgery but still was a little tender Suomi kept it light for another month. Managed to pull off a 6 pack but currently at about a 4 lol. It's more about body fat percentage than anything tho if that's what u want. HIIT is great for that. P90 is great to but u have to stick to a diet

yes, finally.

currently been working out for 1 year last week. Weight 190lbs from 143 last year this time. Got the abs back. I didnt start working them out till March because i didnt want to rush anything. i live in winnipeg, Canada, its always cold here, no point too take my shirt off.

I've been starting to work out more heavily again lately and am starting to get discouraged because I'm not really seeing the results I expect - not building much muscle. Granted, I'm not a teenager anymore, but I know this has more to do with poor digestion, and possibly the long term effects of prednisone, too. I have been eating less lately though, and less regularly, so maybe I just need to find the right balance.

TinCan, I'm curious. You said your energy levels decrease when you take more loperamide? Do you mean because of the need for more loperamide? I would think taking more of it would help you digest better and give you more energy.

To answer fleanut:

Loperamide has been a two edged sword for me. When I don't take it for a few days then my frequency tends to go up and my energy level down. On the flip side, loperamide also makes me drowsy. At a low intake my energy can improve, but beyond a certain point it just makes me want to curl up with one of my cats and nap all day.

I am not worried about hernias. If you lift properly you will avoid them. Lifting is all in the legs anyway. I Olympic lift, power lift and crossfit. I am 7 months out and just ran a prowler with 200 lbs on it Start from the ground up and you'll get to where you want to be eventually.

I'm 7 months post takedown and I've been working out the last 3 months. The only exercise I have a problem with is "the wheel (where you are on your knees and wheel away from your knees and back to them). Anyways, this exercise causes a burning sensation on the scar at my stoma site. Does anyone know anything about this burning during a workout?

As a chronic exerciser and long-term workout person I went back to my abs and stair master etc 6 weeks post op my k pouch revision. My energy level was fanstastic, my strength improving daily but I then gave myself a peri-stomal hernia. Not fun. Every time that I got it fixed it ripped at 6-10weeks post op whenever I started to lift or work out.
The last time I had to wait a year. I can finally work out almost normally but still take extreme care and do not over push the abs. Some of us will be able to go back at 6 weeks and others at 12...either way, pace yourself and listen to your body if it gives you signs that something is wrong. Better to wait the extra few weeks of months.
Sharon

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I'm 4 month's post pouch formation and had a leak at one of the conection points so for me im looking at least 5 months now till takedown. I had a procedure yesterday to to clean out any infection and make the hole bigger so any infection left has a better drainage point.
I also has a bad wound infection which completly opened up about 7 - 8 inches but thankfully has now closed apart from a tiny hole .
I'm really eager to get back to the gym as i lost 3 1/2 stone and have complete muscle wastage as I had a terrible time after the operation.

My missus says im mad to be thinking about exercising and lifting again until 6 months post takedown but as i feel ok at the moment and wont even be considered for takedown until at least five months time , its a good time to get back to it.

What does anyone think?

well with the loop ileo, I'd take it easy with the ab workouts. You shouldn't have any problem doing light workouts until your takedown. Running would be good.

of course you can work out.. as long as your doctor clears you. I have no idea why someone said you can't work your abs with a loop ileo. I did all sorts of exercise with my TWO loop ileos... including lots of core work such as pilates. Also lifted weights - though restricted a bit as to how much overhead- ran three half marathons, biked, swam. Exercising will do wonders for your recovery. Just make sure you have your doctors ok and start back slowly.