Arm Lift Q&A
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Exercise After Arm Lift

asked 3 years ago by deana182 in Nashville, TN.
Latest answer by Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Question viewed 4,138 times
Tags: exercise, weight lifting

I will be getting an Arm Lift (Brachioplasty) in around 6 months. I want my arms to have a nice toned look like they used to have. Should I start weight training again before the surgery, or wait until after the procedure and the skin is tightened? Which one will get me the best, toned look?

29 answers to Exercise After Arm Lift

+1

Weight training before and after arm lift

You should have training and tone your muscles before the surgery.  After the surgery at about 6 weeks, you should resume your exercises and continue to build arm muscle or tone up.  Thus in a nut shell, before and after the surgery will give you optimal results.
Siamak Agha, MD, PhD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.drsiamakagha.com

+2

Exercise Before and After Arm Lift

Start toning your muscles prior to surgery and then when your plastic surgeon allows you to resume after surgery start up your exercise regimen again for best arm lift results.
Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+2

Weight Training Helps Brachioplasty

Toning your muscles with resistance training will definitely help with the results of your arm lift (brachioplasty)! I recommend you start  as soon as you can before surgery, but it is not necessary to delay your surgery date in order to do toning exercises. To allow good post-op healing, allow 6 weeks before resuming toning/resistance training for your arms. I hope you get great results!
Paul C. Zwiebel, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon
+2

Fitness helps with body contouring

The best results with arm lift procedures are seen in patients with lax arm tissues and minimal fatty deposits. It would help your post-op result immensely if you can achieve a close-to-ideal body weight prior to arm lift surgery. Working out will help achieve that goal, and will improve the muscle tone of your arms.
Scott Sattler, MD

Bellevue Plastic Surgeon
+2

Arm lift and timing of exercise

The very best results come in patients who are at their baseline weights. That is the weight they "live at", not necessarily the weight they would like to be. The reason for this is that the baseline weight is how the patient spends most of their life, and the surgery should be optimized for that state, not for an artificially high or low weight, or an artificially high or low degree of physical conditioning. Of course it is best for a patient to maximize the health of their diet,... more
Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm Lifting and Exercise?

Thank you for the question. Exercise before AND after the procedure will help you with the “best, toned look”. Please make sure you are working with a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon. Best wishes.
Tom J. Pousti, MD

San Diego Plastic Surgeon
+1

Toning your arms before surgery

By working out and toning your arms as much as possible before an arm lift or Brachioplasty procedure you can only help yourself and your results more. This is because you will tone your muscles and decrease the amount of fat beneath the skin, therefore, your surgeon will be able to remove more skin at the time of surgery and get even better results. Good luck- Erez Sternberg, MD.
Erez Sternberg, MD

Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm Lift and Exercise

I always encourage a balanced diet and exercise.  Toning before and after your surgery will definitely help your results.  However, remember, after your surgery, your surgeon will likely recommend no heavy lifting or strenuous activity for 3-5 weeks.  You need to give time for all your incisions to heal well.  Talk to your surgeon about his/her postoperative care plan.
C. Bob Basu, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Arm Lift and Exercise

A healthy lifestyle with good diet and exercise is always recommended with or without surgery.  Weight training is great for toning muscles. It will do nothing for excess skin. If you are planning to get Arm lift, toning your muscles will compliment your cosmetic outcome and yield better results. Choosing the right plastic surgeon is also very important. Make sure you choose a plastic surgeon that is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeon.
Stanley Okoro, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

www.georgiaplastic.com

+1

Arm lift (brachioplasty) and exercise

Hi there- While staying fit and maintaining the healthy lifestyle that allowed your weight loss in the first place is important in order to achieve and maintain the best outcome, I do not believe it is necessary to enter into some weight training program in order to be happy. Growing your muscles through weight training may allow more tightening of the arm skin than would be possible with smaller muscles, but then you'll have muscular arms- an appearance few women favor... more
Armando Soto, MD

Orlando Plastic Surgeon
+1

Exercise and arm lifts

Exercise with resistance can cause muscle hypertrophy  and increased blood flow to the area. exercise the triceps muscle. the biceps doen't matter as much. this will help in ultimate definition
Cap Lesesne, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon
+1

Directed and focused exercise program/surgery/laser

A focused upper arm/shoulder exercise program combined with your Brachioplasty Surgery will give you the best contour. Your action plan should consist of: 1. Personal trainer who will help you isolate and develop the Deltoids/Biceps/Triceps muscles of the upper arm and shoulder. This will improve your "deep volume." 2. Brachioplasty Surgery (combined skin resection and SMARTLIPO MPX or Erchonia LIPOLaser Liposuction sculpting of the fatty tissue) 3. Laser Skin... more
Christopher D. Prevel, MD

Orlando Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight training improves overall body contouring results

I hope you do continue your weight training, both before and after your arm lift surgery.  The weight training will definitely improve your overall results by giving you better muscle tone and arm shape, even though it won't tighten loose skin (that's why you're having the arm lift!).  Good luck!
Carmen Kavali, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight training probably has little to do with the results of an arm lift.

An arm lift (brachioplasty) is designed to remove excess skin (and sometimes fat) from the upper arm.  When this is done, the results of the operation won't be influenced by weight training.   If you like the look of a muscular upper arm, the weights will generate that, but it has little if any effect on the quality of the skin.
Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Exercise and Arm Lift

Either or you would be fine.  It is nice to be inshaped before your surgery, but also keeping in shape after your surgery would make your results last as long as possible. You will enjoy a very big improvement. Good luck.
Farbod Esmailian, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

Exercise and arm lift

It will not make much difference if you start moderate form of exercise either before or after arm surgery.  The most important factor to steady results after an arm lift is to maintain the same body fat percentage and weight.  Of course ideally one should be fit and in shape prior to any surgery.  On the other hand if you are not at an ideal body weight and are planning on significant weight training, most likely you will loose some fat and weight, in that case you shou... more
Boris M. Ackerman, MD

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon
+1

Exercise and Armlifts

While arm lift surgery is best to remove excess skin from sagging arms, the underlying form will be determined by the contours of your muscles. So, definitely, tone, tone, tone, before your surgery. Multiple repetitions with smaller weights will result in toning. Working with larger weights will increase muscle bulk. You will decide for yourself which is your chosen aesthetic. It is also important to keep exercising once your surgery has healed. Please discuss your regimen with your surgeon. more
Karen Vaniver, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight training is always a good thing but----

Exercising is a great idea to do all the time. It will not help tighten the skin any but it will certainly help to tone the muscles.
William Aiello, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight training before and after your arm lift

Definitely start weight training now. You don't need heavy weights or a complicated routine to benefit. Lighter weights with mutliple repetitions can go a long way in giving your arms a nice toned look. Then once you have surgery you will have to hold off for about 6 weeks, but then you can slowly resume. There is no benefit to waiting until after surgery to start. Your best results would be to tone now and keep it up after surgery (after a period of healing). Good luck! more
Anita Patel, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight Training Before & After Brachioplasty

Most desirable results are seen from patients who perform weight training exercises prior to surgery. Although weight training can tone muscles, it cannot remove excess skin. This is where brachioplasty comes into play. An arm lift tightens and re-contours the arms for a more flattering appearance. If the arm has underlying definition, this will be seen more prominently after excess skin is removed. To maintain results, it is recommended that patients maintain their weight and exercise... more
Tarick K. Smaili, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight training before or after Arm Lift

For patients undergoing an arm lift or brachioplasty, beginning a fitness routine with the addition of weight training can improve your results from surgery. Body contouring patients are encouraged to begin a healthy diet and exercise regimen. See our arm lift webpage to learn more. 
Ankit Desai, MD

Jacksonville Plastic Surgeon
+1

Exercise will improve brachioplasty results

Excercise and healthy diet will improve your chances of getting a good cosmetic result and will help you maintain your cosmetic results for a long time.
Samir Shureih, MD

Baltimore Plastic Surgeon
+1

Weight training before or after Arm Lift

Exercising is a good thing and while it may tone and somewhat increase the size of the muscles it will do nothing to the overlying skin. As regards altering the relation of arm volume (muscle / fat) to enveloping arm skin envelope, your concern is rather relative. Unless you were planning on seriously bulking the size of your arm muscles, there is no reason for you to delay your Brachioplasty procedure. The amount of average arm muscle toning will not interfere with the result of a... more
Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon
+1

It shouldn't really matter

As a doctor, I encourage you to exercise and diet in a healthy way. If you are healthy, why wait? Regarding the surgery and the tone question: Brachioplasty will not affect your muscle. The brachioplasty will remove excess skin and fat, tighten the skin and suspend the structures so that you have a sculpted upper arm. Therefore, I don't believe that waiting or not waiting to exercise will have an effect on your surgical outcome. However, after your procedure, I would encourage you to... more
Scott E. Kasden, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon
+1

Get toned first, your results will be enhanced

It is always best to be close to your desired weight goal prior to any body contouring procedure. The more toned that you are before the surgery the better the ultimate result. I usually want my patients to be within 10 to 15 pounds of their goal weight if possible.
Jeffrey Zwiren, MD

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon
+1

Exercise before or after surgery

That is an outstanding question and difficult to answer. There is no one definitive way to proceed. As a general rule it is best ot be in a stable condition in optimal health prior to surgery. This would suggest that you should shape up prior to the procedure. This would allow you to best predict your post-operative result when planning the surgery. If you bulk up after the procedure, this could have several implications. If your arms are small prior to surgery this would allow optimal... more
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Exercise and brachioplasty

It is always a good idea to tone as much as you can before surgery. Yes, it won;t help the loose skin, but it may help Lower the overall fat content of your arms, presuming you are losing weight as well. This will allow you to get a potentially even better result.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Train before, only if you intend on continuing after surgery

Hello, The surgeon will want you in the condition at which you are likely to stay for the most part. If you plan on training long term then get this stabilized months before surgery. It will help your surgeon set the points for his operation when you get there. Large changes in exercise or diet after surgery put changes of the result into the equation. Try to limit these if possible.
John P. Di Saia, MD

Orange Plastic Surgeon
+1

Before surgery

Arm lift will remove the excess skin and some of the fat from your arm resulting in a thinner arm. I would recommend you to tone as much as you can before surgery. It will make your result better.
Hisham Seify, MD, PhD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

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