Can I Build Lean Muscle Mass BEFORE Tummy Tuck Surgery and Will It Be Visible Directly After the Procedure?

Question

I will be having tummy tuck/armlift/chestlift surgery this summer and want to come out of surgery looking as good as possible. I am 25 years old and currently weigh 215lbs (I used to be 370lbs) I plan on doing the Insanity workout to burn excess fat & after that I plan on lifting weights to gain muscle. Is this a good plan to take with me being about 4 months away from surgery? If I build up a sufficient amount of lean muscle underneath my loose skin, how well will it show after surgery?

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

If you can get your body fat percentage low enough, you should be able to see the improved muscularity after you heal from the tummy tuck, chest lift, and arm lift. As a bodybuilder, I can understand your concerns. Find the plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of tummy tucks and body contouring procedures each year. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

R. Morgan Davoudi, MD · Answer

Shedding pounds and therefore loosing fat and dropping your skin more is very sensible, as is building muscles. However, six packs in abdomen will most likely not show. After the abdominoplasty, there will be a period when you will not be allowed to use your abdominal muscles. But afterward, specially if you have not had muscle tightening, with all the excess skin gone and body fat percentage of less than 10%, you may be able to show off all your hard work. Good job and good luck.

Jourdan Gottlieb, MD · Answer

Chances are it will not be visible directly after your surgery. The skin may not be thin enough to show much detail, and will have swelling that will conceal any detail for several months. Speak with your surgeon about your expectations. All the best.

Can I Build Lean Muscle Mass BEFORE Tummy Tuck Surgery and Will It Be Visible Directly After the Procedure?

Answers (3)