Can you share your insights on training an individual with aortic dilation? The data seems hazy/inconclusive, but I believe many physicians, out of an abundance of caution, recommend against high intensity exercise. How would you proceed in this situation? I would also imagine the extent of the dilation—of which I am currently unaware but believe to be small—would factor into your recommendations. For greater context, this individual is a 61yo male, 5’9”, 175 lbs, 34” waist, and an estimated 23% BF. He currently runs 5k, 2-3x/wk in 22-30min, and currently performs 60 unbroken repetitions of biceps curls and floor presses with 20 lb dumbbells as well as 60 unbroken modified push-ups and 40 crunches daily.
“Aortic dilation” is not a specific diagnosis, but rather a description that doesn’t really tell us much about what’s going on here. I would also question how / why such a diagnosis was found / pursued in the first place, and whether the individual has any other cardiovascular issues. With that said, it sounds like he is doing quite well with his existing training, so based on this limited information alone I wouldn’t have specific concerns about training here.
Hi, I was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve, with slight murmur and leakage. This was found by coincidence as I was apart of a case study where they were going to look at healthy hearts and found this problem that way. I was told by my doctor to not do any weight that I could not do 10-12 times easily. I was wondering what potential problems this could cause as I would love to train in strongman which is a lot of 1 rep max workouts.