When can you do heavy weights at your old pace after robotic partial nephrectomy?

Zellio

Hi, I'm a hard core body builder, in my early 40s, no steroids because I went every day, but I ended up having 5.2 cm of my left kidney removed because of stage 1 grade 3 kidney cancer. It was growing fast, thankfully the margins were negative...

Anyway I do heavy weights. I'm one of the biggest guys at the gym. I've been told I should wait 4 weeks after surgery for gym (I'm personally waiting 6 weeks because I always push it too far), but I've never been told when it's safe to go back to maxing out. How long will it be before I can safely curl 70-80 lb weights or 45 degree angle leg press over 1000 lbs? Not to mention using abdominal crunch machines with 150 lbs? At what point can I do any of this safetly?

Bay Area Guy

I’m an older guy. I had my partial neph in 2016 at age 60. I do some weight training, but in no way would I be considered a power lifter. That being said, I was cleared to go back to the gym in August (6 weeks), but I waited another month to start my weight training, and I started off very light. Being younger, your mileage may vary, but I’d say a minimum of six weeks, then work your way back in slowly while listening to your body.

Zellio

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1707362#Comment_1707362

I don't do much squating or dead lifts so I can't call myself a power lifter lol. I always preffered the leg machines (rather the 45 degree one) as that works my legs more and let's me work my arms more later...

I'm cleared to work out at 4 weeks but I don't trust myself. I work too hard and push myself too far...