r/FTMFitness • u/Both-Opportunity7602 • 4h ago
Question Seeing pec muscle pre top surgery?
I’ve been working on my chest pre top surgery for about two months now, I always struggle to feel or see my pec muscles because of the obvious tissue in the way. (I have quite a large chest)
I can see the top of my pec muscles building when I flex but I am really struggling to see any definition below but really hoping that it’s there when it comes down to it.
I’ve been doing decline chest press for the bottom, chest fly and around the world to build for whole chest to build this.
tl:dr; Did anyone struggle with seeing their pec muscles building pre-top surgery and is there a way to make sure it’s there?
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u/porksodafan106 3h ago
I recently got top surgery, and pre op i couldn't see my pecs at all. as soon as I saw my new chest at my post op I asked my surgeon if they'd accidentally left some breast tissue. but nope! just my pecs. If you've been hitting chest consistently, your pecs are there and you will be pleasantly surprised when you get surgery!
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u/fluffikins757 3h ago
Do reg cable flys for 4x15, cable flys with the attachment higher for 3x15.
Youll have a sick pump but itll get your pecs growing
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u/Both-Opportunity7602 3h ago
I only have a bench and dumbbells atm but will deffo plan on cable flys when I get into the gym post op. Thanks for the advice 🙏
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u/fluffikins757 3h ago
Get a band then.
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u/v_corvidae 1h ago edited 1h ago
You can work the same muscles without a band. What's the issue with db?
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u/fluffikins757 1h ago
Doesn't load the musckes the same in a negative space. With a band you'll gave consistent tension, granted at various lengths but still absolute consistent tension and you run tf out of reps without the risk of it falling on you and hurting you.
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u/v_corvidae 1h ago
Oh that's true...my bad for assuming
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u/mj-redwood 1h ago
smaller chest here, I was able to see my upper pec and like the side of it pre-op + could see most of it flexing, but I never saw the lower contour until after surgery. I had to really poke around to figure out where the bottom of my pec was before I got surgery lol
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u/Slight-Counter-7131 2h ago
Fellow large chest here, I genuinely could not see my pecs at all until I had surgery. It was a wild experience to look down and go “omg I have pectoral muscles!”
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u/dablkscorpio 3h ago
It's there, but it will be pretty small if you just started training. Most people in general struggle to build a big chest. And in general it takes 3-6 months of training to see visible muscle growth at all.
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u/Ranger_368 4h ago
My chest wasn't that big pre-op, and it kind of deflated, for lack of a better word when I got on T. I did a lot of upper body and chest work (along with core and lower body of course, but that's not important here) and while I couldn't see the muscles, I could definitely tell they were there! I was clearly getting stronger and was able to handle heavier and heavier weights. Its hard to see the muscles through the tissue, but as long as you're continuing to work the muscles I'm sure the results will be visible post-op!