Workout routine after hernia surgery / please help with a new routine…

[jmo]

Well it’s been a week since I just had double bilateral hernia surgery. Now I realize what my body can handle and what it cant. I had my first hernia when I was 16. I had the stitch method done, and I figured that should hold for the rest of my life. Well about a month ago I just got done doing all of my chest exercises for the day and I noticed that my area where I had the original hernia repair was a little uncomfortable. Well it turns out I had a hernia on each side. I’m about 5’ 8” and I weighed about 143 pounds. I was benching 170 pounds flat (10 reps) and about 155 incline (10 reps). I would do this weight with high stress, but it didn’t feel like I was over-doing anything. I have lost about 13 pounds since the surgery since I haven’t been able to do anything but lay in bed all day. In a few weeks I’m hoping to slowly get back into working out, and I’m trying to figure a new weight-training plan for myself.

I don’t want to lift as heavy as I used to, so I’m trying to see if anyone has any advice on a workout routine that will help me gain some muscle without having to life a ridiculous amounts of weight?

I guess what I’m getting at is the general rule – that if you want to gain mass you must lift heavier and do less reps. Is there an exception to this rule? Is there a way to lift lighter weight and do more reps and STILL gain some mass?

I know a proper diet is a MUST, and I was curious if a program like pilates / yoga / tao bo / kickboxing combined with a weight routine would be something I should check into.

It’s really weird almost starting at the beginning again, but it’s also kind of exciting.

Anyways, any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Cheers, Jmo