Episode 7: "I Thought I Would be Stronger After My Tummy Tuck"

In this episode, we’re diving into a common — and often misunderstood — belief: that a tummy tuck automatically makes your core stronger. It’s a tempting thought, especially when the surgery gives you a flatter midsection and a tighter abdominal wall. But does that actually equal strength?

We’re breaking down what the tummy tuck truly does for your core, what it doesn’t do, and what’s up to you post-op to restore true function, stability, and strength. This episode is essential for anyone who wants to move beyond the aesthetics and really understand how to train smart after surgery.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
✨ What the muscle repair in a tummy tuck actually does — and how it impacts your core structure, not just appearance.
✨ Why feeling more stable isn’t the same as being physically stronger — and how to tell the difference.
✨ How changes in pressure and tension post-op can give the illusion of strength — and why that matters.
✨ Why skipping core training after surgery can backfire — and how to rebuild strength the right way.
✨ A step-by-step approach to reconnecting with your core and progressing safely to real-world strength.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction: Does a Tummy Tuck Make You Stronger?
[02:00] Meet Your Hosts + Why This Topic Matters
[03:30] What the Surgery Does — and What It Doesn’t
[07:45] Why You Might Feel Weaker After Surgery (and That’s Okay)
[11:15] The Danger of Thinking Your Core is “Fixed”
[13:00] What Creates the Feeling of Stability Post-Op?
[16:00] Lisa’s Lifting Experience: Before vs. After Surgery
[20:00] Why You May Feel Stronger — Even if You’re Not (Yet)
[22:00] Structure vs. Function: What Surgery Can and Can’t Do
[24:00] Reconnecting with Your Core: The First Step
[26:00] What Strength Training After Surgery Should Actually Look Like
[28:30] Why Recovery Timelines Vary — and How to Stay Patient
[30:00] Final Takeaways: Surgery Creates Structure, You Build Strength

Resources Mentioned:
✨ Tummy Tuck Core Rehab Program — a step-by-step guide to rebuilding core function, stability, and strength: https://www.tummytuckrehab.com/tummy-tuck-core-rehab
✨ Episode 4: When Recovery Doesn’t Go As Expected and What to Do About It — for more on managing expectations and the mental side of healing: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2414621/episodes/16693068

Thanks for tuning in! If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an update.

— Munira & Lisa

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Transcript

Munira 0:00

Welcome to Tummy Tuck Talk. Many women say how much better they feel after surgery, and that's amazing. But does your tummy tuck actually make you stronger? There are a lot of misconceptions around what the surgery does, what it fixes, and so on. So in today's episode, we are going going to talk about what the tummy tuck surgery actually does for your body. We are gonna go through how the surgery is done, what exactly it helps with, and also what is up to you to do after the surgery to make sure you get the most out of it and the most out of your results. So by the end of this episode, you should feel like you have a better understanding of what this particular surgery can offer you, but also what you should be doing afterwards as well. So let's get started.

Lisa 0:54

Hi, I'm Lisa Ryan, a CrossFit trainer, pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, and a former tummy tuck patient.

Munira 1:01

And I'm Munira Hudani, a physiotherapist with a specialized interest in diastasis rectus abdominis and post op recovery. Together, we are bringing you the first podcast specifically on tummy tucks that takes you beyond the surgery table, giving you the real unfiltered truth about tummy tuck recovery, rehab, and returning to fitness with confidence.

Lisa 1:24

Before we dive in just a quick reminder, this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.

Munira 1:37

We are here to break down what no one else is talking about from navigating the highs and lows of recovery to practical tips for healing movement and feeling like yourself again. Whether you're preparing for surgery Or are deep in recovery. We've got you covered.

Lisa 1:55

This is Tummy Tuck Talk! Welcome to Tummy Tuck Talk, the podcast where aesthetics meet function, and fitness, and we explore how to get the most out of your tummy tuck journey. If this is your first time joining us, we're so excited to have you here, and if you've tuned in before, welcome back. I'm Lisa Ryan, a CrossFit trainer, a pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, and a tummy tuck patient. Back in 2019, I had my own surgery and let me tell you, there was so much I didn't know about recovery. Now I'm here to share the real deal, what works, what doesn't, and how you can get back to doing the things you love safely and confidently.

Munira 2:41

And I'm Munira Hudani, a physiotherapist who helps patients rebuild their strength, function, and confidence after the surgery. Together we are here to empower you with practical advice and clear guidance for every stage of your tummy tuck recovery. Today we are going to be diving into a topic that does catch a lot of people off guard the idea that a tummy tuck automatically makes your core stronger. Spoiler alert, it doesn't. So while the tummy tuck surgery does tighten the connective tissue between your rectus abdominis muscles and gives you a flatter, more contoured midsection, we wanna start off this episode right away by debunking the myth that it makes your core stronger. And that's because of a number of different reasons that we are gonna get into in just a little bit. So what we'll cover today, um, we will unpack exactly what the muscle repair does, how it impacts core function, and why strength doesn't just magically appear after the surgery. And we'll also talk about the difference between feeling more stable versus, um, actually being physically stronger after the surgery. We'll explore what it really takes to rebuild your core strength after surgery, from reconnecting to your body and progressively challenging your core with some stability work and strength work. So if you're ever wondered why your core doesn't feel as strong as you expected, if you've had the surgery. And how to change that. Or maybe you're wondering what your core will feel like after the surgery and how, like, how strong it will feel. Maybe your surgery's booked for some time in the future. Um, or maybe you're just wanna know what will happen when you don't exercise your core after the surgery. Well, all of these things are a great reason for you to tune into what we're gonna talk about today.

Lisa 4:35

So what exactly happens in tummy tuck surgery? Let's talk about it. Um, so there's a lot of misunderstanding that can happen surrounding the surgery and what the muscle repair. Actually fixes, quote unquote, um, during the tummy tuck with a muscle repair, the goal is to reposition the rectus abdominis muscles, which are your six pack muscles, if they've been stretched apart due to pregnancy or weight changes. So here's how it works. The surgeon lifts the skin and fat away from the abdominal wall to access the muscles. Then they locate the connective tissue, the fascia that holds the muscles in place. If the fascia is stretched, the surgeon stitches it back together, pulling the muscles closer to the midline. Think of it as sewing two sides of a zipper together, bringing them closer, but doesn't make the fabric beside them any stronger. Similarly, tightening the linea alba connective tissue doesn't strengthen the muscles themselves. Just because they are attached to the linea alba, so it changes their position, but it's not giving the muscles some kind of strength all of a sudden. And then another thing to note, sometimes people think they're actually sewing the muscles together, but the the, the sutures go through the fascia, not your muscle. So where did this idea come from, that a tummy tuck makes your core stronger? Well, there's the belief out there that the rectus muscles, the ones that are stretched apart during pregnancy, don't function as optimally when they are away from each other. But there is something that is interesting and highly relevant to this discussion. And what's interesting is when it comes to the function of the rectus abdominis, when you do any exercise that involves the rectus abdominis muscle, like when you do a head lift or when you do a plank or the muscle is activated, the muscle bellies don't stay where they are. That is they spread apart and the muscle bellies naturally move closer together on their own. If you do a setup, the rectus comes together, right? This is just, it just happens. So your body is already designed to do that. The muscles are already coming closer, when they're being used, right? So when you're actively using them. So the surgery actually isn't required to change how the rectus muscle works. The surgery just helps them stay there after they've contracted, but the act of coming together is built into the way the rectus abdominis naturally functions. Now, do we have any studies that have directly compared rectus strength after surgery to before surgery and those who don't do any kind of post-op core strengthening? No. So at this point we can honestly not really say that the surgery automatically makes the rectus abdominis stronger. Right now what we know is that strength comes from training and using your muscles, not from simply repositioning them.

Munira 8:00

That was so good, Lisa. So good. So, yeah, and a lot of people interestingly, find themselves feeling weaker after the, the surgery, not stronger. Mm-hmm. Um, and here's a few reasons why that might happen. Well,'cause they just had a surgery of course. So the trauma to the muscles and the tissues and, and being sort of stitched, stitched into, um, and manipulated and worked on all of that can create, swelling and pain, which can just affect the, the way the muscles operate and function. Um, also throughout the surgery, nerves can be impacted, they can be disrupted, and that can make it harder for you to feel your core and activate your core and also just kind of give you different sensations. And so you might, might feel disconnected to your core, so you may not be using it because of that. Um, and also scar tissue and stiffness. As your body heals on the inside, you might feel tight and so that will affect how you move and how your, your muscles sort of function around that. Um, and then the lack of use,'cause you'll probably spend many weeks just moving differently. You're gonna be on some sort of exercise restrictions and so your muscles are not gonna be used as they were before, and this can all lead to some temporary deconditioning and also core strength. It just doesn't come only from that rectus abdominis muscle, which is what the surgery focuses on. Your core is an entire system of muscles that work together. Your deep core muscles like the transverse abdominis, your pelvic floor, your diaphragm, in addition to your obliques, they all work together in a coordinated manner. The tummy tuck addresses one of those muscles, and so it addresses one aspect of your core, but it doesn't actually teach your core how to function, and that's where proper rehab and strength training comes into play afterwards. So all of these factors usually create the perfect storm for being weaker post-op, not stronger, and without actively training your muscles, they can actually become even weaker over time if you just do nothing. So this is kind of where. Some people fall into the trap of, oh, I don't need to work out my core anymore, because they just assume they've had the surgery and their core is now quote unquote fixed, that they no longer need to do any core strengthening. The surgery has taken care of all of that, but unfortunately, stopping core work entirely can lead to less tone and less strength over time. If you, whatever you don't use, you lose. Right? That's the saying. So. One additional consequence of stopping core work entirely is that you may also notice that your abdomen may not be as flat as you expected months down the road. And this can happen because, um, again, you thought the surgery did everything and, and had fixed your core for you, and you may have stopped doing exercises for the muscles of your core. Now, on the flip side. It is important to mention, even though we are kind of emphasizing, strengthening and what it could do for your core, including how it could help your core look a certain way. It's, it is important that we mention here that strengthening your core still doesn't guarantee that you're gonna have a flat stomach and we talk a little bit more about that in our fourth episode, which is called When Recovery Doesn't Go As Expected and What you Can do About It, and we talk about the whole spectrum of results after the surgery. Um, but one way you can help to preserve the results of your surgery is through strengthening. Even though we can't guarantee exactly what that's gonna do for your specific body in terms of the aesthetic influence. But beyond that, strengthening gives you better function, more confidence in how you move, and just you feel good afterwards. So while a tummy tuck can repair the separation, it doesn't replace the work needed to build the strength of your muscles back. So to truly regain that function and strength, you need to do a smart rehab program. And then some progressive strengthening, and then a focus on using your whole core system. And we'll talk about some of those points again a little bit later on. But as we mentioned, a tummy tuck with the muscle repair, like the diastasis repair. It just doesn't make your muscle stronger. But what it does do is it creates a more solid core canister. So a lot of people do say they feel stronger postop, and many people feel weaker and actually are physically weaker. But some people will report that there's this feeling that they are stronger. Like it's just an internal sense of feeling stronger. So like I mentioned. This could be because what the repair does is it creates a more solid core canister, and that just means it creates an environment for your core to handle intraabdominal pressure better, and also an environment where more pressure can be created and more effectively. And we need that pressure to do any kind of task. And pressure is always there within our core, and it'll rise and fall depending on what we're doing. The heavier the task, the more pressure is being produced for you to be able to do that task. And so what the tummy tuck repair surgery does is it can create an a more optimal environment for that pressurization process. So think of it this way. If you have two different bags, you're holding up two different bags in one hand, you've got this sort of flimsy produce bag, like one of those see-through flimsy bags. And then on the other, in the other hand, you're holding a sturdy chip bag. Okay? So the chip bag is closed and it hasn't been opened. But what you can appreciate is when you kind of squish around the bag and squish into it. There's something there. There's air there, there's pressure there. There's also the stuff inside the bag, the chips. But that pressure serves a function of protecting the chips so that they don't get damaged. If there were some external forces like being punched or just being handled in a certain way, so that pressure protects what's on the inside, we need that pressure. And after the surgery, the walls change. So they may change from being more of that produce flimsy bag to being more sturdy like the chip bag. And so it gives you a more stable structure to work with. You can imagine trying to blow air into a produce bag and the more you blow into it. Yes, it'll fill up and yes, you, you will see it change its shape as it becomes more full, but you can appreciate how even then you, when you feel into it, it still will feel quite soft and squishy, whereas more of a sturdy bag like the chip bag as you breathe into it and then blow into it, filling it up with air and pressure as it fills up, it will feel more solid. So the walls change after the surgery. The walls, meaning the abdominal wall, including the skin layer, they just become tightened. And that's the reason why you feel and well, that's the reason why you also look flatter. It's not just because you've had some stitches through the midline. It's because they've removed excess skin, they've pulled it down and that excess skin now that it's been removed, allows the rest of your core and abdominal wall to have some extra support, tighten support through the front. I hope that makes

Lisa 16:07

sense. Yes. Excellent. It was so great. Yeah. I can give you guys some just different experiences I had with my surgery. Right. So for my particular case. Um, I trade really hard Before surgery. I was able to do, um, a lot of movements. I was front squatting and deadlifting a decent amount of weight. I was doing strict toes to bar and kipping toes to bar and. Sit ups and, um, lots of different things. I was basically using my diastasis as a test case to see how strong I could get with such a severe diastasis. Um, and it was actually a really enjoyable time in my life'cause I finally felt empowered again. Um, but I took a long time to like build up as much strength as I could. And I do feel like I could do a lot. So again, I mean this is only my case and my experience, but it's still interesting to note a couple things because certain movements felt way more solid after I had the surgery and obviously after I recovered and worked back to, you know, lifting heavier weights and things. But things like my front squat, my deadlift a squat, clean a strict toes to bar when you're hanging on the rig and you bring your toes to your, to the bar, um, not using any kipping, but just like without movement at all. Just toes to the bar and then some overhead pressing. So those are the places that I felt like, wow, I feel so much stronger. Um, I was able to do all those things before surgery, which, you know, highlights that you know, I didn't just suddenly feel stronger, right? Because I did that stuff before. I had already built some strength. But with my abdominal wall tighter, like physically tighter, my body could create better intrabdominal pressure leading to improve stability under those loads, like a deadlift, a front squat. I'm not actively crunching or doing anything to bring them together. They just are where they are, and so. That's why I think that those movements did end up feeling much better after surgery. Uh, movements like sit-ups and, you know, some other things, some of my kipping movements or things where my rectus were coming together when I was doing them a little bit more, some of those things kind of felt the same, like overall, do I feel better? Sure. Um, but I was kind of surprised about something like a situp, how I didn't. I feel like those are that much better now versus even when I had that crazy diastasis. So it's very, very interesting and really important to note. Um, also by doing, you know, that the, the muscle repair and removing the extra skin, a tummy tuck can create a feeling of stability in the midsection. So it's that stability feeling. It's not actual muscle physical strength. It can feel more held together. And people often interpret this as being stronger, even though the muscles themselves haven't actually gained strength, but they are in better, in a better environment to create, manage, and contain pressure. So another point before surgery, people are often seeing things like bulging and doming in their abdomens, and they do certain exercises and movements, and they interpret this as weakness. In their core, which is not true. Then after surgery, these things are significantly reduced, if not eliminated, right? So they not only feel more held together, but visibly they no longer see things they would associate with weakness. And on a psychological level, this can make you feel like you have a stronger core. There's a lot, a lot that goes into this and there's so much around, I have this diastasis, I'm weak, I'm weak, this is weak, da da, da. There's so much of that out there that you know, it can make sense how you'd come to that, you know, conclusion, um, I'm a good example of that. You can get really strong with that if you do it, you know, progressively and slowly over time in the right way. But not everybody is exposed to that. So another scenario why some people can report feeling stronger after surgery is because before surgery they've a avoiding core exercises for the reason I just said. They're scared to make their diastasis worse. They haven't been exposed to the idea we need to load. And all of these somewhat newer ideas, right? So. There might be true weakness there in their core because they just avoided it. And then surgery offers'em the opportunity to finally feel safe to start strengthening. And then when they notice improvement in these cases, it's not the surgery that made them stronger, it's that it gave them the confidence of feeling safe and secure in their core again, so they can rebuild the actual muscle strength.

Munira 21:04

That's right. Oh, wow. That was so good. So good. Um, and just it highlights why it can be confusing how on one end we're saying it doesn't make you stronger, but you could feel stronger. Yeah. And I think that clarifies that whole confusing scenario where, you know, you haven't been using your muscles, but for some reason there's a sense of extra stability there. Yeah. So yeah, your, your core is able to potentially have a better ability to maintain and contain and pressurize within, within the inside. So,

Lisa 21:40

yeah,

Munira 21:40

but where, where does that leave you? Right? If you have the surgery, how do you actually get stronger after surgery? Now that you know that it, the surgery doesn't actually build up your core strength and, and make your core muscles, um, automatically become stronger. So let's talk about what you can do to rebuild that strength post-op. So if you wanna get back to heavy lifting, moving well and feeling strong without pain and, um, sort of compensation movement patterns, you do need to retrain your core. So surgery gives you the structure, but strength training gives you the function. Okay, so I'm gonna say that again. Surgery gives you the structure, but strength training gives you the function. So this means that after the surgery, you wanna take the time to rebuild core connection, rebuild core coordination, train strength through some progressive exercises and train core function. And function is sort of a blanket term that can be applied to however you use your core in your life. So that means in your day-to-day activities or. However you are exercising your fitness routine, how the core will be used inside of that. So that all include, that's all included inside of rebuilding function. So for reconnecting with your core. Even though your rectus muscles are now closer together, again, you might still feel completely disconnected because again, which we've talked about earlier in this episode, there's nerve changes, there's reduced sensation and numbness, and then there's scar tissue, there's feelings of tension and pulling, and then there's pain and there's also the fear of, um, doing things that could harm your surgery. So there's a lot of reasons why you might feel disconnected to your core, and if you don't really take the time to rebuild that brain, body, mind, body connection, you could experience this for a little bit longer, it could delay your actual progress in your recovery. And so that's why we think this is a, a very important first step in your recovery, which is not to do hard exercise, but to first reconnect to your core and then move on to strengthening afterwards. So we cover all this specifically in our post tummy tuck core, um, rehab program. And if you are, you know, not sure how to go about this, or if you're confused or you're afraid and you just want some guidance on how to do the whole process from just kind of right after you've had your surgery to rebuilding your strength so you can get back to everything you, uh, would love to do. That's what our program is for. And we'll have a link to all to that in our show notes. But essentially the first step in all of that is reconnecting to your core.

Lisa 24:37

Great. Rebuilding strength isn't just about jumping into crunches and planks right away. Instead, it's more of a progression from gentle activation to more challenging exercises slowly over time. So gentle movements to reawaken the deep core and really kind of reconnect. Remember your, your muscles are in a different place in your body, so you have to take the time to adjust and connect and figure out where they are and how it feels. Progressive core work. Gradually adding resistance and complexity into full body strength training, integrating core function into lifts and movements, so kind of rebuilding your foundation and moving through to more challenging as you go. You don't wanna jump into front squatting really heavy when you haven't taken the time to build more strength in your core because you may, you know, injure your back or hurt something else or it may not feel good, right? So that's kind of what we mean about that. This is exactly the approach we take in our program. So starting from foundational work and progressively building towards high level strength, again, our program will help you approach core restrengthening with more confidence and ease, rather than being super nervous about the whole thing and being paralyzed by fear or just lack of clarity on like how to start on your own. So you might not be totally scared, but you might also be like, where do I even begin? This is like very odd and I have not a lot of guidance, right. On what to do. So what we want you to know is that core reconnection and strengthening doesn't happen overnight. Very individual. So again, we had another podcast about not comparing yourself, right? That Munira mentioned podcast four because everybody's so different, but factors like. What they did in the surgery, okay? What was actually done, how they repaired you, what your post-op pain levels are like. Very different for everybody. Pre-surgery, strength. How your body is healing. Again, you can take all the supplements, eat all the good protein, do all the things you're supposed to do, but your body's going to do what, however, it responds to the surgery and you can't control all aspects of it, right? And your mindset as well as your emotions, your psychological state, I mean, everything. People often say they feel so it's just so much hard men, harder mentally than they ever could have imagined for numbers, different reasons. So that's gonna affect your, how quickly you progress in your strength building for sure. So all that goes into how long it will take to regain your true physical strength. Many women find at the end goal takes way longer than expected, so it's completely normal for recovery to feel slower than you think, and we say this over and over again, this is something that I think people go into it with, not a very realistic expectation, which can make it harder mentally because you feel way more frustrated, right? Than going into it knowing, okay, it's probably gonna take longer than I think I'm gonna get ready for it and just know it and prepare for it. So to make things even more confusing. Every surgeon has different recovery guidelines. Some may clear you from move in at six weeks, others are more conservative. But clearance to move doesn't mean instant strength, right? It doesn't mean that so. Your muscles have rested for probably at least six weeks. You've done nothing except maybe walk, right? So even if you feel okay and your pain levels aren't crazy or anything like that, doesn't mean your strength is just magically returned. You still need to rebuild progressively.

Munira 28:29

Yes. That is so, so important. And I think the bottom line here is that a tummy tuck isn't a shortcut to core strength. It can reshape your abdomen, but it doesn't build strength on its own. A tummy tuck can give you a more solid foundation, but it's what you do with that foundation that determines your strength. Another way of saying this, and really the main point we hope that you walk away with is that the surgery creates the structure, but you build the strength. Okay, I'm gonna say that again. Surgery creates the structure, but you build the strength. So without proper rehab and without proper strengthening, muscles can remain weak. By retraining core connection, activation, and building strength and focusing on your specific exercise goals, you can restore all of that and regain all of that. Just keep in mind that recovery can take time and it takes patience and consistency.

Lisa 29:34

We are so passionate about bringing you this type of information because we want you to have a very clear sense of what you're getting into with the surgery. It isn't cheap or easy, so we want you to understand that you actually do need to actively work on your core per post-surgery to feel the way you expect to feel.

Munira 29:52

Yes, we want you to be fully informed before making any decisions around the surgery. Many women are very happy with the surgery and feel great afterwards, but many are frustrated and confused when they aren't feeling as strong as they imagined. So we want you to have the full picture and understand that your muscles themselves don't get stronger with the surgery.

Lisa 30:13

Thanks for joining us today, and as always, thanks for letting us be a part of your journey. Bye for now. Thanks for tuning in to Tummy Tuck talk. That's a wrap for today's episode. We've covered a lot about what the muscle repair during a tummy tuck actually does, and more importantly, what it doesn't do. Remember, while surgery tightens the linea alba and brings your muscles back together, it doesn't automatically make your core stronger. True strengths comes from rebuilding and retraining your core through progressive exercises after surgery. If today's episode helped clear up some of those misconceptions, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes where we dive deeper into post-op recovery, core strengthening, and everything. You need to know how to feel strong and confident again. And if you're ready to take the next step towards rebuilding your core after surgery, check out our post-op core rehab program designed to guide you safely from gentle movements to challenging strength work. Stay informed, stay empowered, and take it one step at a time. And as always, thanks for letting us be a part of your journey. Bye for now.