man ive had a hernia for ever now..havent been able to use much weight in like a year and a 1/2 and i look just as big and full as i did when i was powerlifting..people under estimate the power of failure..super sets/drop sets **** ile do sets to the point where im curling nothing but the weight of my own arm and i can barely do it. it doesnt matter what weight you use, if you push that shit untill you cant anymore that tissue is gonna break down and grow. anyway all the best man..if you were able to build your upperbody that well, the legs are gonna follow if the work ethics the same.
good luck with your training and keep us updated.
peace
tank