Torn bicep

[HarryB]

I am recovering from a torn bicep... has anyone had this injury and how well has it healed?

The background on it is that I tore it at the distal end and had it re-attached 5 days later. It's been 8 weeks and I am back to training, have full range of motion and no pain now when I train, just some loss of strength as one would expect after a layoff.

I am interested to see if anyone on here has had the same injury and how their bicep is now, shape and strength. Did it long term affect your back training? Pulling strength? Oh and will I now need to sew long sleeves on all my tshirts? lol (damn I hope not!!!)

[Phedder]

Never had it happen myself, but I hope you have/are slowly reintroducing the muscle to exercising, and didn't go straight into a strength routine. I can't imagine high weight low reps would be the best idea, rowing or quite quite reps would be great for restrengthening the muscle and ensuring it can still take the forces applied to it again.

[HarryB]

I am taking it easy and just slowly rebuilding. I was just interested to see how others with a similar problem had fared in their return to training and or competition. At this stage I am just happy I haven't lost any function.

[Beef]

that sounds painful man! all the best for the recovery. keep us posted :nod:

[HarryB]

Well actually Beef it didn't hurt much at all when it happened. Now I am back training 2 weeks and it's not hurting at all, I have full range of motion and everything. Just weak but that probably has as much to with taking all that time off as it does with the injury.

It's fine with all movements now I am just taking my time increasing the load.

Looks like I am the only poor sod who's done this to my bicep on this forum.

[nate225]

Plenty of PLers / SM that have had that injury (I personally know 5 lifters that have done this - deadlifts & tyre flips mainly).

I've just rehabbed a partially torn tendon (not bicep) by using slowly increasing loads on partial ROM exercises, and doing very slow eccentric movement (I believe there are studies to show this helps lay down new fibres, cant site these tho? PMan maybe?). This took 14 weeks or so and now I've slowly started introducing greater ROM exercises with light weights, ramping these up now.

Nate

[HarryB]

I am pretty lucky regarding ROM, I have full ROM so I am doing light full range of motion exercise directly for my bicep and light movements for back.

[michaelk]

Stay away from Preachers and Cable Cross over crucifix curls (or whatever they are called), anything where the arm is away from the body puts added strain on the outer bi. Drag curls are great, hit the are, and very safe.

[ThePman]

Did you actually rupture the tendon (or the musculotendinous junction where the muscle ties in to the tendon), or the muscle belly? Most bicep tears are the former, but you never know.

If so, just be smart about it. Don't go too heavy, avoid any exercises that might cause pain (like Michael suggested), and Nate pointed out that high-rep eccentrics can help lay down new connective tissues, so that's worth exploring as well.

Connective tissues don't adapt as quickly as muscle tissue, so you have to keep that in mind (also if that "enhanced bodybuilder" tag is still in effect, you need to be doubly careful; AAS can make the situation even worse).

[HarryB]

Thanks guys, I am being very careful and just progressing very slowly and carefully. I will try those drag curls Mike, I used to do them but hate dragging them over my fat guts lol... I do something similar with dumbells. With my right bicep still being normal strength I would just compensate if I used a bb.

I did rupture the tendon completely. The reattached it to the bone with a pin. I like to think of myself as the $90 man... that's about what the pin cost apparently ha ha ha ha

[michaelk]

Is this the same injury Lee Priest had?

[HarryB]

Yeah I think so Mike, it's a bit of an annoyance cos whilst I am now able to train again without any pain it just doesn't feel the same and I am having to be very careful when training back that my right side doesn't overcompensate. Lots of slow, unilateral movements. Put a real halt to my ideas of competing again this year. Still time will tell.