Recovery log after biceps tendon surgery

[m314]

5/3

Romanian deadlifts
225 - 8
315 - 8, 8

hammer strength crunch machine
155 - 20, 20


I did another short workout since I'm still getting over this cold. I'll add more volume next week.

[m314]

5/6

db bench
60 - 4
80 - 4
100 - 10
105 - 9

db shrugs
100 - 10
105 - 10

db incline bench
65 - 10
70 - 10

seated cable rows
225 - 10
240 - 10

external rotation
20 - 10, 10, 10

internal rotation
30 - 10, 10, 10

treadmill
3 mph at 8% incline - 5 minutes


I'm still getting over a cold, so I did another short workout. Hopefully I'll be 100% again next week.

Today was my first time trying db bench in a few months. I could do 16 reps with the 120s last spring before the injury. I worked my way back up to 6 reps with the 120s by the 2nd surgery in December. After that one, my wrist was too weak and hurt too much to bench even the 50s.

The wrist strength has come a long way since then. I thought I might have to work my way back up from the 80s or so. It had no problem going up to the 100s. I failed on the first attempt with the 105s (wrist wasn't strong enough), but I tried again and managed 9 wobbly reps. The good thing is that it felt like muscular weakness holding me back. It wasn't painful at all using weights right on the edge of wrist strength failure. I feel like I'll get back to the 120s in the near future.

[luibozeman]

Hey everyone,
Just found this post by searching for "how to recover from a distal bicep tendon surgery". Came across m314 posts and logs and decided to join and say a bit about my situation.
First of all I have to tell you m314, you are an incredible patient guy that keep your head up and move forward after no matter what's next. I really got encouraged and moved by your determination and discipline of your daily logs.
I got myself hurt almost six weeks ago loading a heavy compressor at Home depot parking lot by myself after customer service told me that "hopefully someone will show up to help", after that crappy answer I decided to do it by myself and now I'm paying for it, well enough of that. I had my surgery last Thursday 5/23 and got a solid splint on my arm, haven't done any workout after the surgery but I will probably go for a run tomorrow if no pain is present.
I'm not much of a bodybuilder but a fitness seeker type of guy, I run, mt bike, ski and do weights just for cross training workout. My biggest problem is I am an arborist and climb trees for living and now its the busiest time for my company, and for being a small company I'm the main climber which means production will slow down until the recovery is 100%. I'm looking forward till next month to see my doctor and start evaluating my rehab and find out what my next step is. It seems like I will remove my sling and start moving my arm but with no resistance at all, he also told me that a full recovery is between 4 to 6 month, well it will be the end of the season for me but hopefully I will come back strong next year.
Looking forward to read more about your guys rehab and good luck to you all.

[blkbelt42]

what up dude? good to see you're still going strong.

[m314]

Hey luibozeman. That sucks about the injury, but it's good to hear you got it fixed. It takes some time to make a full recovery. I didn't miss much work myself as a software engineer. I can type with one hand when I have to. You'll definitely have to take a few months off if you're climbing trees at your job. Whatever you do, don't rush it and try to get back to work too soon. It will take months before the tendon / bone connection is back to 100% strength.

what up dude? good to see you're still going strong.

Hey, what's up. I haven't been logging my progress here since my trip to band camp. Good thing they have a gym there. How's the arm doing?

Just as an update, my arm feels pretty much 100% these days. I hardly notice the injury at all in my workouts these days. It took longer than I expected to get to this point. I've had a number of little setbacks, so I'm not going to reach my goal of getting back to my old strength by June. I'll get there, though. Nothing's holding me back anymore.

[MIkeLinebacker]

Hi m314
Last sunday i while training my back i ruptured my left bicep. Monday im having an ultrasound to determine if its the long or the short head. The doc told me if its the short head then they cannot reattach it, if its the long head and if i have surgury then i will not be able to train for nine months. In your post you were saying you began to train again after only 2 months. Is this usually how long it takes after a complete tear? After reading about your experince im hoping that my recovery will be two months. Did you consider not having it repaired? The doc said to me that its an option but im not too comfortable with that but nine months is a long time. I woud like some advice, if i have it repaired, can i still train?

[m314]

Hi m314
Last sunday i while training my back i ruptured my left bicep. Monday im having an ultrasound to determine if its the long or the short head. The doc told me if its the short head then they cannot reattach it, if its the long head and if i have surgury then i will not be able to train for nine months. In your post you were saying you began to train again after only 2 months. Is this usually how long it takes after a complete tear? After reading about your experince im hoping that my recovery will be two months. Did you consider not having it repaired? The doc said to me that its an option but im not too comfortable with that but nine months is a long time. I woud like some advice, if i have it repaired, can i still train?

It sounds like you tore your proximal biceps tendon, the one near the shoulder. I tore my distal biceps tendon, the one that connects to the bone in the upper forearm. Not getting it fixed is a bad idea with a distal biceps tendon tear. It's permanently disfiguring if you don't get it reattached fairly soon after the injury. The people I've talked with who didn't get it repaired said they regretted not getting it done. Proximal tears are different. I haven't read as much about those, but some people advocate getting it reattached and some say it's not that bad to skip the surgery.

I was back in the gym training 13 days after my surgery. Maybe not the best idea, but I was in the gym 6 days a week working out with a cast from my armpit to my fingers. I didn't try working that arm directly for about 2 months. It was probably a good 4 or 5 months before I felt strong in the gym again. It normally takes that long for a distal repair. My recovery wasn't "normal", since I felt strong at 5 months but had pretty much zero range of motion with elbow rotation (pronation / supination). I had to get a second surgery at 6 months to fix that. I still don't have full range of motion, but it's better now. It took me almost a year to feel normal again after the injury.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[MIkeLinebacker]

Thanks for your reply, you dont think its my long head bicep? When i saw the doc he did some simple tests. Hold both hands in front of me palms up. He then grabbed my hands and told me to rotate my hands inwards, there was no pain and i could do it fairly easy. Another test was a bicep curl while he held my fist and applied pressure, again no pain and i could do it easily. My bicep now has a large dent in it at the top of the bicep and there is a large ball on the outside of my bicep, i also cannot feel and fibers on the outer side at the top of the bicep, this is why i think its the long head. Not having it fixed concerns me because if down the track i tear the short head then it will be too late to reattach the long head and according to the doc the short head cannot be reattached. This wil leave me with no bicep in my left arm.

I tried showering myself with one hand to see if i could do it. Its hard, the next few months are going to be a real challange.

[MIkeLinebacker]

After having an ultrasound and then discussing the operation procedure with the surgeons on Monday, the hospital just called me today (Wednesday) to tell me they are not prepared to reattach my long head back to my shoulder. They see it as purely a cosmetic procedure. After they tested my strenght, they say that my strenght has not changed much if at all. They say the risks are too high for just a cosmetic procedure. Maybe i should have failed the strenght tests.

[m314]

After having an ultrasound and then discussing the operation procedure with the surgeons on Monday, the hospital just called me today (Wednesday) to tell me they are not prepared to reattach my long head back to my shoulder. They see it as purely a cosmetic procedure. After they tested my strenght, they say that my strenght has not changed much if at all. They say the risks are too high for just a cosmetic procedure. Maybe i should have failed the strenght tests.

That sucks. Have you tried getting a second opinion? Or a third? I've heard from people who've gotten the long head successfully reattached. I'm not that knowledgeable about proximal biceps tendon reattachment surgery, but I'd want to get it fixed if it was me.

My surgery (surgeries) for the distal biceps tendon gave me my strength back. There isn't much of a difference in strength between the arms now. The "cosmetic" part wasn't perfect, since the injured arm looks noticeably different now. I'm mostly happy with the results, though.

[MIkeLinebacker]

They said that the rsks were too high, eg infection, nerve damage and they would not be able to look any better but it would be attached. Theyalso told me that the short head cannot tear, i dont see why it wouldnt. Im not going to pursue it any further but if the short head tears then ill Have words with them.

Im going to start to include a short head exercise in my routine. Maybe if i can get it to grow bigger it wont be as noticable. Then it will be stronger and less likely to tear.

[m314]

They said that the rsks were too high, eg infection, nerve damage and they would not be able to look any better but it would be attached. Theyalso told me that the short head cannot tear, i dont see why it wouldnt. Im not going to pursue it any further but if the short head tears then ill Have words with them.

Im going to start to include a short head exercise in my routine. Maybe if i can get it to grow bigger it wont be as noticable. Then it will be stronger and less likely to tear.

Be careful with the short head exercise routine. I'd imagine it will be under more stress when lifting now that the long head isn't attached. Strengthening it should help, but I'd go with lighter weights and more reps to avoid another injury.

I made that decision for all lifts after my biceps injury. I was tired of all the injuries, and max effort lifts are more risky. You can still build size with lighter weights and more reps.

[MIkeLinebacker]

I do agree, i tried some t-bar rows to see how it feels. Like you say its under more pressure now, without a doubt. A day or so after this injury, i thought to myself that i will try constant tension with a lighter weight. Maybe that will stimuate growth. For now, im tired, my cycle has finished and im taking a week off fom training When i come back ill start off light, like always then build up while using constant tension. I guess changing exercises for a cycle will also confuse my muscles and stimulate growth. Funny thing, when im not training, all i thing about is training.

[litljay]

I do agree, i tried some t-bar rows to see how it feels. Like you say its under more pressure now, without a doubt. A day or so after this injury, i thought to myself that i will try constant tension with a lighter weight. Maybe that will stimuate growth. For now, im tired, my cycle has finished and im taking a week off fom training When i come back ill start off light, like always then build up while using constant tension. I guess changing exercises for a cycle will also confuse my muscles and stimulate growth. Funny thing, when im not training, all i thing about is training.

Sorry to butt in m314, but thought I would share. I tore my long head tendon also. Had it re-attached but also had the option to let it be. I posted about it in the o35 section here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...6040933&page=1

Is it your doc that says it's purely cosmetic or your insurance? If it's your doc, get another opinion.

[MIkeLinebacker]

Yes, its the surgeon at the hospital, actually three of them told me that. They tested my strenght and wrist rotation and said it was fine. One of the surgeons said that my strenght is at about 98% so the long head snt really required!

[litljay]

Yes, its the surgeon at the hospital, actually three of them told me that. They tested my strenght and wrist rotation and said it was fine. One of the surgeons said that my strenght is at about 98% so the long head snt really required!

The first orthopedic surgeon I talked to told me the same thing. The second had more experience and saw that I worked out and he understood. The first surgeon actually did the surgery, but continually told me it wasn't necessary and that I was only trading a deformity for a scar. Good luck to you though. Read that thread I linked above and you'll see that everybody says to get it fixed. Feel free to ask questions in that thread also. Fittofattofit is also an MD and suggested it get fixed.

[MIkeLinebacker]

I just read your post, thanks for the link. I ddnt know Brett Farve had the same injury. Your pic of your arm, thats what mine looks like. My GP told me the same thing, "in some cases it may heal on its own" umm i cant see a complete rupture healing on its own but a partial tear, yes. Thanks again for your post. Im now thinking of life without a long head in my left arm.

[m314]

Funny thing, when im not training, all i thing about is training.

I'm the same way. When I'm tired and need a break, I'll still go to the gym and lift lighter weights for a week or just do cardio. It's hard to stop once it's a part of the daily routine. I've only taken breaks from the gym recently for my surgeries in June and December last year. Even then I was doing stuff like body weight squats at home.

Sorry to butt in m314, but thought I would share. I tore my long head tendon also. Had it re-attached but also had the option to let it be. I posted about it in the o35 section here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...6040933&page=1

Is it your doc that says it's purely cosmetic or your insurance? If it's your doc, get another opinion.

Thanks for sharing. You know more about this than I do. I almost feel like an expert after all I've read about my injury, but I haven't read much about proximal biceps tendon ruptures. I'm sure I'd want to get it fixed too if it happened to me.

[MIkeLinebacker]

I went and saw my docor again and asked him to refer me to another hospital. He did that and i went there the following day. They told me the same story, there not willing to operate for cosmetic reasons, i told them that my strenght has also been impacted. Their response was that i still have more than enough strenght and that its not worth the risk.

[slik]

I went and saw my docor again and asked him to refer me to another hospital. He did that and i went there the following day. They told me the same story, there not willing to operate for cosmetic reasons, i told them that my strenght has also been impacted. Their response was that i still have more than enough strenght and that its not worth the risk.

They're idiots. If u really want it reattached then there r docs who specialize in it. I can tell u mine was a very long recovery but I had lost significant strength from my long head rupture. It was hell recovering but I would do it again in a second. When the surgeons tell u it's just cosmetic and ur strength will not increase they do not know this for sure. The way my bicep was reattached I actually have more leverage in that arm now and it is stronger than my non injured bicep. This, after talking to many proximal reattachment patients since my experience , is actuality quite common.

[slik]

I went and saw my docor again and asked him to refer me to another hospital. He did that and i went there the following day. They told me the same story, there not willing to operate for cosmetic reasons, i told them that my strenght has also been impacted. Their response was that i still have more than enough strenght and that its not worth the risk.

I am unclear what u mean that your mds referred u to another hospital. Just a hospital in general or an Ortho who specializes in bicep reattachment. If your md would have done that or if u search one out on the web u can find one quite easily. Look up bicep tenodesis.

[leftynaut]

hi m314, just tore my left distal on sunday also deadlifting 500lbs with mixed grip. had surgery yesterday. i had no idea that mixed grip could do this, but i can't see myself ever doing it again now ha.

doctor said i shouldnt be deadlifting ever again, but i think if i stick with overhand/straps, i'll be safe. i know it'll be a long time before i'm doing 500 again though.

thanks for the encouraging posts about your recovery. i was reading your logs while i sat in the pre-op room waiting for surgery. they made me feel much better.

just wondering, did you start training again while in the cast? i'm already eager to head to my gym and do some leg machines.

[joecrunk]

@m314 Thank you for this thread. Just tore something this morning and got the MRI done tonight. This thread helped me not be so bummed out.

[Billstew]

I didn't see any logs, I was wondering if you got back to it? I just found out my Distal Tendon is torn. Kinda freaked out.

I use a similiar technique. I do a dumbbell deadlift off the floor in front of the bench, put them in front of my knees, and sit down. Then do the turtle roll thing for flat bench or kick them into position one at a time with my knees if I'm doing incline or overhead press.

Picking them up is the dangerous part. I can feel the weight pulling at the surgical reattachment site when I'm holding something heavy in my hand. It's not bad with 55, but picking up a 120 might damage something at this point. I'll keep going up 5 pounds a week for now until I'm at the 8 to 12 rep range. I'm almost there with overhead press, sadly. I expect to get up to at least 80 or 90 with bench before it starts getting difficult. My goal now is to bench the 100s for reps before my next surgery. Next year's goal will be the 120s.

Unracking a bar would be safer for most people at this point post-surgery. I can't pronate my forearm at all, so I can't grip the bar with my hand like that at the moment. I should be able to do barbell bench after the next surgery. I'll still probably stick with mostly dumbbells for bench and overhead press, but I'd like to do barbell bench and military press at least once a month or so.

I'm skipping today's workout. I'll probably do a short workout on Monday, but no cardio until I'm over this cold.