Torn Bicep

[Capt. America]

After my RC surgery I had a partial tear where it meets the shoulder, tried to come back a bit too fast. Got a cortisone shot and 2 weeks rest. It still bothers me a bit but like the RC, straight bar barbell exercises seem to aggrevate it so everythings dumbells and ez curl bar.

[dcraiga]

A year is a very good estimate by your Dr. I went through it in 2005 and it was right at a year when I resumed lifting my normal weight etc. Don't push too fast, recovery is important, it is weak right now and takes time to heal and gain strength. Still great you are stay so active!!

[fredgul]

Had my surgery two days ago. The tendon was 50% torn.

i had same 50 % rupture in my left biceps tendon. what kind of surgery you had ? i have still retraction around an inch. is your both arm looking same or your biceps rolled up a little as mine ?

[leodegranz]

Sorry Fredgul,


I haven't logged on in a while. I opted for the single incision with the bioabsorbable screw. Basically they snipped the tendon, reinforced it and screw it down into the bone. Initially I had a little numbness around the incision, but at five months it has completely returned. I've been cleared to resume exercising, and have even done a few pull-ups. I'm happy with the results, and I'm easing back into the exercises.

I didn't have any retraction, but the arm was weaker with lingering pain. I waited a few months prior to the surgery to see if it would get better, but it didn't.

[wild1poet2]

it's been over a year since I posted in this thread. Funny reading it cuz I sound confident that I had rehabbed the injury. I have a prtially torn distal bicep tendon. I see my surgeon tomorrow. I think I tore it more over the holidays. Hurts pretty bad now when I do pull ups, shrugs and curls. Deadlifts aren't bad but it feels like something is ready to snap. Definitely inflamed. If I need the surgery I'll do it but I'm nervous about the long recovery and whether I'll just re-tear it a year from now with heavy lifts.

Post surgery, anyone know how soon I'll be able to shift a car or ride a motorcycle let alone lift a heavy weight?

[leodegranz]

Sorry to hear about it...


The "robocop" brace will prevent you from riding your bike while you've got it on. My current car is an automatic, and I can't even imagine trying to shift in the early weeks. It was a pain in the ass just dealing with the automatic in the brace.

On the plus side, I only stopped lifting during the first week. I kept my sanity by doing unilateral dumbell exercises with my left arm, assisted pull-ups, leg press, etc. I was cleared to lift weights and even attempt pull-ups at the five month mark. It's now six months, and I've managed to do sets of three to four pull-ups.

I have no regrets about the surgery, and I'm very happily and cautiously ramping back up.

[JRT6]

After my RC surgery I had a partial tear where it meets the shoulder, tried to come back a bit too fast. Got a cortisone shot and 2 weeks rest. It still bothers me a bit but like the RC, straight bar barbell exercises seem to aggrevate it so everythings dumbells and ez curl bar.

I don't curl that ofter anymore but when I do I raise the bar to my forehead and that seems to take a lot of pressure off my shoulders.

[zipp0]

i had same 50 % rupture in my left biceps tendon. what kind of surgery you had ? i have still retraction around an inch. is your both arm looking same or your biceps rolled up a little as mine ?

Do you have retraction after the surgery? I had surgery 3 1/2 months ago using the endo button method and I now have about a 1- 1 1/2 inch gap between my bicep and my elbow crease. I'm worried that this means I've partially retorn it somehow. Although it is possible that the Doctor just didn't tension it properly (although I'm not sure which is worse) Anybody have any ideas?

[JoeFab]

I partially tore mine at the shoulder. Doc recommended surgery, I said no. In about 6 weeks it was OK to work out and has subsequently become much stronger.

I tore it playing raquetball of all things. It hurt like you cannot believe for about 30 minutes, I thought I was gonna piss myself.

Anybody who goes through this, I can certainly empathize.

Photos not for the squeamish!

[merlins_ego]

Im 50 and have been training for almost 30 years .. but it so happens i tore approx 1/3 of my bicep muscle off helping a mate moving house ! .. lol .. these things never happen when you expect i.e. pulling some massive weight in a preacher !

The pain is quite intense in that first instance ... and in my case i didn't tear tendon , i tore the actual bicep muscle itself .. no surgery can be done for this type of injury as muscle is like tissue paper to sew .. hence your left with whatever scar tissue forms .. not pleasant !

Anyway .. i share your pain boys !

[iwanttobebieve]

I am a 47 yr old female athlete. I went through bicep tendon surgery 7wks ago. I had then accidently retore it. a week ago. I want to have the surgery again. I have heard it is not necessary because that tendon is not necessary. What do you think I should?

[JonnyStead]

I am a 47 yr old female athlete. I went through bicep tendon surgery 7wks ago. I had then accidently retore it. a week ago. I want to have the surgery again. I have heard it is not necessary because that tendon is not necessary. What do you think I should?

Um - there arent many unnecessary parts of the body - and I dont think tendons are one of them. I'd get it looked at.

[boathead]

not a torn bicep, but i did have a torn bicep tendon surgically repaired in january. oddly, i had no clue. i thought i simply had an effed up shoulder.

9 months later, it still bothers me. and this is without working out, which may or may not have been good. am only starting back, and too early to tell if it will be a benefit or detriment.

[Webb]

I just did it on my left,biceps on shoulders day.Don't know bad it's yet.

[Webb]

What if you don't get a operation and go Tom Platz route ?

[GavinBlack]

I tore my left bicep in October 2009.

I was bulking up and getting ready for a competition in the new year and was lifting some heavy weights. I walked into the gym and made a massive mistake of not warming up. My training partner had already started, so I jumped in with him doing some preacher curls. I did a few reps no problem, I lowered the weight, arms extended and as I pulled the bar back up I heard 3 pops. A few guys in front of my stopped and turned round so I knew something was wrong, i lost all strength and then apparently went white as a sheet.

I went to hospital and they informed me I had a a grade 2 tear, apparently grade 3 is surgery, so I was relieved but broken hearted as I knew I wouldn't be able to train for some time. I went back to see a sports doctor and she told me to start doing rehabilitation exercises with baked bean cans and slowly work up from there. She told me one good way to help the recovery was to do tricep extensions.

It's now been a year and I haven't trained heavy since then. I know I cant lift as much as I did but it has improved. My bicep is about half an inch higher than my right one and a little flatter and my whole arm gets fatigued very quickly if I'm doing something simple like carrying my son around.

My advice - Always warm up and go easy when doing preacher curls! LOL!

[partsbook]

Did it to my right bicep about 2 1/2 years ago. Tore away from the shoulder. No surgery. Hurt every night especially in my shoulder area for about a year. Still hurts when I barbell bench press. Freaks kids out when I flex now.

[dcraiga]

I tore my left bicep in October 2009.

I was bulking up and getting ready for a competition in the new year and was lifting some heavy weights. I walked into the gym and made a massive mistake of not warming up. My training partner had already started, so I jumped in with him doing some preacher curls. I did a few reps no problem, I lowered the weight, arms extended and as I pulled the bar back up I heard 3 pops. A few guys in front of my stopped and turned round so I knew something was wrong, i lost all strength and then apparently went white as a sheet.

I went to hospital and they informed me I had a a grade 2 tear, apparently grade 3 is surgery, so I was relieved but broken hearted as I knew I wouldn't be able to train for some time. I went back to see a sports doctor and she told me to start doing rehabilitation exercises with baked bean cans and slowly work up from there. She told me one good way to help the recovery was to do tricep extensions.

It's now been a year and I haven't trained heavy since then. I know I cant lift as much as I did but it has improved. My bicep is about half an inch higher than my right one and a little flatter and my whole arm gets fatigued very quickly if I'm doing something simple like carrying my son around.

My advice - Always warm up and go easy when doing preacher curls! LOL!

Will you be satisfied with the change in your looks, you mentioned the bicep being higher on left than right and a little flatter. I too tore a distal bicep tendon back in 2005 but it was a complete tear so it had to be surgically repaired. It took me about a year, but, after recovery, I was back to curling the same weight as when I tore mine. My lesson, do not extend too far down on preacher curls and do not have hands out wide on easy curl bar so as to turn wrists way out.

[GavinBlack]

Personally I I don't think I will. Like most things on your own body I can notice the difference. I expect it doesn't look as bad as I think it does but I'm conscious of it.

I'm a little hesitant to go heavy again, think it's mostly in my head.

Do you get any pain or fatigue/aching in your arm when you curl?