Jerome Dinh's Pec Tear Journal

[jeromedinh]

I just came back from the docs office with great news. First i had my sutures removed..which was a bit painful because some skin started to grow over them, secondly the doc didnt feel it would benefit me to do PT and figured it would be a waste of my time (which i agree!) and finally he gave me the go ahead to do some LIGHT lifting and resistance exercises! I have to admit I'm nervous but excited. Today i have HAMS but my legs are a bit sore so i just might do biceps? Though after i thought of additional questions about training. Like, am I able to so some light back...cable rows? or side laterals...i think i'll just use resistance training for that. I guess I'll have to feel it out. I think i should have my ROM back in a month judging by my progress.

Oh and the doc immediately took notice of my weight loss, my next appointment i believe is in the middle of december at that time i should be at 7-8%?

[IVBARK]

I skipped the PT after surgery also. It all came down to ROM for me. I was using 5lbs dumbells to help me get it back then when that felt good I cautiously moved the weights up. It was kind of like training a super sore muscle just trying to work the soreness out with small weights to help the stretching more than anything. Just listen to your body.

[adamnflorida]

I just came back from the docs office with great news. First i had my sutures removed..which was a bit painful because some skin started to grow over them, secondly the doc didnt feel it would benefit me to do PT and figured it would be a waste of my time (which i agree!) and finally he gave me the go ahead to do some LIGHT lifting and resistance exercises! I have to admit I'm nervous but excited. Today i have HAMS but my legs are a bit sore so i just might do biceps? Though after i thought of additional questions about training. Like, am I able to so some light back...cable rows? or side laterals...i think i'll just use resistance training for that. I guess I'll have to feel it out. I think i should have my ROM back in a month judging by my progress.

Oh and the doc immediately took notice of my weight loss, my next appointment i believe is in the middle of december at that time i should be at 7-8%?

congrats bro..man i really hope my doc tells me the same thing when i go on the 18th..fingers crossed..keep us updated on how everything is going in the gym too..

[jeromedinh]

I skipped the PT after surgery also. It all came down to ROM for me. I was using 5lbs dumbells to help me get it back then when that felt good I cautiously moved the weights up. It was kind of like training a super sore muscle just trying to work the soreness out with small weights to help the stretching more than anything. Just listen to your body.

Yesterday was my second day training upper body and i didnt have any soreness. Though my right forearm had one hell of a burn holding the weight. I was only curling 8lbs, very slow and controlled and when i came to triceps i did some one arm pushdowns with assistance, rep range was 30. I did notice my right elbow had some serious pain but the more i warmed up the better it got. I'm going to take upper body training very slow...i'm in no rush as long as i can train legs LOL.

congrats bro..man i really hope my doc tells me the same thing when i go on the 18th..fingers crossed..keep us updated on how everything is going in the gym too..

thanks bro and good luck!

[ROSEVILLECA]

Yesterday was my second day training upper body and i didnt have any soreness. Though my right forearm had one hell of a burn holding the weight. I was only curling 8lbs, very slow and controlled and when i came to triceps i did some one arm pushdowns with assistance, rep range was 30. I did notice my right elbow had some serious pain but the more i warmed up the better it got. I'm going to take upper body training very slow...i'm in no rush as long as i can train legs LOL.

thanks bro and good luck!

Same thing here bro, some pretty good soreness just above the elbows after light triceps, bi's are great though. Believe it or not my bad arm is up 3/4" after 2 super light arm workouts, and my good arm is up 1/4"... I love muscle memory!

[jeromedinh]

Since i got the green light to train upper body i did some biceps and triceps. On Thurs. I did biceps, rep range was 30 reps using 8lbs dumbells LOL. My right forearm had one serious burn..its not use to holding any weight at all for the last 2 plus months! It felt OK training upper body...i guess i say okay because i could really push myself to the limit like i normally do. Everything was slow and controlled. I did some seated Alternate & Hammer curls for a total of 9 sets. Then i did my normal cardio session.

Friday i did Triceps, first thing i noticed was how extremely weak they were. In the past i could do cable pushdowns with 70lbs with one arm...i did 10lbs and had to have my left arm assist. Then i felt serious pain in my right elbow but after several sets it started to subside. I did a total of 9 sets for 30 reps and even skull crushers using 5lbs dumbells LOL...(normal weight pre-injury is 60lbs!). Afterwards I did cardio and jogged an extra 5mins (10min walk @ 4.0mph before training then after training 25min job @ 5.8mph, 30min eliptial machine at 4.0 level, 5min jog at 5.8mph and 5min walk at 4.0mph).

Since last Saturday(my official diet start weight) i've lost 2.5lbs. Out of curiousity i thought i would measure my arms....this is SAD. I havent trained upper body since 09-07-08 and my right arm was 18 1/4" and right arm was 17 3/4" without a pump.....today, i measured them and my right arm was 15 1/2" and left arm was 16 1/2"!! WFT - all those years of busting my ass in the gym...LOST in a matter of over 2 months!! My upper body doesnt fill out my shirts like they use to..not by a long shot..but THANK GOD i was able to train legs throughout this fu@king horrible ordeal! I know, I know in time i'll be back in shape but its very sad. I mean my upper body looks NOTHING like it use to. For example i was the most muscular guy in the gym...and i remember pre-surgery i seen this kid, who looked pretty muscular lean but i thought he was a bit on the skinny side (realitively speaking because hes much bigger then the average guy). OH HOW TIME HAS CHANGED, now that i've lost tons of upper body muscle and gained fat...my view has changed! I seen that same kid who i thought had a was REALITIVELY SKINNY in the locker room...that kid looked like a monster! So i cant image what people thought of me when they seen me in the lockeroom in my prime.

On a good note, today i was training legs when my friend Chad expressed again how he thought my legs have improved so much. He believes my legs will over power my upper body...and i'm okay with that. My upper body responds quickly once training starts...it will only be a matter of 6 months and i'll see some serious improvements.

As far as my wound, it still has tightness, especially if i have it flex. For example if i sleep on my left side, my right arm hangs over the pillow and in the middle of the night i have to lay on my back to keep it stretched..otherwise its really tight(in the pec/tendon area). I think tomorrow i'm going to do some resistance training using the rubber bands for my delt.

Here is my week 2 dieting progressive pic (taken after legs so definition isnt as clear):

[jeromedinh]

Same thing here bro, some pretty good soreness just above the elbows after light triceps, bi's are great though. Believe it or not my bad arm is up 3/4" after 2 super light arm workouts, and my good arm is up 1/4"... I love muscle memory!

dude thats good news!! i'm glad i heard that because man...i cant believe how much my arms shrank. trust me its taking me all that i have to hold back throwing some serious weight around!!

[jeromedinh]

Surprisingly, after my weak arm workout my biceps and especially my triceps & forearms are sore. Considering how weight i was doing and volume or lack of, i was still sore? Where the forearm and elbow connect is where the pain is the worse..i dont know if its the joint or muscle, probably both.

Saturday I did Quads and they felt pretty good, i was stronger in the beginning of my workout but in the end a bit weaker. I believe they were extremely pre-exhausted before i hit squats and hack squats. All and all good workout. Oh yeah and I had a cheat meal this day, frozen pizzas(UFC Party...HURRAY for BROCK!), snacks then had McDonalds before bed...i gained 6lbs the following day.

Yesterday, I did Delts using the rubber-band. You dont see too many of those exercises in MD or Flex so i pulled out the wifes Oxygen mag to get some ideas. Basically I did front, side and rear raises and what ever i did with the right arm (as i have with all my exercises) i did with my left no matter how insigificant the weight/movement felt. Cardio is going well too, in fact i jogged for a total of 30mins at 5.8mph followed by 30mins on the eliptial machine(which i'm begining to believe is hard on my knees, is hyper-extends them) and 5min jog @ 5.8mph and cool down 5min walk @ 4.0mph (keep in mind i walk 10mins @ 4.0 mph before all my workouts to warm up the body).

Since training my delts, my chest and delt is starting to feel a bit more comfortable. The tightness is still there but not nearly as strong. I put myself to the test yesterday and vacuumed our whole house, every corner, every inch (3,000 sq ft) using my right arm...slowly but i did it. I felt no pain at all or any discomfort. Before my injury i would vacumme every Saturday but since i've been out of commission, the wife only vacuumed a handful of times. Thank God for our Dyson....it picks up everything and anything LOL.

Today i'm going to do some back, light cable rows..no pulldowns. Strictly machines for a long time...just to get my muscles thinking again. Though my back gets a pretty good workout when i do cardio.

I'm still a bit concerned about my right front delt. When i raise my arm, i dont feel it flexed but when i move it to the side from that position..i "THINK" i feel it? Its weird but no matter how i try to flex it ...i get nothing but mush. I'm wondering if its because my chest is over compensating and taking over? After all my arm was in a sling from 09-17-08 till 10-29-08 (almost 6 weeks). I've been looking at other peoples post-surgery pics and you can still see their front delts so i wonder why in the hell i cant see mine? I put a call in for the doc so i can get some clarification. I just cant believe that it would atrophy to nothing?

OH one more detail re: diet. I've noticed since i've taken on more cardio and training my legs arent recouping as quick and i start to feel depleted in the gym so now i'm going to have 2 cheat meals per week. One on Wed and the other on Sat. I wont lose weight as quick BUT i believe i'll be gaining muscle now that i can train upper body and lose fat. The added cheat meal will give my body a good boost because the day following my crazy cheat meal was an awesome workout and i felt totally refreshed.

[jeromedinh]

Since my last post i have revamped my post surgery training. With the high volume of cardio and twice a week legs, I'm not getting enough rest THOUGH i am still getting stronger but I think not at my full potential. Throughout the week since my last post I've cut back on cardio drastically. Another reason as i mentioned before I think the eliptical machine is to hard on my knee/joints. I feel that it hyper extends them, particularly my left knee. Since cutting back on cardio my knee problem went away and my legs feel stronger. I'm doing 20mins walking and 10min jogging every day(except on leg day).

I had my 2nd arm workout on WED & THURS and increased the weight just a tiny bit. For biceps i was using 10lbs dumbells and triceps i did the pushdowns unassisted with 10lbs 3/4 of the time then proceeded with 10lbs dumbell skull crushers. With each passing week I'm feeling more like my former self. Oh yeah and my right elbow in the beginning of my tricep workout KILLED...it always happens after i take time off the gym but its much worse now. With each passing set, it subsided.

On Tuesday I ended up calling the doc regarding my front delt. I cant get it to fire up when i flex it. He told me to give it a couple weeks then give him a call. If its not firing up, hes going to have me see a neurologist and see how active my delt is. WTF, i went in for chest surgery and now i'm having delt( front) problems?? Man this is messed up, oh well nothing i cant work through..just another obstacle to overcome!

STAT UPDATE: These measurements are cold (I forgot to do my waist, I'll do that later tonight):

186.5lbs (10lbs lighter then pre-pec tear)
Left arm: 17" (1 inch smaller then pre-pec tear)
Right arm: 16" (over 2 inchs smaller then pre-pec tear)
Quads: 26" (about if not bigger by 1/2 inch ? then pre-pec tear)
Calves: 17" (about same size pre-pec tear)

The upper body is looking much better but still a long ways away from my former self.

I cant wait to train QUADS today...now that i'm doing less cardio i should be a lot stronger!!

[adamnflorida]

well,i went to my doctors appointment,and he called like 3 of his friends that are doctors and scheduled me another appointment with one of them.so i go to te other appointment,and that guy did the same thing.called a bunch of his buddies with my problem and now i have to schedule another appointment..just great..never ending.

[aguy0523]

Since my last post i have revamped my post surgery training. With the high volume of cardio and twice a week legs, I'm not getting enough rest THOUGH i am still getting stronger but I think not at my full potential. Throughout the week since my last post I've cut back on cardio drastically. Another reason as i mentioned before I think the eliptical machine is to hard on my knee/joints. I feel that it hyper extends them, particularly my left knee. Since cutting back on cardio my knee problem went away and my legs feel stronger. I'm doing 20mins walking and 10min jogging every day(except on leg day).

I had my 2nd arm workout on WED & THURS and increased the weight just a tiny bit. For biceps i was using 10lbs dumbells and triceps i did the pushdowns unassisted with 10lbs 3/4 of the time then proceeded with 10lbs dumbell skull crushers. With each passing week I'm feeling more like my former self. Oh yeah and my right elbow in the beginning of my tricep workout KILLED...it always happens after i take time off the gym but its much worse now. With each passing set, it subsided.

On Tuesday I ended up calling the doc regarding my front delt. I cant get it to fire up when i flex it. He told me to give it a couple weeks then give him a call. If its not firing up, hes going to have me see a neurologist and see how active my delt is. WTF, i went in for chest surgery and now i'm having delt( front) problems?? Man this is messed up, oh well nothing i cant work through..just another obstacle to overcome!

STAT UPDATE: These measurements are cold (I forgot to do my waist, I'll do that later tonight):

186.5lbs (10lbs lighter then pre-pec tear)
Left arm: 17" (1 inch smaller then pre-pec tear)
Right arm: 16" (over 2 inchs smaller then pre-pec tear)
Quads: 26" (about if not bigger by 1/2 inch ? then pre-pec tear)
Calves: 17" (about same size pre-pec tear)

The upper body is looking much better but still a long ways away from my former self.

I cant wait to train QUADS today...now that i'm doing less cardio i should be a lot stronger!!

lol..man i warned u about this in my last posts. I freaked out too though. What ur going thru is normal. Part of the recovery. It takes time man. Months up to a year to really bounce back. Ur tendons and front delt are slaughtered during the surgery. They move and stretch that stuff to make the repair. Ur bi's are gonna burn like hell. Take it easy its a WARNING. Dont increase weight. Just reps. I had the same prob with the front delt. It does come back but real slow. Remember they literally move ur front delt out of the way and ur nerves get compressed. The muscle is stretched a lot. Keep doing rotator cuff excersises. They help big. And front delt raises. If a month later it doesnt get better see a doc. HEAT and ICE ur bicep and shoulder frequently.

[jeromedinh]

well,i went to my doctors appointment,and he called like 3 of his friends that are doctors and scheduled me another appointment with one of them.so i go to te other appointment,and that guy did the same thing.called a bunch of his buddies with my problem and now i have to schedule another appointment..just great..never ending.

dude that sucks, but i know what your going through...its never ending but eventually

lol..man i warned u about this in my last posts. I freaked out too though. What ur going thru is normal. Part of the recovery. It takes time man. Months up to a year to really bounce back. Ur tendons and front delt are slaughtered during the surgery. They move and stretch that stuff to make the repair. Ur bi's are gonna burn like hell. Take it easy its a WARNING. Dont increase weight. Just reps. I had the same prob with the front delt. It does come back but real slow. Remember they literally move ur front delt out of the way and ur nerves get compressed. The muscle is stretched a lot. Keep doing rotator cuff excersises. They help big. And front delt raises. If a month later it doesnt get better see a doc. HEAT and ICE ur bicep and shoulder frequently.

man thats reassuring bro! i thought maybe he sowed me up wrong LOL. yes i've been doing VERY VERY light weight and high reps. the doc did say he had to move the delt in order to get to the bone and tendon..its just freaky weird. i did delts today, started out with rotator exercises utilizing the rubber-band then worked into some laterals. still didnt feel my front delt when i did front raises(with 2 1/2 lbs). deep between the chest and delt i did feel some light twitching..not certain if that was my muscle or what? i see the doc on 12-22-08 so i'll see what he says then. he wants me to call him in about a week for update..but i'll give it more time given what you've told me. now that i get to do some upper body, i'm starting to take shape. funny thing but my back still looks pretty muscular after all this??

hey bro i REALLY appreciate all your input big time!!

[Ravish]

I have been following your thread and you have great motivation to keep your spirits up. With time you will be back where you were at your peak. I've had a chest strain which took 2 months to recover but nothing as serious as a tear and surgery and I can't imagine how much that would affect me but you have good enthusiasm. Hope your recovery goes well and keep hitting the legs until then!

[jeromedinh]

I have been following your thread and you have great motivation to keep your spirits up. With time you will be back where you were at your peak. I've had a chest strain which took 2 months to recover but nothing as serious as a tear and surgery and I can't imagine how much that would affect me but you have good enthusiasm. Hope your recovery goes well and keep hitting the legs until then!

thank you! being positive is the only way to go, no matter what your hardship is. its always hard to see the positives right away (in hardships) but give it time and focus on the good things in life, that is what helps me.

i had a chest strain in my left pec a year or two ago..i stopped training chest for a month then slowly increased the weight and it was better then ever thereafter. learn from my mistake dont go over 90%max. i didnt think it would EVER happen to me, it never crossed my mind. always stick to isolation movements for the 1st several sets then move into compound movements...thats the smartest way to go!

i do love legs...especially being its all that i've got these days LOL

[jeromedinh]

Cutting back on cardio has done me very well! I'm only jogging 10-15mins with 10min walk cool-down on days i dont train legs and walking 20mins a day on days i train legs. My legs have much more time to recoupe and i have more energy in the gym.

Yesterday i trained HAMS and my strength was up 50lbs in the V-Squat (sumo style stance, toes out, nothing but HAMS) hammer strength machine and Leg Press Machine (doing individual leg presses, one leg at a time..this destroys my glutes and ham tie-ins) not to mention i upped the poundage in all my other hamstring movements. One of my friends came up to me and said that he can really tell my legs have gotten bigger since my injury..and thats good to hear! If people who see you in the gym everyday notice your gains, thats the biggest compliment! I never thought I'd ever be caught wearing shorts while training years ago or have legs bigger then the average joe..but it just goes to show you what hard work and determination can do.

Here is some progressive leg pics i took on Sunday, 11-23-08..LEGS MEASURED 27" with a pump:




Before i compete next, I'M GOING TO HAVE 30" LEGS...hopefully by the end of 2010!

My pec feels absolutely fine and i can apply some pressure to it. Though when i do, it gets really tight but when i stretch it out..it feels somewhat normal. The wound is closed up as of last week, the top area above the incision is numb and thick, below the incision..its very tender due to my old stretch marks. All and all, I'm getting better by the week.

As far as my diet is concerned, I'm increasing my calories. I figure i might as well take advantage of the holidays. Plus I fear by cutting down as i initially planned that i'll be losing muscle and thats something i definately dont want. I'll eat clean during the week and on weekends eat the same foods BUT have a cheat meal here and there.

[adamnflorida]

well i just got back from the 6th doctor and the last doctor..he scheduled me for friday morning to have surgery..not looking forward to that..and he said it will take months to heal..great.

[ROSEVILLECA]

Adam-
Be glad you are getting the surgery, I am 2 months out of surgery and I am doing remarkably well. It might stink for 2-3 months, but 2-3 years from now you will be very happy that you did it. This is great opportunity to get ripped through diet, and bring out more leg size like jerome... Treat it as an opportunity, keep your spirits up, best of luck!

[jeromedinh]

well i just got back from the 6th doctor and the last doctor..he scheduled me for friday morning to have surgery..not looking forward to that..and he said it will take months to heal..great.

HEY bro, best word of advise is to get that surgery and DONT DO A DAMN THING for 4 weeks! It will SUCK and it will put you through mental hell..but isnt that what we live for?! I've read up and down that 4 weeks of complete and absolute rest from walking (even walking will aggravate it), cardio, everything will secure a good repair. Trust me, you'll be thankful you did. Sure you'll shrink but bro...muscle memory comes back so quick it will make your head spin, no joke!

I am really second guessing if the walking i did, some how tore my pec after surgery? I just wouldnt have anyone take that chance and hope people read my thread to know and understand what they'll be going through. I was partially in the dark about a lot of questions but now, now i know and hope to pass on what i learned. The problem is, there is all you need to know about delt, knee repair but hardly jack on pec tears. Finding a doctor who is knowledgable is hard to do. Make sure your doc has done more then a couple pec repairs or you'll end up like me always wondering if they did it right or not.

[jeromedinh]

You guessed it, yes my weight is climbing. I've cut out my jogging and fully concentrating on packing on the size and my body is responding favorably! My legs barely fit into my dress pants and jeans these days. My upper quads, protrudes out more then ever along with my outer quads. During Thanksgiving I allowed myself to just consume and relax, hence the 10lbs weight gain LOL. I took 2 days off the gym this past weekend and headed up north with the family for a little R&R. I have legs today (hams) and cant wait to see how strong i am!

My wound, yes still has some tightness but i have almost all my ROM. I've been doing upper body for about 4 weeks now and progressively getting stronger. No i'm not doing nearly the same amount of weight pre-tear..i dont even try but i add a little more weight or reps per exercise then my previous workouts. My rep range is still 30-40reps and it BURNS. The only downsize is Back day, i mean WTF doing cable pulldowns and rows with less then 100lbs does nothing for me but i do it anyways. It feels like i'm doing nothing. Regardless, my upper body is growing, my right arm is catching up to my left. I think i should be about 210lbs in another 10weeks? I'm possibly even entertaining doing the NPC North American in Fall 2009..we'll see.

[adamnflorida]

Adam-
Be glad you are getting the surgery, I am 2 months out of surgery and I am doing remarkably well. It might stink for 2-3 months, but 2-3 years from now you will be very happy that you did it. This is great opportunity to get ripped through diet, and bring out more leg size like jerome... Treat it as an opportunity, keep your spirits up, best of luck!

thanks buddy..yeah,i hope everything goes well and from the sounds of everything,i should be back in no time..just sucks not even being able to any part of upper body for that long..uhhh..i don't even want to think about it..but yeah,diet is a must..haha.

HEY bro, best word of advise is to get that surgery and DONT DO A DAMN THING for 4 weeks! It will SUCK and it will put you through mental hell..but isnt that what we live for?! I've read up and down that 4 weeks of complete and absolute rest from walking (even walking will aggravate it), cardio, everything will secure a good repair. Trust me, you'll be thankful you did. Sure you'll shrink but bro...muscle memory comes back so quick it will make your head spin, no joke!

I am really second guessing if the walking i did, some how tore my pec after surgery? I just wouldnt have anyone take that chance and hope people read my thread to know and understand what they'll be going through. I was partially in the dark about a lot of questions but now, now i know and hope to pass on what i learned. The problem is, there is all you need to know about delt, knee repair but hardly jack on pec tears. Finding a doctor who is knowledgable is hard to do. Make sure your doc has done more then a couple pec repairs or you'll end up like me always wondering if they did it right or not.

so stay out of the gym period..man...thats a tuff one.i think i might be able to for 4 weeks just b/c of the holidays coming up and everything..it just seems like a long time..i mean,since i tore it,i am still going to the gym at least 5 days a week...lots of cardio and 2-3 legs days..my calves feel and look like they have gotten bigger already..and its only been 6 weeks..lol

what about running on an elliptical in a sling??? maybe possible..i have to do some cardio to at least keep my weight where its at..i naturally put weight on..it sucks.

[adamnflorida]

You guessed it, yes my weight is climbing. I've cut out my jogging and fully concentrating on packing on the size and my body is responding favorably! My legs barely fit into my dress pants and jeans these days. My upper quads, protrudes out more then ever along with my outer quads. During Thanksgiving I allowed myself to just consume and relax, hence the 10lbs weight gain LOL. I took 2 days off the gym this past weekend and headed up north with the family for a little R&R. I have legs today (hams) and cant wait to see how strong i am!

My wound, yes still has some tightness but i have almost all my ROM. I've been doing upper body for about 4 weeks now and progressively getting stronger. No i'm not doing nearly the same amount of weight pre-tear..i dont even try but i add a little more weight or reps per exercise then my previous workouts. My rep range is still 30-40reps and it BURNS. The only downsize is Back day, i mean WTF doing cable pulldowns and rows with less then 100lbs does nothing for me but i do it anyways. It feels like i'm doing nothing. Regardless, my upper body is growing, my right arm is catching up to my left. I think i should be about 210lbs in another 10weeks? I'm possibly even entertaining doing the NPC North American in Fall 2009..we'll see.

congrats bro..man,that sounds sooo nice right now..doing upper body..lol..and man,you must have gotten some serious results with your legs..i need to follow your lower body workout program.

you still take creatines / proteins? or do you just eat all the time.

[adamnflorida]

i have been looking at buying some kind of recovery enhancer like scivation extend or CL purple wraath etc...to kinda help speed up recovery.

[ROSEVILLECA]

Jerome-
You are already able to do back? I have been afraid to as it starts to activate my pec a little... Any feedback on it from the doc? All I am doing is bi's, tri's, and really light side lateral raises... How is the chest doin bro? Just for curiousity sake, what kinds of weights are you using? I am maxing out with 20lb dumbells LMAO!!!!

[ROSEVILLECA]

You guessed it, yes my weight is climbing. I've cut out my jogging and fully concentrating on packing on the size and my body is responding favorably! My legs barely fit into my dress pants and jeans these days. My upper quads, protrudes out more then ever along with my outer quads. During Thanksgiving I allowed myself to just consume and relax, hence the 10lbs weight gain LOL. I took 2 days off the gym this past weekend and headed up north with the family for a little R&R. I have legs today (hams) and cant wait to see how strong i am!

My wound, yes still has some tightness but i have almost all my ROM. I've been doing upper body for about 4 weeks now and progressively getting stronger. No i'm not doing nearly the same amount of weight pre-tear..i dont even try but i add a little more weight or reps per exercise then my previous workouts. My rep range is still 30-40reps and it BURNS. The only downsize is Back day, i mean WTF doing cable pulldowns and rows with less then 100lbs does nothing for me but i do it anyways. It feels like i'm doing nothing. Regardless, my upper body is growing, my right arm is catching up to my left. I think i should be about 210lbs in another 10weeks? I'm possibly even entertaining doing the NPC North American in Fall 2009..we'll see.

I have never competed and I am thinking of doing the NPC Sacramento show in Nov 09' as well... I need something to keep me going, this light weight stuff is driving me crazy... I used to bench 400lbs, and curl 135lbs for good reps, this is ridiculous!!! I know if I am not patient I will mess stuff up, but it at least gives me a goal to work towards...

[jeromedinh]

i have been looking at buying some kind of recovery enhancer like scivation extend or CL purple wraath etc...to kinda help speed up recovery.

bro take what ever you need to fully recover. i'm just consuming protein and calories and getting as much rest as possible.

taking off time from the upper body training will be tough but better safe then sorry but who am i to preach LOL i couldnt keep myself out of the gym

cardio, man i wouldnt do any, not even walking until 4 weeks post-surgery...but thats just my opinion.

Jerome-
You are already able to do back? I have been afraid to as it starts to activate my pec a little... Any feedback on it from the doc? All I am doing is bi's, tri's, and really light side lateral raises... How is the chest doin bro? Just for curiousity sake, what kinds of weights are you using? I am maxing out with 20lb dumbells LMAO!!!!

yep just one arm seated cable rows, machine row & pulldowns, nothing to extreme and its very light.

i have ZERO feedback from doc. i've been doing this for almost 14 years so i know what exercises will benefit my recovery. chest is doing good, i can flex it without it shaking out of control LOL. as far as weights the most i use during curls is 12lbs dumbells for 40reps...forearm gets one hell of a pump/burn. for delts i start out with rotator cuff exercises utilizing the rubber band then i go into dumbell front, side and rear laterals. today i have back, you know at first i did feel a bit of my chest well doing pull downs but not any more. if i do feel any tension in my chest i immediately stop and drop the weight. i really listen to my body like never before.

I have never competed and I am thinking of doing the NPC Sacramento show in Nov 09' as well... I need something to keep me going, this light weight stuff is driving me crazy... I used to bench 400lbs, and curl 135lbs for good reps, this is ridiculous!!! I know if I am not patient I will mess stuff up, but it at least gives me a goal to work towards...

you should bro, its the best, most gratifying sport around. i was immediately addicted when i was a teen, especially with guys like shawn ray, flex, levrone, yates, nasser, jean pierre fux, priest, cormier competing...those were the days man.

ahahahaah i benched 405lbs once when i was 220 and probably could have done it prior to my pec tear. great thing about bodybuilding bro, it doesnt matter how much weight you can push or pull but how you look on stage!

BTW- I HAD A KILLER HAM WORKOUT YESTERDAY, weights did go up and another guy who frequents the gym said my legs look noticeably bulkier! THATS MOTIVATION! I'll say it again if your fellow gym peeps, that you see every day notice changes on you..thats the best compliment around.

[jeromedinh]

Training is going exceptionally well despite low weight/high reps for upper body. Recovery is going smoothly, the wound isnt as tight and i have about 95-98% ROM? The skin around the upper part of the wound is softening and under the wound its less sensitive. I can notice that i will have slight disfiguring in my chest but i dont think it will look to noticable on stage.

Since i cut down my cardio just 2 weeks ago my bodyweight and weight training has exploded. I'm starting to fill out my shirts and i can barely fit into my jeans and dress pants anymore. At this rate I about 80% certain i'll be in good form to compete at the 2009 NPC North American.

Measurements (cold unless indicated otherwise):

198.5lbs
32 1/2" waist
17 1/4" left arm, 16 5/8" right arm(17 1/4" pumped)
27 1/4 or 1/2" Legs
17 1/2" calves

I'll do some pics this Sunday hopefully.

[ROSEVILLECA]

Jerome-
Just curious, I noticed the same that there will be some disfigurement when I am at 100%, but it feels much different on the injured side... It doesn't feel like it is hanging by much, I can't seem to figure out if it is due to atrophy, or if it simply is not full attached. What is yours like? I have a feeling mine might be a diff situation due to the fact that mine tore at the muscle belly. Just curious, I am going to see the doc next week and see what he says, but it is still pretty damn tight, and it still gets sore...

[jeromedinh]

Jerome-
Just curious, I noticed the same that there will be some disfigurement when I am at 100%, but it feels much different on the injured side... It doesn't feel like it is hanging by much, I can't seem to figure out if it is due to atrophy, or if it simply is not full attached. What is yours like? I have a feeling mine might be a diff situation due to the fact that mine tore at the muscle belly. Just curious, I am going to see the doc next week and see what he says, but it is still pretty damn tight, and it still gets sore...

Yeah me to bro. My right side also doesnt flex right or feel the same...there is less meat in the pec region. Actually bro, the doc did attach the tendon back to the bone and the muscle belly ripped post surgery so i'm now in the same situation as you. But 1/3 of my muscle and tendon on the lower pec is still attached.

I do noticed if i work my delt or pec a bit it does get tight but when i stretch it back it loosens up.

Today i did delts, i first start out with rotator cuff exercises, 6 total sets at 20-30 reps then i go into some dumbell isolation movements working the front, side and rear delt with more emphasis on the front delt (due to the atrophy). Today was the first day i was confident enough to wear a tank-top in the gym and i didnt look too bad but still a bit away from my best. My legs now overpower my upper body big time. Its stange as hell looking because i'm use to it being the other way around. Also i just started doing traps, just shrugs on the smith machine using 95lbs for 40reps...its was super light but at 20reps it burned alway to 40reps!

Let me know what the doc says, my doc didnt give me any suggestions (he figures i've been in the game long enough and assumes i know what to do) on training and rehabilitation so i've been doing all this on my own.

[aguy0523]

Jerome-
Just curious, I noticed the same that there will be some disfigurement when I am at 100%, but it feels much different on the injured side... It doesn't feel like it is hanging by much, I can't seem to figure out if it is due to atrophy, or if it simply is not full attached. What is yours like? I have a feeling mine might be a diff situation due to the fact that mine tore at the muscle belly. Just curious, I am going to see the doc next week and see what he says, but it is still pretty damn tight, and it still gets sore...

that feeling will not go away. i mean it will become a lot less noticable as time goes on. mine still feels like it isnt a part of me and tightens up a little. just take it real easy. really no way to rush this kinda of injury. and yes ur pec will look a little diff. its sucks i know. I still cant stand to look at my own but its the cold hard truth. lol...just dont look at it. thats how i cope with it but im real self conscious though.

[ROSEVILLECA]

Yeah me to bro. My right side also doesnt flex right or feel the same...there is less meat in the pec region. Actually bro, the doc did attach the tendon back to the bone and the muscle belly ripped post surgery so i'm now in the same situation as you. But 1/3 of my muscle and tendon on the lower pec is still attached.

I do noticed if i work my delt or pec a bit it does get tight but when i stretch it back it loosens up.

Today i did delts, i first start out with rotator cuff exercises, 6 total sets at 20-30 reps then i go into some dumbell isolation movements working the front, side and rear delt with more emphasis on the front delt (due to the atrophy). Today was the first day i was confident enough to wear a tank-top in the gym and i didnt look too bad but still a bit away from my best. My legs now overpower my upper body big time. Its stange as hell looking because i'm use to it being the other way around. Also i just started doing traps, just shrugs on the smith machine using 95lbs for 40reps...its was super light but at 20reps it burned alway to 40reps!

Let me know what the doc says, my doc didnt give me any suggestions (he figures i've been in the game long enough and assumes i know what to do) on training and rehabilitation so i've been doing all this on my own.

Thanks, my muscle in the belly seems ok and loose, it just is really tight around my armpit where it connects... I guess I will find out more next week... My doc is similar to yours with regards to me trusting my body, as I have lifted for 13 years. I will let you know if he gives any more info that might help... He seems like a really good knowledgeable guy... Thanks for the input, best of luck with the workouts!