winkel

I partially tore my left bicep doing preacher curls with some wierd shaped bar last Friday. When I heard the POP and the pain set in I was sure it was completely torn but a visit to the doctor confirmed that its only a partial distal bicep rupture (which Im told is much more rare than complete tears)

I was told that surgery will not be necessary and that 6 weeks off resistance training will ensure proper healing.

My questions as follows:

1) Is touching, turning and prodding my arm sufficient to ascertain that surgery is not necessary? Im asking because my arm is flat a good 1.5 inch from the elbow join to the bicep - it sure didnt use to look like that. Its entirely blue and purple from the elbow and down the forearm

2) What sort of rehab work should I do after the 6 weeks? my doctor recommended stretching but how about weights? and what kind of stretching? DC extreme stretching seems a bit, well - extreme in this situation

3) should I expect significant strength loss?

4) I read once that unilateral training will have an effect even on the side not being trained i.e. continuing to lift with my right arm should limit the strength loss in my left arm? is this hogwash?

5) Is there anything I can do diet wise to speed up recovery? other that loading up on fishoil? would mega dosing BCAA for instance have a positive effect?

Im 34 and train DC style. My goals are purely aesthetic. I so obviously do not spend enough time warming up properly.


Nick

EW4

Nick, I will give you my best shot at answering some of your questions; however, I am no doctor and only have the studies I have read over to give you insight. I definitely think you need a second opinion if you are noticing extreme deformation of the area though... although a bad trauma like that could cause some major swelling issues that would hinder your view. Here we go...
1) I would say, get a second opinion.
2) I would say weight training is not out of the question after EIGHT weeks; the doctor's advice of stretching and maybe some band work after 6 is probably accurate if he properly diagnosed your issue. I would wait on lifting for an additional two weeks or so. That said, you are probably the best guage with that situation; my torn quad took many weeks to heal and there was severe pain until it recovered completely and I could even consider pushing any weight.
3) Definitely. However, due to muscle memory and other phenomenon with our muscle tissue you can very quickly recover what you have lost after allowing sufficient rehabilitation.
4) Your readings were not hogwash. Studies have shown variable percent strength increases on the other half of the body when training only one side. One study, I can remember right offhand, stated training with one arm rendered an average of 25% strength increase in the other. I would be careful with overdoing this though as you would certainly end up with some balance issues if you worked out like normal on your non-effected side.
5) Just keep eating quality protein! Remember, you tore the muscle, if your body can use the tissues for their original purposes (i.e. lifting the forearm) it will; however, it is likely your body will metabolize the muscle tissue (protein) back into aminos to use elsewhere. So you will basically be using less muscle to do the job you used to do with the original muscle.

Muscle tears suck, sorry to hear about your struggle. My best advice is work a shitload on your legs and come back kicking in eight weeks. Best of luck!

-Emery

winkel

Emery,

Thanks a lot! I have booked time with a sports injury specialist the coming week so hopefully he will be able to give an accurate diagnose.

Laughed when I read the remark about the biggest legs because that was also the thing that came to mind. I have for a while been thinking about a leg specialization program and now I guess the timing is perfect. The only issue is that exercises like stiff legged deadlift and even regular squats cant be done without aggrevating the arm so I will have to stick to leg curls, ham-glute raises, leg press and smith squats. I figure though with different rep ranges and foot placements I should be able to get 2-3 weekly leg sessions in.

Nick

LayinLo

Good luck and I hope you have a speedy recovery.

hit61

Nick,

No, just palpating the area with the hands is not a good enough assessment. You should have an MRI.

From an anatomical standpoint, the reason that you feel that flat area is because you probably tore the tendon of the medial head of the biceps from its insertion into the bone. The biceps are a two headed muscle that insert into the same area at the elbow (radial tuberosity). You can't find something that is no longer there. I'm using an educated guess here because I don't have the luxury of seeing the injury myself.

From the standpoint of your doctor, yes, your arm will gain its function back. But, he is not considering that you are a bodybuilder, and you are very much concerned with the appearance of your arms. Doctors tend to think functionally, which you should get back. To most of them, as long as the arm works fine, why worry about how it looks?

Early on when I was just a couple of years into my training, I incurred a shoulder injury. I was young, and absolutely rabid about training. I went to see the doctor about my injury and he nonchalantly told me to "just quite lifting weights". He might has well cut my heart out. To him, bodybuilding served no meaningful purpose to him, so why should it matter to anyone else. What did it matter to him? He was just a fat little meatball of a man .

You need to see an orthopedic surgeon, and sooner would definitely be better than later. You very well may not need surgery at all, but let an expert who will make that decision based on more than just palpating the area with his fingers. As far as stretching, definitely err on the conservative side.