Looking Past a Season Ending Injury that Only Happens to Men

[OFFHNTN]

I didn't have time to read all the responses but did read the OP.

All I can say as a nearly 30 year trainer/trainer manager working in the very same gym all that time is that I see this injury all to often and am coming to the unsceintific conclusion that isolated biceps curls are bad for your tendons. I have two, TWO! of my best trainers with torn bicep tendons as I write this. Big beautiful but busted biceps.

This particular injury seems to show up in the fit people sometimes in their 40s.

be careful!

OP, you will get healed up pretty good from my experience.

oh, and one more thing, this is in the wrong forum! Needs to be in this one: https://www.rokslide.com/forums/forums/nutrition-running-strength-training-other-workouts.27/

can you please hit the Edit button (full site mode) and see if it will let you move it over there? If it won't PM me.

Thanks

I detached my bicep tendon November 4th last year, rolled up 3" into my arm, had surgery to reattach it to one of my forearm bones, etc etc. 47 years old, excellent shape, gym rat, etc. I am now back to about 80-90% and can do everything I want, just slower and more controlled. Surgeon told me 6 month recovery, I am at about 4 1/2.
Robby, by "isolated bicep curls", are you referring to single arm dumbbell curls, concentration curls, etc? Or what exactly do you feel a person should stay away from? I'd rather to go through this again. lol

To the OP, I hope you are well on your way to being 100%!!!

 

[robby denning]

Robby, by "isolated bicep curls", are you referring to single arm dumbbell curls, concentration curls, etc? Or what exactly do you feel a person should stay away from? I'd rather to go through this again. lol

glad you're getting recovered.

By "isolated..." I mean all of the above.

Anytime the elbow remains stationary in space, while doing a curling motion, you're isolating the bicep.

The bicep can still be trained in compound (multi-joint for you trainer-people) lifts like pull ups, rows, etc.

I'm not saying never isolate, but consider how much you load the bicep under isolation.

My top trainer (who also tore his) is under the firm belief that muscles can develop beyond the tendons' strength and is why this injury is common among the fit.

 

[NW307]

I witnessed this happen to a co worker moving something in an awkward position. Probably the biggest and burliest guy I know and it was so violent that he only had time to let out a yelp before I caught him as he tipped over out cold. It's no joke, but he's doing good now fortunately.

 

[OFFHNTN]

glad you're getting recovered.

By "isolated..." I mean all of the above.

Anytime the elbow remains stationary in space, while doing a curling motion, you're isolating the bicep.

The bicep can still be trained in compound (multi-joint for you trainer-people) lifts like pull ups, rows, etc.

I'm not saying never isolate, but consider how much you load the bicep under isolation.

My top trainer (who also tore his) is under the firm belief that muscles can develop beyond the tendons' strength and is why this injury is common among the fit.

Understood, I have a sports medicine/health background so I understand what you speak. lol. I asked because the thought of not doing any type of curling motion is weird to me. And your top trainer I believe may be on to something. For this type of injury and recovery, at least for me, it isn't the muscle that needs to recover since it really wasn't the muscle that was injured, it is the tendon and the re-attachment point of the tendon that needs to recover. It leads me to believe, as you say, the muscles become stronger than the tendons, and.......BAM! Thanks for the info.

 

[robby denning]

Sure thing. Make sure you let us know what you find out. Remember everything I shared is pretty much “empirical“ evidence. But I’ve seen it happen enough now that I’m beginning to be very leery of heavy bicep curls.


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[LostArra]

I remember when John Elway had that injury while playing in a game. His bicep rolled up like one of those noisy blow toys. But he kept playing and didn't have the surgery until after the season was over.

John Elway had a PROXIMAL bicep tendon tear. Completely different injury from the OP and frequently not repaired. My dad had the proximal tear changing a truck tire.

 

[Newtosavage]

Great post and great reminder.

I turned 50 this year and one of my bucket list items was to run a marathon once I turned 50. I spent the last half of the summer and early fall training, and had worked up to 20+ mile weeks, with the last full week at 27 miles, including a 1/2 marathon training day, despite it being 90 degrees and high humidity. I felt I was on track to run one of the winter marathons down here in Texas.

Went on my annual hunt to Colorado in October, then at the very end of October, I tore my right hamstring while -get this- jogging from a restaurant to a hotel just two blocks away during a work-related conference. After all that time and effort invested, I could barely walk.

It's taken MONTHS to heal. I am just now back to lightly jogging 3-5 miles/week, and still deal with some pain in that hamstring/gleut area.

So you are absolutely right. When you start to age, don't take anything for granted. Cherish it all because you literally never know when you will be laid up and out of commission for a while.

All you young guys - get your memories in while you can. If you don't have kids, get out there and get after it. If you do have kids, take them with you as much as possible. Either way, you'll have no regrets when you're "over the hill."

 

[LostArra]

The bicep can still be trained in compound (multi-joint for you trainer-people) lifts like pull ups, rows, etc.

And probably the reason that curling in general is considered a vanity exercise and not included in most strength training programs.

Arnold and the bodybuilding world have done a great job to popularize curls. Go to any commercial gym and you will see the majority of time wasting is in front of a dumbbell rack by skinny teens, ripped bros or old grannies doing curls.

 

[robby denning]

And probably the reason that curling in general is considered a vanity exercise and not included in most strength training programs.

Arnold and the bodybuilding world have done a great job to popularize curls. Go to any commercial gym and you will see the majority of time wasting is in front of a dumbbell rack by skinny teens, ripped bros or old grannies doing curls.

yip

 

[jmez]

I would guess it to do with micro damage over time. Tendons have a very poor blood supply and hence a limited and poor healing capacity. Very small amounts of damage over time accumulates until it fails.

That micro damage would be much more common in gym rat types.

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[MuleyFever]

As I get older I am just hoping I avoid these types of injuries.

As a side note in women this injury happens at a mean age of 63 years (range, 48-79 years).

 

[Ross]

Guys can do stupid things sometimes even when old and wise..... at least old hammy injuries can be the worst this still crops up four years later won’t elaborate on how stupid I was but this baby turned me colors from my sack to my ankle I try to practice injury prevention but I don’t always listen to myself

 

[robby denning]

Just got the notification from yet another one my trainers who just tore the bicep tendon on his left arm today. He’s a boxing coach and tore it while hitting the mitts. Does biceps twice a week. He’s in his 30’s.

This is why I wonder if bicep curls are all that great.


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[LostArra]

This is why I wonder if bicep curls are all that great.

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only for the beach

 

[robby denning]

only for the beach

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[OFFHNTN]

Just got the notification from yet another one my trainers who just tore the bicep tendon on his left arm today. He’s a boxing coach and tore it while hitting the mitts. Does biceps twice a week. He’s in his 30’s.

This is why I wonder if bicep curls are all that great.


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WTH?!

 

[robby denning]

WTH?!

Yip!!!

We just counted it up in the office few minutes ago. In the last year, four of my trainers have injured their biceps, from torn muscle to torn tendons & ligaments.

I have several more that have had the injury over the years.

At least several of our lifters have the same injury right now. One of them had to have it casted it was so bad. Big big dude, but still busted up.

 

[OFFHNTN]

Yip!!!

We just counted it up in the office few minutes ago. In the last year, four of my trainers have injured their biceps, from torn muscle to torn tendons & ligaments.

I have several more that have had the injury over the years.

At least several of our lifters have the same injury right now. One of them had to have it casted it was so bad. Big big dude, but still busted up.

Flippen crazy.