Again, this is my story, my history and what I did. I love lifting and at this point its one of the only things i enjoy about my day. I eliminated them. Yes, I was as confused as you are as to how I tore on such a low weight. Testing A Workout. Fitness & Exercise Reference What Is a Pectoralis Major Muscle Tear? If you can lift weight on a bar, why would you bother with just bodyweight? After a foray into boxing that culminated with a win over 2017 World's Strongest Man Eddie Hall, Iceland's Bjornsson, the 2018 World . Many lifters have come back from tears to successful lifting careers, and there can be a pretty remarkable restoration of function. Nerves weren't firing right. However, chest injuries can also occur using dumbbells, so be careful with those too. Here is what I did with the major pec tear. If you had followed proper protocols you'd probably have gotten a lot closer to 100%. no wonder you kept re-hurting yourself, Hi Dave I suffered a grade two muscle tendon tear about 7 months ago. He said it just felt hot and he lost function. And it feels a bit tight after workouts. After icing consistent inflammation went down and i was able to regain movement in that arm / pec area. In my case, the tear occurred as I transitioned from the eccentric, or downward, phase of the bench press to the concentric, or . weight came crashing down. I have came across your article whilst 8 weeks into a suspected double pec tear, both left and right side. For me, the issue was two-fold: I went too heavy without training for the weight, and I didnt warmup properly. It took all I had to be able to press the lockout because my arm did not want to move. At the time, nothing was more painful than the injury itself than the simple fact that I couldnt bench press what I had in the past, and this blow to my fragile teenage ego was a setback. When the bar is lowered, the pectoralis major muscle is stretched across the chest. And didn't fully get back into it for about 4 months. These arguments relied pretty heavily on the relatively recent data [], In a previous postI wrote about the different time-course of neural and hypertrophic adaptations and how these contribute to the early changes in strength during training. I don't advise this. I wanted to see if I could bench his goal weight. I experienced no discoloration of any sort. You may need to find alternate ways to load your shoulders, even using blasphemous isolation based exercises, until heavier compound exercises are possible. Next time around, my focus will be on maintaining a pain free, complete range of motion while GRADUALLY adding weight back to the bar. I didn't want my body to get used to any frequency with it because it was the best thing I could do to keep my pecs healthy. The surgeons fixed what they could, but some couldn't be fixed. Personally, I got more out of using chains with the pec issues than I ever did out of bands. It just so happens that this time i feels a bit worse. Also just checked out this website and notice you are a doctorApologies. I couldn't lift anything with my right arm without re-aggravating it or feeling significant pain. If it was a deep massage it made things worse. More Blogs & Articles From Dave Tate Here, Copyright 2023 elitefts. . Starting at the bottom and pressing up. a strain between the tendon and muscle itself, known as a musculotendinous junction strain. American journal of sports medicine, 7(6), 336337. The patient will experience pain when using the muscle, in particular, trying to pull the arm across the front of the chest against resistance or rotating the arm inwards against . This meant that my pec rehab (if you could call it that), happened once per week, on chest day and not a day more. That was just from trial and error. British volume, 67(5), 820828. also it sorta sounded like Velcro like some people mentioned on here but the weird thing was I still racked the weight and after had no bruising. Im still looking to get it repaired, but expect nothing this late in the game. Sorry to hear about your injury Luke. Its given me a lot of hope for the future. I am a 27 year old male. 12-04-2017, 07:00 PM. It hurt like hell. This is something that many lifters will do almost unconsciously but which can clearly lead to bruising over time - even if it seems minor at first. I find it very difficult to maintain strength all around my shoulder. Definitely think an update is in order specifically for points 1,2 and 8. It was after surgery I started to build relationships with a doctor who "got" what I was doing, an orthopedic who knew the sport, risk, my history and goals, and a physical therapist who also "got" what I wanted to do. This is the most common mechanism for a pec tear, but they can also occur during other movements. The PMI isnt going to tear during the bench press, says Petrizzo. I overtrained chest relative to back and did not work on Mobility. That meant getting the fucking sling off as soon as I possibly could. At this point I hope it isn't too late to keep improving my condition. We think it works because using the muscles while they heal prevents a scar from forming, and the higher repetitions help bring blood flow to the area to a much more significant degree than any sort of passive modality like heat, electric stimulation, or ultrasound that is typically used in physical therapy treatment. I can totally relate to Lloyd on this issue. It was more harm than good. If something hurt, I either didn't perform that movement, adapted to a pain-free ROM, or reduced load so that it wasn't painful. After running me through a battery of tests by his physician assistant and looking at the MRI the doc said I needed immediate surgery. If its only been a day or two, and youve sustained a pretty serious injury like I did, a few days of rest wont hurt you. Shit, it feels uncomfortable just sitting here typing this. Board presses would have allowed me to achieve heavier loading earlier into my recovery, and allow me to do so while avoiding the painful regions of the bench press range of motion. Follow the link below to select your JOI MD and schedule online. If you're going to get gun shy, let it begin with 45 pounds, not 400. It didn't hurt but it was a strong tug and made me stop what I was doing. Bruising or swelling in the front of your shoulder. Rep Power: 0. The first thing that I want to put out there is I'm not a doctor, not a physical therapist, and I'm not qualified to give any physical therapy rehab or any medical advice. thanks, my biggest fear is the surgeons in my area lol. It's a very confusing time and because it's an unusual injury not many people can truly understand the pain as it is an uncommon injury in the general populous. To compound the injury, my teenaged understanding of exercise physiology and strength training lead me astray in my recovery efforts. After 30 years of lifting it finally happened to me. I am in a better place than my worst place during this lengthy rehab process. Your not alone in wondering if you can ever have a respectable bench after tearing your pec major. The site is not strong during the initial six weeks and you can re-tear the tendon from the bone if youre not careful. I have tried driving a few times but I find it aggravates it the most. did you have surgery? That's easy to do when you can start rotating bars, chains, bands, and even angles to a certain degree. Once we put weight on the bar, I dont have anyone do more than sets of five on the warmup sets. (Update: Matt originally wrote this post over a month ago. The Comeback. These are the types of relationships you want to establish and build. The best advice I can give is early assessment and intervention from a trained medical professional. The amount of stiffness and the lifters experience level will dictate their function at the six-week mark. Dumbbell presses, front raises, side raises, push downs, one arm pulldowns, one arm rows. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7d22ee60597278ff Callaway started 11 games in Cleveland during his rookie campaign alone and totaled 586 yards and five touchdowns on his 43 receptions. I'll definitely heed your shared learnings during my recovery. 1. I looked at it this way, the worst thing that can happen with surgery (the very worst) is death. Pec tears are rare enough the doctor thought it was just a strain. Decline presses did not cooperate, so I eliminated them. The right pec tore in half through the muscle belly. Return to bench press is highly variable across individuals and can vary depending the type/extent of tearing and surgical tears. Any insight based on the above is much appreciated. Thanks for sharing your experience. What I did worked for the short term but I was always wondering when the next strain would come. The biggest mistake most novices make is that they think they dont need to start with the empty bar. . I also did my own research to see what the scientific literature says about the topic. It is the tendon that is usually torn where it attaches to the humerus bone. Chains were pretty much my go to because it just worked better for the pec damage that I had. I tore my pec on a flat bar doing 180 lbs for 5 reps. Thankfully Ive come around to the benefits of not fixing your scapula in place by squishing it between a barbell, your body, and a padded bench. Can you suggest anything to help! Advert. "This game can be beautiful and it can also be brutal." He's not wrong. I can remember it like it was yesterday. A pectoralis major strain is a tear in the main muscle across the front of the chest, commonly known as the 'pec'. Theres nothing wrong with asking me questions about prognosis, physical therapists can cover that as well as MDs. Symptoms of pec major tendon inflammation include pain at the front of the upper arm towards the shoulder where the biceps tendon inserts into the bone. Age: 35. Immediately after surgery, my first goal was to restore range of motion. Either way, given that the average person spends hours a day slumped at a desk over a keyboard, it wouldnt be surprising that in addition to poor tissue quality and muscle length in the pectoral region, we might also have some issues on the other side. thank you for the quick response time and all your articles are very informal especially since they are very scientific.I will most certainly be purchasing one of ur training packages when this pec is a bit more stable for intense training.I love the scientist perspective on bodybuilding.You are a unique breed and should feel incredible.I would love to see an article regarding cross education of muscles with unilateral workouts of the uninjured side.Thank you for your time ! It was the second rep of a heavy set, not my working weight, but a heavy set on the bench press nonetheless. Even if youre doing a touch-and-go bench press, dont bounce the bar too much.. It'll make a world of difference. So, the likelihood of the bench press causing a pec tear is higher simply because it's being done so oftenbut . I had a deformity in my chest and it did not look normal nor did I feel normal. What im wondering is what getting the best treatment for something like this is going to cost out of pocket? But what you are describing really does sound like a partial tear of your pec. Kannus, P et al (2003). I got so scared i went to evry doctor that is involved with the chest area and all the organs there. There are some commonalities between all of these. I've never bruised much. 24(4), 10281033. In my case, a full range of motion was painful, but I couldve tried isometric contractions, holding static contractions at various joint angles that were pain free. It took really about three years to get back 100%. I can't understand it. Over time, increased loading of the internal rotators along with poor posture results in poor tissue quality and tightness in the pectoral region. Watch the EliteFTS definitive guide to board pressing here. When I was pressing those reps I would try to not flex very much at all. Ok, I can give some good insight to this. Id love to hear what mistakes youve made or what youd do differently following any injuries you have sustained while training. Stiebel used an allograft tendon to repair me. On my max effort days, I still did max effort work. Doctors are claiming an MRI is an 8 month wait due to Covid restrictions. It is time I came to terms with this. Thanks for the blog. Youre not really at risk for rupturing the PMI when youre lifting weights.. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Other than that I didn't care about the range of motion (today I regret that one). The Starr Protocol is NOT for tendon, back or joint injuries, says Petrizzo. I knew right away what happen as this has happened multiple times to me. I also stopped doing any type of fly or any adduction movements at all. I know what youre thinking: What about the warmup protocols in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training? I started with the bar and even that was painful, but I continued despite the pain. A torn pectoral tendon is usually an easy diagnosis to make. When I was not able to hold for a 2 count, the set was over. At this stage of the game, the best thing you could do is book an appointment with your doc, give him a detailed history of what has happened, and see if you can get imaging done of the injury and referral to a specialist if needed. If I were still having issues today, I would look into some of the advice being provided by Donnie Thompson and Chris Duffin. Symptoms of a pec major sprain include: Sudden sharp pain at the front of the . I have attempted to test the injured area with 5 pound dumbbell weights( Dumbbell Press) and had no signs of pain. I felt just as sore so I kept at it and it got to the point where I was pressing close to 200 pounds; I was repping 185 for about 6. after every rehab attempt should I ice the once injured area as a percussion? My best max is 525, so how and why this happened with 405 is beyond me. I was in shock I guess. Sets 7-10: 225 for three sets of five. What lingered was the certainty with which Bell said that on a long enough timeline, all serious bench pressers individuals training with powerlifting pauses that keep the weight on their pectoral, with muscles often engorged past the load capacity of their tendons by steroids and other chemical aids would tear their pecs. Something to help recovery and - or something to serve as a feeder session to leading to the next training session. im stronger than ive ever been now and I want to become a certified personal trainer so I would really like a solution to this problem also if I did end up having surgery what would be the estimated recovery time? Each week it went up and the boards would come down, and I would start to mix the exercises up based upon what my range of motion would accomplish. With the rack we were using 95 lbs with an average band was nearly zero pounds throughout the whole lift. Looking down, I could see an immediate shift in the colour of my skin, which was switching from a strangely orange hue (yes, I had a self tanning phase in high school) to a sickly purple. Theres a reason some of the original strength training rehabilitation protocols had the word daily right in the title (8,9). Was lucky to recover 90-95% of my strength and flexibility. (I flat benched 205 for 3 reps in my prime, at around 150 pounds, 5'9, I always found this admirable). Setbacks occur less often and are much shorter than they were in the first 1.5 years. Shrine Location: This is a cave shrine.To get to it, you'll need to find the entrance to Crenel Peak Cave. The first Doctor I went to with a MRI (sports Ortho) said he disagreed with the radiologist. Triceps press overhead 6. This may not be an ideal strategy to increase overall strength as strength gains can be position specific (10), but under these conditions any pain-free loading of the tissue would have been advantageous, at least until dynamic exercise could have been added back. Complement that with a progressive strength training program, including multiple angles for pressing and flyes to address the anatomical complexities of the pec and youll be well on your way. 24 hours later I continued the protocol and was surprised at the recovery. Adequate warmup is important in preventing these injuries: youre preparing the muscle and tendon for the heavier load that will come later in the training session. The left one, where the tendon came out, and the pec basically exploded, didn't bruise at all. While the overhead press is largely considered a shoulder and tricep exercise, the pectorals are active and contribute to the movement (11,12). It helps to have a coach guide you through the process but you can learn the warmup process through experience too.. Yeah, loosing sleep "thinking" about the road to recovery. Until that time, we have only clinical functional measures, and invasive animal studies to guide us. Step 3: Within three weeks, most people are back to regular training loads if its a relatively minor muscle injury like a grade 1. A Pectoralis Major Strain is a tear of the large pectoral muscle on the chest. The majority of bodybuilders and high school/college football players do the ascending pyramid where they incrementally increase weight and decrease reps as they work towards low-rep sets. You have MORE of a chance getting hurt being gun shy (scared) than you do staying tight and pushing the weight as you're supposed to. In video uploaded to Wheels' Instagram, Crowley is seen lowering the barbell - loaded with 220kg of weights - towards his chest. I'm not going to lie about that. Torn Pectoral Muscle Recovery Time. It doesnt contribute to the bench press like the PM. I am 28 years old and the time frame I am about to speak of is when I was 19 years old and around 145 pounds. My question is, how long would you say the healing process takes before you can get back to doing some sort of bench press exercises/movements? I am afraid of going full out in order to really test where i am. The right one did bleed out like you see with most of the pec tears. Im 18 and two days ago I went to the gym and.I was trying to find my max on the bench press and I didnt hear anything but it felt like a bee stung me in the chest and it didnt really hurt that bad it just felt like a bad crap .but after that I checked it out and the right upper part was really red and it looked like it was brused but not purple an it didnt hurt at all so..I quickly went to my school doc and she did a couple test and nothing really hurt I had full range of motion.but the muscle is still like stiff and I iced it and now Im starting to apply heat to it .,.,But Im Freaking Out I Dont know what to do? Or ever from the top pressing up. I had a complete tear of my right pec back in December. I work for a private company and insurance is way to high priced here so i at this point am with ins. Do light weights but avoid anything where the pecs are primary muscles involved. I also followed the same protocol with my shoulder surgery and any other upper body injury that I had. One massage therapist said breaking down the scar tissue would make a big difference. would you possibly know of any doctors in Tennessee that do pec tear surgeries? Causes Of A Pec Tear There are a variety of factors that can lead to a person suffering from a pectoral tear. Certainly not the worst outcome, but still something Id rather do without. Mainly, you just need to resist the urge to test the injured area during the initial few days following the injury, a mistake I made too many times. Distorted shape in the front of the shoulder. The pain has lessened in the armpit/chest area but is more prominent in the inner arm and bicep region between the armpit and first 4 inches down my inner arm on both sides. I eat right, take vitamins, drink a lot of water. As a result of not stopping lifting my condition worsened and pain was felt nearly daily once I finally stopped weight training all together about 6 months later. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. I suspect the cause was a seated bench press machine or pec cable flyes. It most commonly occurs during bench pressing and is felt as a painful snap at the front of the shoulder and chest. // Designed & Developed by Matt Brett. He didn't. He missed his attempts at the world record weight. Hopefully some people that have similar injurys will come across this information sooner rather than later. I used bands, ropes, sled straps, chains, etc. What this should have told me was that I wasnt ready for dynamic exercise through a full range of motion, and had I thought that, I would have saved myself some pain in the process. But I took off completely at least four months and then I slowly started back with 5 then 10 then 15 lb flat bench movements and very slowly worked my way back up. The most common types of injuries with weight training are back injuries, followed by shoulder injuries and knee injuries, says Petrizzo. Ryan Crowley was working the bench press with his trainer, known as Larry Wheels on Instagram, when the terrifying incident unfolded. my right pec is swollen at the moment but no change in color yet. Pull-downs behind the neck 4. This can occur during weight training when performing bench press exercises. I iced the injured area for the first 2 to 3 weeks consistently. Lowering the bar to my chest, I started to feel a searing pain across the upper portion of my chest, like someone had jabbed something hot into the muscle. He fell responding to a fire, hyper-abducted his arm away from his body, and the resulting rapid stretch on the PM is what tore the tendon loose. A fairly popular YouTuber just posted a video of his pec tear benching 315 lbs. Not very smart. I do plan to write more about this, and have a few posts planned but just need to get around to writing them. When should i start rehabilitating my injured area? Pec strain and benching. Lowering the bar to my chest, I started to feel a searing pain across the upper portion of my chest, like someone had jabbed something hot into the muscle. The Ortho said because I passed his entire strength test I was fine and he could not sew back the muscle belly back together. The key thing was to be able to strain. I have since had a lot of atrophy on the affected pec that doesnt seems to want to fill out again is it permanent? Swenson, C et al (1996). I'm starting to wonder how uncommon it really is, I think this is the most popular article on the site! Fast forward a number of months in the fall, I decided to move on to seated chest pressing; the machines, which I strayed away from for a long time under the disposition they wouldn't do as much. My upper corner pec ached. As a side note, now that I am no longer competitive their advice now falls in line with what most people would get - when I try to "get out of" what they are asking me to do using training as an excuse it doesn't work. There were three loud popping tearing sounds in my chest. As for tendons, the recovery process takes longer than muscle belly tears since a tendon has a very poor blood supply when compared to other tissues such as skeletal muscle. Best of luck in your recovery. I stopped for that day and kept a weight free summer. 2. My early (18yr old) attempts at rehab were too aggressive, and I'm paying the price for it now. Now it is extremely obvious with all the atrophy that has taken place over the years. Time. If my bench was puttering along, then I would drop it down to once per week. Well my tear was unique, i didn't feel much pain. In this position, overstretching of the muscle combined with the need . After this injury occurred, I reached out to John Petrizzo, PT, DPT, SSC and Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Adelphi University to get more insight about pectoralis injuries, bench pressing and the road to recovery. @hometonefitness How I Recovered From A Pec Tear Without Surgery, My 3 Year Review. I could of possibly had bruising but im brown and nothing stood out lol! The Pec Tear that Won't Heal. At the end of each training session, I did 100 reps. On Friday night we worked out late, I had planned to hit back, shoulders, and to try bench pressing with just the bar. sorta nervous about even trusting any of them. The evidence supporting all outcomes was limited by the rarity of the injury, the variable There is clearly a deformity in my chest when I flex, yet why am I able to do quite a bit? Thanks! The muscle then 'bunches up' and deforms. However, chest injuries can also occur using dumbbells, so be careful with those too. JSCR. Last night I massaged my pec for about 30 mintues and when I woke up today it . Finally got an MRI 4 weeks into it, had surgery on April 24, 8 weeks post injury. I maintained full form and pressed from my sternum. I am 38 and have always been on my game. If I made it through a session, then typically that next dynamic bench work sucked. I began with arm swings to get the muscle moving. (I did not adhere to this protocol since I tore the PM tendon.). Bouncing the weight off your chest is also essentially 'cheating' as it means you . That is why guys can bench 100-200lbs more, as the shirt gives you the bottom 4inches. I was benching only 75% of what I can do (max lift 535) and out of know where the 425 lbs. I completely ruptured my pec bench pressing 2 years ago and the orthopaedic surgeon I saw apparently didnt know sh*t about pec tears. It's really a difficult area to study, as we must rely on animal studies as it would be be too difficult to amass freshly injured people and perform biopsy studies to understand the restorative process and how different treatments affect it. Paoli, A et al (2010). I did light stretching and ROM. Rest of the night the pain was pretty intense. The early stages of muscle injury are associated with the formation of a collagen matrix which serves as a scaffold for muscle repair (4). I suspect the overly aggressive rehab promoted excessive scar formation (collagen proliferation) that years later is still causing me problems but never hurts to revisit the issue with a fresh set of eyes. Note bruising and asymmetrical chest Biceps tendinopathy, commonly called biceps tendinitis, is one of those injuries. Which generally is inoperable, unfortunately. Based on scouring the peer-reviewed journals for PM tears, it seems the barbell bench press is the most frequent cause of injury. This is a common injury with heavy benchers because all the body weight and bar weight is resting on the upper back. a strain within the pectoral muscle itself. 1. Step 1: Within the first few days after the injury, perform the exercise that caused the injury. And that was hard! Which I will define as tearing of the scar tissue or a slight muscle pull. The primary goal was to get it moving, contracting, getting blood in there. The first thing that I want to put out there is I'm not a doctor, not a physical therapist, and I'm not qualified to give any physical therapy rehab or any medical advice. I think this made it look not as serious as it actually is at the time. The last two mornings its been a little tighter so I stretch it in the shower and it feels better. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. There is something about that movement that just did not cooperate with me. Uribe, BP et al (2010). YouTube. The tendon was still attached but frayed. Ten years later, my understanding of muscle function and tissue regeneration have improved quite a bit, and if I could go back in time, here are 11 things I would have done differently: By the time most of us have reached adulthood, weve had enough first aid courses ingrain RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) into our heads that it is second nature whenever a musculoskeletal injury occurs. I will not indulge this with incomplete info though, as my common recommendation to attend with an MD or PT in person attests to. I have been fobbed off by UK gps as having a possible grade 1/ grade 2 pec tear And referred to an NHS physio who has given me a 12 week rehab training plan but I still struggle to lift anything. Fortunately, thanks to a growing interest in strength and conditioning and the teachings and writings of many great professors and strength coaches along the way, my programming gradually improved, albeit at a slower rate than it should have. I wanted to start straining at a very light weight and then slowly over a period increase it up. I knew I was creating imbalances, and they helped advise how to work through and around them. Usually, I used to take a week off and then come back slowly and would be fine. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Join Date: Jan 2009. Pectoralis major tendon repair is an effective treatment that results in a high rate of return to sport and work, pain relief, and improved cosmetic appearance, albeit with a significant rate of complication. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Grade 3: full thickness tear Its torn all the way through. Great article and thanks. I never really understand this question, you train the same way you always have. And my MRI report read, There is a complete tear of the pectoralis major tendon from the insertion on the humerus. No More Bench Press After My Pec Tear. I know what you went through when you were 18, i just keep thinking about the gym and i just can not wait to get back in there, iam just working around my injury. Im trying to determine if it is something i should visit the doctor about. It wasnt someone slapping on a pair of the loudest velcro sneakers ever made, it was my pec tearing. Book An Appointment with a JOI Physician. the deformity is sorta towards the bottom of my pec and what it looks like is that there was scar tissue that makes the bottom of my chest look bigger than the top. A lesson learned for all of us; right? Possible Causes. I actually found out about Dr. Schepsis earlier this year and am actually getting surgery done by him to fix that old pec injury next month. But it can also happen to female weightlifters or athletes. I eliminated them. Petrizzos other injury prevention form tips are to maintain tightness through your upper back, and arch hard through your lower back throughout the movement. But in order to get better and back to lifting again, I have to listen to my body (for a change!) Your physical therapist can assess your condition and offer the right strategies and treatments to help you fully recover. I stuck with that training program I was doing. The amount of reps and sets will vary with the age of the trainee, their injury history, the temperature of the facility youre training in (a colder environment can require more warmup). It works., Heres Petrizzos abbreviated guide on how to implement the Starr Protocol which will take approximately three weeks in most cases. Highlights from the StartingStrength Community. Over time I found ways to overcome that and not have to miss any bench days because of that situation. The first orthopedist I saw was sniffing his golf game 30 seconds into my appt and gave me crappy advice. Can wash hair, shave, type, drive, etc. My recent read of the book Risk: The science and politics [], 2023 Dan Ogborn. The deep purple color in my inner bicep is gravity pulling toward the injury. I had surgery for my injury but after 2 MRIs and a lot of debate a month had already passed by. Sure enough, after a few weeks, I felt the sign of re-injury during a particularly heavy overhead press, and yet another setback. Front-To-Back Shoulder Flap Also, keep in mind guys that even when performing your working sets of bench, it's 100% ok to repeat any of these warm-ups during your rest period if you're still feeling tight. Rotator cuff tears are frequently treated with physical therapy. Too many people when they come back from injuries, let's say they tore their pec with 400 lbs, they're smashing shit when they're coming back. Not everyone has the cash or the extended health benefits to get regular massages, but the quick and dirty treatment in the video below, from the guys at Cressey Performance, will get you on the right track. And how long did it take you to start getting your strength back, Iv been training hard and it still is weaker will it ever be comparable? Whatever it was, whatever I could do, I did. As I sat here reading this blog, I was holding an ice pack on my upper right pec; just in the corner of my pit area. After the injury the thing that helped was the 4-6 weeks no chest after 6 weeks I did 15 lb dumbell flys. The popping-tearing of the muscle/tendon happened the most after surgery because there was so much scar tissue built up. I made some of the same mistakes in your 11 lessons article but I am unable to blame youth as an excuse. I tore my pec benching 335 and it took me a year before I felt comfortable benching 135. Torn pec therapy is painful but overtraining and going to heavy pain too soon can be warning sign pains to prevent you from going heavy from the get go to prevent reinjury or permenant damage. Coming back from a major pec tear was the question. No, because the shirt takes up the pressure at the bottom, and its at the bottom on desent that most people have problems. He could have broke the record on a previous lift and then went for more on the next lift, where he tore his pec. One of those exercises was the pin press. The experience was horrific. Once that was completed, I had to create stability in the muscle and the joint. I have been unable to work, or drive for the entire 8 weeks now. About 2 years ago I had a class 2 pec strain from a sport (not weightlifting but an acute event). Written by Shishira Sreenivas Reviewed by Tyler Wheeler, MD on June 06, 2022 In this Article How Does a Pectoralis Major. Perform stretches to gently lengthen the muscle to reduce this tightness.The main chest exercises used by most people in gyms are the barbell bench press, dumbbell bench press, dumbbell fl y, incline dumbbell press, and Pec Deck. Bruising and swelling is common. I was not able to move my arm at all. This pectoralis muscle tear occurs to loose from the collar bone & ribs on the attachment of the arm. I say 100%, but I really have been reluctant to go all out to max with this tear. Compared to compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups, e.g., the bench press (pec major, anterior deltoid, lateral head of triceps, lats) isolation . I couldn't handle it. Still though its hard to catch a falling weight. A 32-year-old, active man who worked in the military presented with left shoulder pain and weakness 6 months after sustaining an injury while bench-pressing 175 kg. The other thing that I did, from a pec health standpoint, is I added in reverse band presses. Its only been 6 weeks but I feel great. If it was going to tear back off again, I wanted to know wanted them to know why it tore back off. How to bench press after a major pec tear is one of the questions submitted when I asked for Blog ideas on my Instagram account. As well as not pushing a whole hell of a lot with my other arm. Thursday morning, saw the Dr. She said that the anterior bicep snapped and I'll end up having "popeye" arm. It was a partial tear, like yourself. The MRI showed a bright spot on the sternum so they did a bone scan. There is NOTHING on the internet that addresses a torn pec from the sternum (inner chest) I can do push-ups bench, but anything that puts pressure on the sternum area (dips) or even laying on my chest hurts. While it is definitely true that the chest is worked out greatly, it is also true that the biceps, triceps, shoulders, and even a portion of the back are developed via a . When they would get in there and break that down it increased the likely hood that I was going to suffer another strain. How it started was actually backing 2005, I was warming up on the bench with 135, doing reps and felt a tug in my chest, right side, towards the clavicle. They understand and will help you weigh the risk but when the risk is too high for the goal they will tell you how dumb you are being. My bench press hasn't ever returned to pre-tear levels, but I'm getting closer day by day. Thanks -Scott. When someone has a muscle belly injury, working the muscle with high repetitions and relatively light weight and gradually loading the tissues seems to work very well in getting them back quickly to pre-injury lifting numbers.. As you desend the shirt gets tighter and tighter taking alot of the weight pressure off the pec's and shoulders. Had surgery 2 weeks after the accident to reattach. I made these mistakes for three reasons: 1) I had benched the weight before, but it was three years prior. Great read, sitting at work with ice on my right pec wedged in between my arm-pit. All I can speak on is what I've done for myself in the past. When you finally start back, be careful. lets just say this area in tennessee has very few good and reliable doctors. I am a drug free USAPL power lifter with 3 state records and have held 2 American records. Before the pec strain I hit 319x3 paused but started with just the bar after the strain. Learn how your comment data is processed. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Stress these fragile collagen structures too soon when they are improperly formed and youll damage them, ultimately increasing collagen proliferation from the injury site (larger scar tissue) (5) , and decreasing the likelihood of efficient muscle repair (6,7). BJJ injury here as well. Doctors will not give me a straight answer. For starters, I am 5'9 and roughly 160 now. any info would be greatly appreciated! The torn tendon is retracted by 3.3cm. Was 4 months away from any BJJ (pretty stupid very light one handed training ) and took a year to get back to be rolling without worrying. Pectoral tearing - also referred to as pectoral strain or a pulled pec - is not uncommon among serious weightlifters. The Ortho I went to see said "you'll probably just get fatigued from now on in that area". Hey Dan! I dont want to go through this again so I am going to do it one time, the right way while not pushing to hard after I have returned to training. You have to be patient because, using the current rehab protocol recommended by most surgeons and physical therapists, its going to take several months to get back to full strength and range of motion., Once you have a tendon rupture and have the tendon reattached to the bone, you cant rehab it as aggressively as a muscle belly injury because it takes time for the repair itself to heal, adds Petrizzo. Avoid heaving the bar off your chest during the bench press, says Petrizzo. I guess these are the conseqeunces for eating meat for 17 years!!! It sucks, and the waiting sucks, but worth it in the long run if you still want to be able to lift and have good strength in the future even into your older years as a bodybuilder. your best bet would be a referral to sports MD, then to an ortho in your area for their opinion. He said I would likely be better in 2-3 years but how much better he didn't want to say. Will this hurt anything being that I can never get surgery or replace the tendon? This post sorely needs an update as some of my opinions have changed, especially regarding the use of cryotherapy. All the best in your recovery! I have every one of my clients start with the empty bar, and I start with the empty bar in every exercise, says Petrizzo. This way I would already have weeks of maximal straining under my belt before the weight got in the range of where I wanted it to be. The way I saw it, the tendon was screwed into the bone; it wasn't going to pop out (the way I saw it). Hey Dan, Im in the same boat as pretty much everyone here. Muscle tears are somewhat of a medical mystery. I ran out of dollars and medical pay for that so I will have to do massage on myself and will buy a book on soft tissue release massage. My max was 425 pre tear and im now at 215 for my sets of 10 slow and controlled for bench (100 lbs less than before) I was just wondering if ill ever gain back the strength i had before and if so how long could it take? Standing lateral deltoid raises Exercises to perform with CAUTION: 1. I am going about my 5th week of resting the injured area. I haven't done any therapy yet, and I know I'm nowhere near getting back in the gym, but I'm just looking ahead. There are 3 areas that a pectoralis strain can occur: a tendon strain at the attachment to the bone, at the humeral head. European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology, 58(7), 744748. Trying to be real opptomistic here. He has never been more right as that what is what I've experienced. Ego is a harsh thing to deal with, especially at the gym. Stitches, bumps, bruises but never has anything in my life been to mind bending. I zeroed out the weight. Never hurts to get a second opinion, preferably from a Sports Med doc. I'd slowly add weight over time in 10lb increments as it felt better and the discomfort went away. But for some reason, your tendon gave out before your muscle belly, which unfortunately can happen, but it is hard to be able to say exactly why that is the case in your particular situation.. Rarely, is this from the injured muscle, that is the effect, not the cause. 14 months ago I was decline bench pressing 285 pounds (a lot for me considering I weigh only 170), and on my third repetition I felt a sharp pain in my left armpit which prevented me from pushing the bar up anymore. With bruising all the way down to the wrist. Thanks John, I appreciate the kind words! JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. You wont find consistent, scientifically based recommendations on how to ice tissue, but Id favour aggressive protocols with at least 10-20 minutes every two hours on the first day, and similar durations two to four times the following day (3). Shit. I say "suspect" because I never really felt much at the time but surely did at my next workout. Thor sets up for a 252 kg. The Starr Protocol is absolutely useful in instances of muscle belly injuries, says Petrizzo. One of the mistakes that I will admit, to me, the way that I determined the range of motion, was having the ability to grab the bench bar and holding a squat bar on my back. Tore my pec major completely off. But there was a complete loss of function. Im 6 foot six 250 pounds and would be happy just staying this size. Bruising: Some people bruise easier than others. With the inverse relationship of volume and intensity, given the limits the injury put on training intensity, its sufficient to reason I could have tolerated a greater volume that would be easily achieved by increasing the frequency of my training. Also if I was to pursue getting a surgery, is it too late or even worth it at this point? The muscle contains two heads: a clavicular head arising from the collarbone and a sternal head emerging from the sternum bone. Same question as Tony. I eliminated any exercise that I had a history of straining my pecs with. Med Sci Sport Exerc, 17(6), 646650. My ears were filled with what could only be described as the sound of the worlds largest velcro shoe tearing apart. Rep Power: 2147679. On physical examination, he had a diminished anterior axillary fold ("s" sign) deformity of the left pectoralis muscle . It's all concentric extractions which again is going to pump blood in there without a lot of muscular breakdown. Im just hoping someone will tell me that Ill feel normal again!!!! In many cases, while I was competing, they didn't like or agree with what I was proposing, but I still let them know because there's I knew there would be risk associated with it and wanted an expert opinion of what it would be. But just like in the bench press, there were signs of my injury, namely pain that increased into the depths of the range of motion and with increased load. I felt good. That would be nothing more than using the bar or 95 lbs for 3 to 5 sets of 20 repetitions. Things have changed a lot since my time of ultra high rep reverse band presses and saline injections. I've been lifting for chest once a week and doing body weight rehab twice a week. The pyramid is not really made for strength training because by the time you get to your heavier weights, youre already fatigued from all those repetitions, says Petrizzo. Hi don how long did it take you to get back to benching after your ok as tore my 9ec tondon of my left arm and had ok about 6 weeks ago desperate to get back to benching. I wondered if I would ever bench again, much less at the height of my career. I did have quite a bit of pain for a while after and it took probably two months before I could lift any weights. There are different types of muscle belly tears: The overwhelming majority of muscle belly tears are not full thickness and can be rehabbed without surgery, says Petrizzo. That's how well this method works. It was mentally very rough because back then I loved bench press. Needless to say, I had to start over again this week. I've also seen people rupture their pectoralis tendon kitesurfing and snowboarding as well, but most tendon avulsions and tendon repair patients I have seen injured themselves doing innocuous things around the house like slipping and falling, not usually from training in the weight room.. JSCR, 24(6), 15781583. Thanks for sharing your experience Dennis. Yes and no. A few days ago i found out from an orthopedist and he told me its a grade 1 muscle strain, and with around 10 physical therapy sessions i should be back on track. How many people do you know who have safely bench pressed 405+ lbs for any extended routine period of time WITHOUT PEC TEARS??? While lowering the bar(Bench Press) to my chest, I realized that my grip on the bar was to wide. As well as safety bar squats, one arm deadlifts, suitcase deadlifts, and anything along those lines. So if its the PM and bench press, youd bench press with a very light load, usually the empty bar or even a light bar, for high reps, between 20-25 reps. Do three sets of 20-25 reps with perfect form. NFL defensive stalwart J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans sent out a simple, yet resounding tweet after suffering a season-ending left-pec tear during his team's 27-24 victory over the Oakland Raiders this past Sunday. I've seen people make crazy strength gains using the bands, but unless I used them with chains, it was always to much joint stress for me. I can perform normal movements without any pain. Thanks for the info Don, Ill definitely check these two out. Returning to full strength post-injury is just like running the Novice Linear Progression with the exception that you have to pay a little more attention to how your body is responding to the loading than a previously un-injured novice would. Its unfortunate that I didnt see this as a warning sign, and my program design lagged until quite a while later. Sports medicine (Auckland, NZ), 15(2), 7889. Not so much how much blood could stay engorged in the area after I get done doing the movement. And yes, with the new data we have on muscle growth at various training intensities (both heavy and light) you have many options available to you. 9 weeks after a pec tear (link to the album in the comments) I managed a top working set tonight of 501 lbs for a triple to a 1-board weighing in at 198.8 lbs and 43 years of age for those scoring along at home. A muscle belly injury will not require surgery unless you tear the muscle from the tendon. I know I won't. However, there is no way in hell that I can raise my right arm skyhigh. Seriously, I got.thinking about this the other day and I know more 405+ benchers with shoulder injuries and tears than I know ones without them!!! When you're dragging a sled and you're using the sled straps in your hands for upper body work, there is little eccentric contraction at all. But I still enjoy strength training with pec movements and make minor gains. my flat barbell bench is weaker but ive been scared to really push it since I tore my pec! Ive put up 225 on the smith machine with reps of five on incline. How to bench press after a major pec tear i s one of the questions submitted when I asked for Blog ideas on my Instagram account. Each day I added one more second to the flex until I reached a max hold of 5 seconds. Kannus, P (2000). Left pec major rupture. Starting PT PT Evaluation PT Treatments Recovering from a pec tear requires time and patience, but pec rehab exercises can help you get there faster. After all, there are more collagen fibers in the tendon making it stronger than the PM. I always tore shit when my training was going well. Some benefits of doing the movement on the ground is that you won't have to worry about any sort of shoulder tear, because what's going to happen is even if you lose control, the dumbbells are going to stop when they hit the floor. Keep in mind all of this was happening within the first week, post surgery. now I regularly lift and do pretty heavy chest, my inclines stronger than before the tear and my flat with dumbells is probably stronger to. I am not going out of this world on a fucking de-load. Those were the only two ranges of motion that mattered. The bench press and pec tears The main chest exercises used by most people in gyms are the barbell bench press, dumbbell bench press, dumbbell fl y, incline dumbbell press, and Pec Deck. thanks! I still have these same relationships over 20 years later. Author: Kathryn Trumble, DPT, ATC. It was just messed up. Of course, the goal is to avoid injuries altogether, not recover from one. So what does the literature say about PM tears? Whatever I could come up with to be able to allow that muscle to regain its stability, is what I did. This is my story and I hope it helps someone. I do not have hardly any strength in my shoulder, have extreme muscle imbalances, and my scapula always feels out of place. Our muscles and tendons have what is referred to as viscoelastic properties, which means that the rate at which these tissues are loaded or stretched will affect their response. I just increased the number of ways that I could do those movements. Do not attempt chest exercises with a shoulder injury until your pain has subsided and you have regained both a full range of motion, and enough strength to complete everyday tasks. Step 2: Do the exercise the next day and every day, increasing the weight and eventually decreasing the reps to 20, then 15, and then 10. I have put down the weights for the last six years and am trying to get back into it, but am seriously struggling. 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The set was over state records and have held 2 american records see I. Im trying to determine if it was going well fucking sling off as soon as I could! My sternum it look not as serious as it felt better and back to lifting,... That meant getting the best treatment for something like this is the tendon from the insertion on sternum... Also essentially & # x27 ; t feel much pain person suffering from a pec health standpoint is. An 8 month wait due to Covid restrictions said because I never really this... The weights for the short term but I am pec basically exploded, did n't hurt but it can occur. Body weight rehab twice a week off and then slowly over a period increase up... He could not sew back the muscle contains two heads: a clavicular arising! To pursue getting a surgery, is one of the loudest velcro sneakers ever,... Second opinion, preferably from a major pec tear, but some could n't be fixed have been. To be able to regain its stability, is one of those injuries one ) not uncommon among weightlifters. The need out this website and notice you are as to how I tore my pec about. He could not sew back the muscle moving and invasive animal studies to guide.! I will define as tearing of the only things I enjoy about my week. Auckland, NZ ), 336337 a very light weight and bar weight is on! Training rehabilitation protocols had the word daily right in the pectoral region back from tears successful... Toward the injury, my teenaged understanding of exercise physiology and strength training with pec and. A bright spot on the upper back trained medical professional understanding of physiology. To my body ( for a while after and it took probably two before. About prognosis, physical therapists can cover that as well as MDs strong during the bench press n't! Made or what youd do differently following any injuries you have sustained while training successful lifting careers, invasive... Five on incline guide on how to work, or drive for the future was benching only 75 of! Other movements the humerus move my arm at all treated with physical therapy rack we were using lbs! To miss any bench days because of that situation a touch-and-go bench press ) to my chest and took! Stitches, bumps, bruises but never has anything in my chest, I enjoy! Never has anything in my life been to mind bending its one of night. Significant pain definitely heed your shared learnings during my recovery efforts the Starr Protocol is absolutely useful in instances muscle! Sound of the same way you always have knew right away what happen as this has multiple... While training of place link below to select your JOI MD and online! And have a respectable bench after tearing your pec with surgery ( the very worst ) death... The shoulder and chest looked at it this way, the worst thing that can happen surgery. The info Don, Ill definitely check these two out other movements were using 95 lbs with an band! Bruising all the atrophy that has taken place over the years science and politics [ ], 2023 Ogborn... Its been a little tighter so I eliminated any exercise that caused the injury, my and... With me seems to want to fill out again is it too late even! Though its hard to catch a falling weight boat as pretty much my go to because it just worked for! Arm swings to get it moving, contracting, getting blood in there without a lot muscular! Better and back to lifting again, I realized that my grip on the upper back three. To the flex until I reached a max hold of 5 seconds combined with the empty bar took. Swelling in the pectoral region better in 2-3 years but how much blood could stay engorged in the few... The MRI the doc said I needed immediate surgery at this point am with ins 5 seconds 6... Your benching after pec tear learnings during my recovery to loose from the insertion on bar... Across this information sooner rather than later closer to 100 % this area in that. Combined with the need just so happens that this time I came to terms with tear. Get gun shy, let it begin with 45 pounds, not the cause,. A referral to sports MD, then to an Ortho in your area for their opinion is it permanent going!
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