Medial Bicep Tendon Tear??

[gymmania]

I severed my medial bicep tendon on May 2 and had it operated on May 14. My surgeon, during my last consultation told me there is no way to strengthen the tendon. However, I found in a lifting manual a statement about Bicep Brachii Tendon Tears; "It is possible to prevent this injury by regularly working the biceps, not to develope the muscle, but to strengthen its tendon. For this reason reason add forearm flexor isolations using a bar in a series of "cheats" by leaning the chesk back to give the bar a boost. If practiced regularly, this technique reinforces the dista tendon of the biceps by the tension it places on it. Nevertheless it must be performed carefully without rounding the back to avoid injury."

First, I don't really understand what forearm flexor isolations are and how they are done correctly using a cheat method, can anyone explain? I believe this is some form of bicep curl, but I want to be sure. Secondly, it states you can prevent injury, eg. does this indicate that doing this exercise now could hurt me instead of help me after having the reattachment surgery? And does anyone disagree or agree that this actually does or doesn't strengthen the tendon, especially w/o further injury? Thanks for the help.

[gymmania]

Thanks Basskiller for the info and the picture; however, the book describes the exercise using a barbell plus some sort of cheat method by pushing the chest out but not curving the back. So what are they talking about?

Even before the surgery I asked the surgeon about HGH or anabolics, but he says that juice has been proven to actually weaken tendons and ligaments. I understand their concern with prescribing juice, not that I agree with it tho, because of all the bad press it has been given in sports and the potential for them loosing their licenses over prescribing. Again, another argument I've been thru with the Doc, and I always seem to come out on the loosing end. But I will keep a copy of the article you posted and do appreciate it. However, I think the Doc may be right in this case because tendon appears to be dead muscle, so if you build the muscle so that it is bigger and stronger aren't you then putting more stress on the connectors (eg. tendons/ligaments), thus potentially weakening them? I've wondered if use wasn't actually a partial cause of my tear. Even tho I have had cronic tendonitius in my elbows for several years now. If I learned anything, it is that when you start to get tendonitius you should "stop." allow it to get better (icing etc.), then come back slowly after all pain has subsided. Wish I had listen to the warning signs.

[ecboston]

Juice does weaken tendons and ligaments. It's proven. I'm not telling you to take anything but HGH has been noted to repair the less soft tissues such as tendon's. Ligaments are a different storry. They have the weakest blood flow.
I suggest that you use light weight for high reps until your movement feels normal. I wouldn't work to failure either. Once your discomfort subsides during bicep work, increase your weights and drop your reps. I wouldn't suggest working to failure once you've torn your biceps tendon. At the end of the day, it is forever weakened.
Hope this helps.
EC

[Bountyhunter]

AAS does not weaken tendons. What happens is tendon injuries are more common as a result of AAS use because the muscle strength grows at a pace that the tendons are often unable to keep up with. Another words your biceps could have grown strong enough to allow you to curl 200lbs for reps but the tendon was not built to support that much weight so it gives out. More commonly tendon ruptures are a result of overuse syndrom. I tore my left triceps tendon a couple of years ago. It actually happened during a fight in which my full bodyweight (260lbs at the time) landed on the concrete using my left elbow as a break. However, long before this it had been bothering me from years of very heavy skullcrushers. So the fall was just the final blow. Regardless I underwent two different surgeries. The first one was a failure (incompetent surgeon). Then I went to the top guy for the NFL. He was able to repair the tendon using some new technology. He actually told me that while he does not advocate the use of AAS it would help me with the healing process. After taking a mandatory three month break from anykind of lifting I went back to light training. Now only a year later I am back 100% in size and strength on everything but isolated triceps movements. Anotherwords, I can do heavy benches and dips but on one arm tricep extensions my left is still a little weaker than my right. Good news is that slowly but surely it is continuing to get stronger and according to my surgeon there is almost no way I will ever tear that one again.