# Bicep tear



## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

What are the best ways to prevent this?

Maybe its sod law but my mate tore his pec benching the other day, and right before a set of rack pulls i was on about bicep tears.

180kg, 3rd rep i felt a twinge and a sharp pain in my bicep (wasnt that bad, but with what we had just been talking about i instatnly dropped the bar.

Decided to leave it there, had a crap workout :cursing:

Just made me a'lil paranoid and wonderd if theres things you can do to help prevent this happening


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## PumpingIron (Feb 7, 2011)

I imagine stretching first or doing some light sets to get the muscle prepared is a good idea.

Can't really think of anything you can take to prevent this happening. Maybe you are lifting too much?

Just some things to consider. :thumbup1:


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

PumpingIron said:


> I imagine stretching first or doing some light sets to get the muscle prepared is a good idea.
> 
> Can't really think of anything you can take to prevent this happening. Maybe you are lifting too much?
> 
> Just some things to consider. :thumbup1:


Lifting too much?

Never heard such a thing, warmed up pretty well, streching sounds like a good idea.

Im not asking for supplements but things you can do to help prevent it (excersies, strehces etc)

People have surely had this happen to them, and what do you do now to safe guard your self from it


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

PumpingIron said:


> I imagine stretching first or doing some light sets to get the muscle prepared is a good idea.
> 
> Can't really think of anything you can take to prevent this happening. Maybe you are lifting too much?
> 
> Just some things to consider. :thumbup1:


LOL


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

fatmanstan! said:


> LOL


???


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## shinobi_85 (Feb 20, 2011)

not sure that prolonged static stretches on biceps would be the best idea, ive heard it actually stops the muscle from extending fully or some crap, whereas doing quicker more dynamic stretches prepare the muscle better to get stretched by weight. dunno might have read a load of crap, double check it though to see


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## powerhousepeter (Dec 4, 2010)

I'd say try Stretching and don't jump the weights too much, I always pyramid up even if I have to do 6 or so sets, but even then it could tare not much you can do really....lower the poundage.... Yeah like that's guna happen lol


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

LOL @ maybe ur lifting too much, thats funny - best stop progressing then.


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## CoffeeFiend (Aug 31, 2010)

Lifting too much can rip and damage things. But if you dont ever up the weight you dont ever grow and get stronger... bit of a weird line really but i think its the case.


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

powerhousepeter said:


> I'd say try Stretching and don't jump the weights too much, I always pyramid up even if I have to do 6 or so sets, but even then it could tare not much you can do really....lower the poundage.... Yeah like that's guna happen lol


I usually do

bar x lots of reps (20+)

plate a side x 10-15

2 plates x 3-10 (depends how i feel and how much energy i want to save)

Then ill usually go up in plates or half plates same again 3-10 reps up to 180

180 is where my working sets usually begin to start.

Wanted to do 180 for like 10+ reps today, got scared, pussied out... now im asking this question because its made me paranoid

ruined my workout


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## PumpingIron (Feb 7, 2011)

MarkFranco said:


> Lifting too much?
> 
> Never heard such a thing







Just sayin'


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

PumpingIron said:


> Just sayin'


Thats just been stupid haha, seen that before ages ago, ive been stuck in the hole many of time, just make sure you have a spotter or a good set of safety pins

Saying that, ive sometimes been left in the hole with what feels like forever when my spotters arnt on the ball 

Spotters, safety pins or the ability to be able to "dump" the bar would solve this problem lol


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

MarkFranco said:


> I usually do
> 
> bar x lots of reps (20+)
> 
> ...


maybe not use a mixed grip (i do but hey ho).


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

fatmanstan! said:


> maybe not use a mixed grip (i do but hey ho).


My fat mitts struggle to grip the bar as it is, I try to do double overhand as much as i can, pretty much after 140+ I have to start using mixed grip and chalk

Would defo solve this problem, damn my ego for thinking straps are for pussys, other wise I could use them with over hand grip


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## CoffeeFiend (Aug 31, 2010)

PumpingIron said:


> Just sayin'


Tbh that is one reason i dont squat... if i fvck up like that ive got no backup..


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

If it does bother you, why not do some grip work, plate pinches etc, before u know it youll be rolling up the frying pan


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

CoffeeFiend said:


> Tbh that is one reason i dont squat... if i fvck up like that ive got no backup..


do u bench?


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

Well so far we havent got anything solid to go by and my options are the following

Become a massive fanny and lift girly weights

Become a little bitch and use straps

Take up jogging

Hope and pray for divine intervention


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

fatmanstan! said:


> If it does bother you, why not do some grip work, plate pinches etc, before u know it youll be rolling up the frying pan


my grip has never failed to be fair on deadlifts, so ive never really looked into grip strength, my weakpoints have typically been drive from the floor or getting it past the knees


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## CoffeeFiend (Aug 31, 2010)

fatmanstan! said:


> do u bench?


I would gladly bench but without a spotter i wouldnt ever lift to my limit because if it goes its going to decapitate me because no one is there to spot me. I do overhead press... if i mess up that i can at least drop it down hard in front of me.. without taking my head off lol


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

MarkFranco said:


> Well so far we havent got anything solid to go by and my options are the following
> 
> Become a massive fanny and lift girly weights
> 
> ...


Or be a man and roll up some frying pans


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## PumpingIron (Feb 7, 2011)

CoffeeFiend said:


> Tbh that is one reason i dont squat... if i fvck up like that ive got no backup..


Dumbell squats are safer for that reason, or you can use an isolated bar with hooks if its too much to push back up.


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

CoffeeFiend said:


> I would gladly bench but without a spotter i wouldnt ever lift to my limit because if it goes its going to decapitate me because no one is there to spot me. I do overhead press... if i mess up that i can at least drop it down hard in front of me.. without taking my head off lol


Well how about a front squat, the worst u can do is drop it on the floor in front of you (or are u lookin for an excuse not to squat  )


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## SteamRod (Oct 1, 2007)




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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

SteamRod said:


>


haha, i was actually doing this today, trying strech my shoulders and biceps alittle afterwards


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## CoffeeFiend (Aug 31, 2010)

fatmanstan! said:


> Well how about a front squat, the worst u can do is drop it on the floor in front of you (or are u lookin for an excuse not to squat  )


Its a good point this is how i want to start tbh its just mega uncomfortable... yeah i would rather not squat if i could  but it seems a must..


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

Bicep tears are not uncommon with dead lifts and the hand that is palm out is open.

I would stick to dead lifts as your back probably will fail before the bicep tears.

Rack pulls in my opinion are not necessary and are an ego lift.

If you have to do rack pulls then use a closed grip with straps.

I have never once done rack pulls, cant see the point really, dead lifts work far more range of muscles and are way more practical.


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

hackskii said:


> Bicep tears are not uncommon with dead lifts and the hand that is palm out is open.
> 
> I would stick to dead lifts as your back probably will fail before the bicep tears.
> 
> ...


Interesting, might just cut them out, I dont do them often any way and I dont feel like I benefit much from them in terms of strength carry over to deadlifting from the floor, probably pretty good for back development though.

Allthough using a mixed grip I swear is giving me uneven trap and lat development haha


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## SteamRod (Oct 1, 2007)

rack pulls seem to help with the easiest part of the deadlift that being the pull thru. Better to do an assistance exercise that gets the bar through the first 1/4


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## treb92 (Jun 10, 2008)

the video proves never go down on your knees if your going to fail on squat, get it dropped behind you straight away. Thats of course only if youre daft enough to lift more than you can handle safely without a spotter.


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2011)

How to avoid bicep tears:

Dont flip tyres

dont lift stones.

train your bis.

Dont snatch deadlifts off the floor. Make sure your ease it off the floor

if your that paranoid and like flat thumbs, use hook grip.


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## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

lambert said:


> the video proves never go down on your knees if your going to fail on squat, get it dropped behind you straight away. Thats of course only if youre daft enough to lift more than you can handle safely without a spotter.


or to position the catchers so that all you need to do is lean forward abit to get the bar onto them if you do get stuck


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I guess having big strong biceps would be a start or switching the hand that goes under each set or something..


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

negatives m8 reverse grip bicep curls and negative preacher curls , negatives help build the tendons directly rather than the muscles so slow down 4-6 seconds every 6 weeks do a week of negs , i tore my right pec benching last year didnt tear it off the bone but a slight tear was still painful lol


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

mikex101 said:


> How to avoid bicep tears:
> 
> Dont flip tyres
> 
> ...


I dont flip tyres or lift stones, training my bi's is something I dont really do due to tendon pain the past been caused by curling and preacher with an ez bar

Might have to start training them more

I think what caused this is my left arm (one facing out) sorted tensed up more and slightly (very slightly) starting to some what curl the bar


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

uhan said:


> negatives m8 reverse grip bicep curls and negative preacher curls , negatives help build the tendons directly rather than the muscles so slow down 4-6 seconds every 6 weeks do a week of negs , i tore my right pec benching last year didnt tear it off the bone but a slight tear was still painful lol


Ill try give these ago, might be a problem wthough as dont allways have a spotter, I have had pain in my tendons before which seems to have cleared up and just been doing hammer curls to try make them a little stronger


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

hammers are good too just do them nice and slow , i read on here about taking Cissus Powder to help strengthen ligaments and tendons ive not tried it yet but will add it to my ****nal i dont use supps as a rule of thumb but will take something if it helps tendons and ligaments .


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

Yeah ive looked into that, it seems failry cheap aswell


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## littlesimon (May 24, 2010)

Make sure you're pulling with your arms dead straight and train your bi's like Mike said.

Pull ups from a dead hang will do you well.

Rack pulls have there place, but only if you have a weakness at the top. If your weakness is at the bottom you're better off with speed deads.


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## switch (Jan 5, 2011)

CoffeeFiend said:


> Tbh that is one reason i dont squat... if i fvck up like that ive got no backup..


Then use a Power Cage or a proper squat rack with drop bars, no-one should be squatin on thier won without safety bars !


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## nelly1972 (Jun 15, 2010)

Lower the weight, lift with your arms straight, and do deadlifts, rack pulls only good helping with lockout on deadlifts..


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## MrO2b (Aug 19, 2010)

Cissus i've used for the last 3 weeks, noticed no improvement at all. in fact the day i started i tweaked my pec/coracobrachialis by deadlifting! i know it's not the supps fault, but i've felt more tendon ache these last couple weeks than ever before.


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

nelly1972 said:


> Lower the weight, lift with your arms straight, and do deadlifts, rack pulls only good helping with lockout on deadlifts..


180kg is not near my 1rm so i wont be lowering the weight, think my arm was just slightly bent while lifting


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

MrO2b said:


> Cissus i've used for the last 3 weeks, noticed no improvement at all. in fact the day i started i tweaked my pec/coracobrachialis by deadlifting! i know it's not the supps fault, but i've felt more tendon ache these last couple weeks than ever before.


glucosamine ive been told is good any info on that ? have you used it ?


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## Guest (Apr 5, 2011)

MarkFranco said:


> I dont flip tyres or lift stones, training my bi's is something I dont really do due to tendon pain the past been caused by curling and preacher with an ez bar
> 
> Might have to start training them more
> 
> I think what caused this is my left arm (one facing out) sorted tensed up more and slightly (very slightly) *starting to some what curl the bar*


sort that out and youll be fine.

I got really paranoid about bicep tears a while ago, and found the more i thought about it, the more pain i got in my bis.

Started curling, DB's more than BB as I get some tendon pain too and stopped worrying about it and no more pain.


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

I get tendon pain now and again but managed a full "arms sessions" on the weekend  Bis and tris... tonnes of curls, felt DA P'UMMP

Also managed to pull 200kg conventional and raw (no belt) on monday PB is 210kg sumo and in a suit so im happy.

Rack pulls can do one... But now I just cant flippin' decide which style pull suit me more


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