Pec Rupture Recovery

[hulksmash]

Hello all. On Monday, I had surgery to re-attach my right pec tendon to the bone. I wanted to know:

Have you personally/known someone that underwent pec tear surgery, and if so, what was done for/during recovery? Please add the time frames.

My doctor suprisingly wrote "PT not necessary" (which is okay, since I have the knowledge+self-body awareness), so I'll have to do the recovery myself. I made this thread to find and take any and all methods+opinions that will benefit my recovery. I'm also using Google and YT.

Yesterday was day 1 of being allowed to take off the sling 2-3x a day for flexion/extension of the elbow. I flex my bicep and tricep for a "weightless bicep curl/tricep extension". I did use a 17oz water bottle once today to have some form of resistance.

I'm also trying to expedite recovery nutrition wise by daily ingestion of B-100 (has all B vitamins including co-factors), NOW Men's Sport Multi (includes amino acids, MCT Oil, and anti-oxidants), 10,000iu D3, 20-40 Ultra 40 Liver tablets, 20mg Cialis (every 2 or 3 days for max blood flow), and RTD Muscle Milk (I only eat 1-2 meals a day but want to hit 100g Pro daily for this recovery).

Thanks for any any help and replies.

 

[Jin]

That’s rough. I wish you a speedy recovery.

 

[Trump]

I have no advice for you hulk but hope your recover well and good to see you around

 

[tinymk]

I have had 2 friends, teammates, tear pecs that required surgeries to re-attach the muscle back to the bone since April.
Both are still in recovery, one is further ahead then the other by several weeks and already out of the brace. I believe he was braced 8 weeks.

i will try and catch up with em and see if they have any PT type of advise.

 

[CJ]

I've only snapped an Achille's tendon, so all I can offer is that is was pretty much 1 full year before I felt like everything was back to where i was before mentally, meaning I wasn't worrying about reinjuring it.

Even though I was in a boot for months, I remained active on it, went about my daily life and continued training...even light squatting. The PT was pissed, as I wore through the bottom of the boot, but by the end admitted that it seemed to have worked well.

I know it's not apples to apples, but it's all I got.

 

[DF]

Snake has torn a pec. I'm sure he'll pop in with some advice.

 

[HollyWoodCole]

Definitely a rough injury man, sorry to hear about it.

Good to see you back on the board.

 

[Beserker]

Sorry to hear man, did you get those 150s up?

 

[snake]

Been there hulk. A complete tendon rupture of my pec. about 8 years ago. I'm going off memory and I'm old so I may not have 100% recall. I was in a sling for about 6 weeks with a sling that kept my elbow to my body. After 6 weeks I did the PT for 2 weeks 3x/week. The PT was a guy I knew well so I just asked for a schedule and exercises to do rather than lay down $60 a visit. Go slow with the comeback; you may only get one bite at the recovery apple. I didn't touch a weight for about 4 months and when I started, it was the bar for 10 reps. I was very cautious with what I was doing because I was not going through that again.


My guess is the surgeon put a "Button" in the humerus and reattached the tendon. That said, the tendon is now shorter and your R.O.M. will be too. I recall that "Stretch" for several months after getting back in the gym when benching. You're not going to like this but I avoided DB's for 2 years and haven't done dips since the surgery.


As for any drugs to speed the recovery, I asked the Dr. when I had the pec done and also a few years later for a labrum repair. They both said the same thing; "The body heals on its own schedule and trying to speed it up may be detrimental"


Now what you probably really want to know; When will be back to 100%? I asked the Dr. the same thing. The conversation went like this:
Snake: So when will I be back to what I was doing?
Surgeon: Well what were you maxing right before this?
Snake: Just hit 400
Surgeon: Well I can't tell a healthy 47 y.o. he'd ever hit 400 and you just had a nasty injury but my guess is you should see 350 again.


I researched it and asked the Dr. about it; without the surgery and you're looking at a 25% loss in strength. That would put me at a 300 max. along with the divot in my shoulder so I am happy I had it done. Three years post-op I hit a 390 in a meet and probably had 400 in me the way it went up.


On a good note, be happy the rupture was in the tendon and not the muscle. A muscle to muscle repair seldom holds because the sutures pull through.

 

[hulksmash]

Sorry to hear man, did you get those 150s up?

Thanks everyone.

I was using 170s for the 3rd week; 2nd rep lowering the weight came a jump of my pec and a loud pop. The sight freaked my wife out lol

Only 30lbs away from 200s. Still upset over being that close to my goal.

 

[hulksmash]

Been there hulk. A complete tendon rupture of my pec. about 8 years ago. I'm going off memory and I'm old so I may not have 100% recall. I was in a sling for about 6 weeks with a sling that kept my elbow to my body. After 6 weeks I did the PT for 2 weeks 3x/week. The PT was a guy I knew well so I just asked for a schedule and exercises to do rather than lay down $60 a visit. Go slow with the comeback; you may only get one bite at the recovery apple. I didn't touch a weight for about 4 months and when I started, it was the bar for 10 reps. I was very cautious with what I was doing because I was not going through that again.


My guess is the surgeon put a "Button" in the humerus and reattached the tendon. That said, the tendon is now shorter and your R.O.M. will be too. I recall that "Stretch" for several months after getting back in the gym when benching. You're not going to like this but I avoided DB's for 2 years and haven't done dips since the surgery.


As for any drugs to speed the recovery, I asked the Dr. when I had the pec done and also a few years later for a labrum repair. They both said the same thing; "The body heals on its own schedule and trying to speed it up may be detrimental"


Now what you probably really want to know; When will be back to 100%? I asked the Dr. the same thing. The conversation went like this:
Snake: So when will I be back to what I was doing?
Surgeon: Well what were you maxing right before this?
Snake: Just hit 400
Surgeon: Well I can't tell a healthy 47 y.o. he'd ever hit 400 and you just had a nasty injury but my guess is you should see 350 again.


I researched it and asked the Dr. about it; without the surgery and you're looking at a 25% loss in strength. That would put me at a 300 max. along with the divot in my shoulder so I am happy I had it done. Three years post-op I hit a 390 in a meet and probably had 400 in me the way it went up.


On a good note, be happy the rupture was in the tendon and not the muscle. A muscle to muscle repair seldom holds because the sutures pull through.

Damn. Thank you. I did have a slight tear of my left pec in the fall of 2019. I let it heal on its own, and had to start over from 140s then.

Honestly with what you said, I think I'll hang up using DBs over 100lbs or so after a return to bench.

I was doing lying DB tricep extensions with 75s for reps, so I wonder what this injury will do that. I still want to keep my goal of using 100s for tri extensions.

If you're able to answer this, how long would you have waited to use a shovel and dig and use a loaded wheelbarrow? That's a huge part of my work. The doc said I can probably stop the sling in 4 weeks.

Today I started keeping my arm out longer, but still won't lift my arm up or stand up fully straight (puts stretching on my pec).

Also thanks again for the reminder to not rush it. It sure is easy to; my wife stays busy controlling me lol

 

[hulksmash]

Oh Snake, do you remember what PT had ya do?

 

[supreme666leader]

dont really know what to say but hope that never happens again, i strained outer pec by shoulder/arm pit area by incline benching 120s. trying to go lighter higher reps to work thru it but pain still comes back very frustrating that i cant go as heavy as i want.

you mean you did 170s db flat bench? thats pretty crazy that would be great to do!

 

[hulksmash]

dont really know what to say but hope that never happens again, i strained outer pec by shoulder/arm pit area by incline benching 120s. trying to go lighter higher reps to work thru it but pain still comes back very frustrating that i cant go as heavy as i want.

you mean you did 170s db flat bench? thats pretty crazy that would be great to do!

Yes, and my goal was to do at least 200s on db flat bench.

I did 160s for the first time at Metroflex (where Ronnie trains) so that was fun.

I'm only 195lbs so I still wonder if I should have gained weight to do 160s and up. Maybe being heavier=stronger tendon. Guess I'll never know.

 

[supreme666leader]

Yes, and my goal was to do at least 200s on db flat bench.

I did 160s for the first time at Metroflex (where Ronnie trains) so that was fun.

I'm only 195lbs so I still wonder if I should have gained weight to do 160s and up. Maybe being heavier=stronger tendon. Guess I'll never know.

im 161lb now and know without any soreness i could do 125s on flat or incline but my plan this winter is to try and gain 30lbs to get up to 195 or 200lbs, my gym only goes up to 125s id either have to duck tape plates on the dbs to go heavier or go to other gyms around the area that have heavier dbs, some have 150s which would be a great and reasonable goal. One has 150s but nothing inbetween that and 200lbs but 200s look insane beside the heavy weight just laying back with those and positioning them must be crazy.

As we get older guess its easier to get injured so always have to be extra careful but know how tempting it is to always try to go heavier.

 

[hulksmash]

im 161lb now and know without any soreness i could do 125s on flat or incline but my plan this winter is to try and gain 30lbs to get up to 195 or 200lbs, my gym only goes up to 125s id either have to duck tape plates on the dbs to go heavier or go to other gyms around the area that have heavier dbs, some have 150s which would be a great and reasonable goal. One has 150s but nothing inbetween that and 200lbs but 200s look insane beside the heavy weight just laying back with those and positioning them must be crazy.

As we get older guess its easier to get injured so always have to be extra careful but know how tempting it is to always try to go heavier.

Oh boy, duct tape! I've had to use duct tape for years due to cost of DBs. I eventually bought two 150s and used duct tape (Gorilla tape is best) with my small EZ curl bar plates to be at 170s. Also taped plates when I only had 100s and 120s. Heavy dumbbells are so damn costly.

I have no spotter, so there was plenty of times where I had to accept loss because I couldn't start the 1st rep! I literally could not get up 140s, 150s, 160s, and 170s plenty of times. Those chest days really pissed me off ending like that, but made me make my arm strength a #1 priority. If curious, I always did this routine:

1xwarm up-15lb DBs for 1 set lying DB extensions+standing db curl
1×whatever starting flat DB bench: 35s
1×8-12 (just get blood flowing) 60s
1xwhatever 8x12: 75s
1x4-5: 120s
1x2-4: whatever my goal was at the time (140s, 150s, 160s, 170s)

I also only did flat lying DB extension for triceps (I try to only stick to 1 exercise for a body part except for back), and when I got to using 75s for lying DB extensions, I finally was able to get up 170s on flat db bench.

Definitely add weight to your body. You need that extra cross-sectional LBM everywhere to play with heavy ass weight.

Also, I think I caused this injury by not having an additional set with a weight that was 30lbs lighter than my goal (e.g. a set with 140s if I ended with 170s) and jumping to 170s too soon. I should have spent months more with 160s to let my tendon strength catch up to my skeletal muscle strength. Also I always jumped up 10lbs, rather than 2.5 or 5lb increments. I'm pretty sure my tendons were not given enough time to acclimate in strength. Don't jump up in weight too fast like I always did.

 

[supreme666leader]

Anything over 100s even 5lbs makes a huge difference. Shoulder press is something i can heavy as possible now so when i can do 5 sets of 12 comfortably then ill move up 5lbs. Think i could do 105s now but being cautious due to strain. 140 to 170s a huge jump but atleast you got them up.

 

[snake]

If you're able to answer this, how long would you have waited to use a shovel and dig and use a loaded wheelbarrow? That's a huge part of my work. The doc said I can probably stop the sling in 4 weeks.

Hate to say it but 3 months. I injured mine prior to bow season and couldn't pull a bow back for a long time. I got a new crossbow then and still could climb a tree.

 

[snake]

How soon after this do you think you'll be ready to do much. Doc took this for me.

 

[hulksmash]

Damn. I appreciate it.

Pic makes a good point. Recovery sucks, but I'll be patient then.