Who had a torn pec?

[theoldcountry]

Just curious. My son tore his pec training BJJ about 1 1/2 or so ago. He said it was the most intense pain he ever felt and believe me he has a high pain tolerance. It hurt to turn a door knob. Long story short he was diagnosed with a torn pec by my ortho. We chose no surgery, unless he got worse, or was not making progress. He was doing push ups after 10 days. The doctor's jaw dropped when he told him.

He still lifts and trains. He can do everything relatively heavy in the weight room. However, he still can't bench. His chest feels weird. He can DB bench no prob, but flat barbell bench it still feels weird. So, he stopped. Also, rope climb he can't do because there is too much chest strain. I started to research and realized there is a high incidence of bench pressing and pec tears.

My son chose to rehab on his own and recovered, other than he won't bench anymore.

Anyone else ever tear their pec benching or otherwise? If so, did you elect the surgery or chose to rehab on your own? Were you able to bench press again? Same weights?

 

[44YOGearHead]

I tore mine back in 2012. I was in Afghanistan and wasn't leaving behind some shit like that. I couldn't bench for a few months and forced it eventually benching 135lbs. I made a full recovery.


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[Flanex]

I can't speak on the torn pec but you can get just as much if not more with DB presses than barbell presses with the higher range of movement.I haven't done barbell presses (aside from close grip ones for my triceps) in over 10 years.
That's great he made just about a full recovery.It's nice to be young.I've torn both rotator cuffs within a year of each other.I had surgery on one & most of the time the one I had surgery on hurts worse than the one that wasn't "fixed".

 

[theoldcountry]

I tore mine back in 2012. I was in Afghanistan and wasn't leaving behind some shit like that. I couldn't bench for a few months and forced it eventually benching 135lbs. I made a full recovery.


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That's impressive bro. You still benching? What are you working out with on the bench?

 

[theoldcountry]

I can't speak on the torn pec but you can get just as much if not more with DB presses than barbell presses with the higher range of movement.I haven't done barbell presses (aside from close grip ones for my triceps) in over 10 years.
That's great he made just about a full recovery.It's nice to be young.I've torn both rotator cuffs within a year of each other.I had surgery on one & most of the time the one I had surgery on hurts worse than the one that wasn't "fixed".

He was I think 19 or 20 yrs old. He's 21 now. Yes, it's nice to be young!

 

[44YOGearHead]

That's impressive bro. You still benching? What are you working out with on the bench?

My PR is 505x3 as of a few months ago. I warm up with 315.


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[juicedaddyjr]

I completely ruptured (tore) my pectoralis major tendon about 3 weeks ago benching 425lbs. I'm two weeks post op now. My pec major tendon completely tore off of my humerus. I would get an MRI and find out what type of rupture he has and the severity. In my case, surgery was a must....with the type of tear I had, if I had taken the conservative non-surgical route, I would never regain anywhere near full strength in my left pec, as it was completely detached from the bicep/deltoid/pec major junction on the humerus. Pretty simple surgery if it is a complete non-clavicle rupture....they'll drill and insert a couple anchors into the humerus, stretch the tendon back out and suture the tendon to the anchors...done. With surgery, my odds of a complete strength recovery is about 97% according to my doctor and several peer-reviewed medical journals I read.


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[cmb5017]

The bench is nothing but an injury prone exercise. and it's really not that good of a chest exercise honestly. you'll build a way better chest with dumb bells

 

[Flanex]

off topic............

 

[Flanex]

The bench is nothing but an injury prone exercise. and it's really not that good of a chest exercise honestly. you'll build a way better chest with dumb bells

X's 100²........................

 

[Flanex]

I completely ruptured (tore) my pectoralis major tendon about 3 weeks ago benching 425lbs. I'm two weeks post op now. My pec major tendon completely tore off of my humerus. I would get an MRI and find out what type of rupture he has and the severity. In my case, surgery was a must....with the type of tear I had, if I had taken the conservative non-surgical route, I would never regain anywhere near full strength in my left pec, as it was completely detached from the bicep/deltoid/pec major junction on the humerus. Pretty simple surgery if it is a complete non-clavicle rupture....they'll drill and insert a couple anchors into the humerus, stretch the tendon back out and suture the tendon to the anchors...done. With surgery, my odds of a complete strength recovery is about 97% according to my doctor and several peer-reviewed medical journals I read.


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Damn brother OUCH!!I hope you heal up well.I know how helpless you can feel after surgery,but you gotta know it will get better real soon.

 

[theoldcountry]

I completely ruptured (tore) my pectoralis major tendon about 3 weeks ago benching 425lbs. I'm two weeks post op now. My pec major tendon completely tore off of my humerus. I would get an MRI and find out what type of rupture he has and the severity. In my case, surgery was a must....with the type of tear I had, if I had taken the conservative non-surgical route, I would never regain anywhere near full strength in my left pec, as it was completely detached from the bicep/deltoid/pec major junction on the humerus. Pretty simple surgery if it is a complete non-clavicle rupture....they'll drill and insert a couple anchors into the humerus, stretch the tendon back out and suture the tendon to the anchors...done. With surgery, my odds of a complete strength recovery is about 97% according to my doctor and several peer-reviewed medical journals I read.


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Wow. Get well soon.

He had an MRI. The MRI report stated it was the muscle that was torn, but when my ortho reviewed the MRI he thought he also partially tore the tendon. He said since he was already doing some push ups to wait and see how it goes. If he isn't getting better or gets worse to come back and he will do surgery. Well, he was getting better and better. Never got the surgery. He's completely recovered. Yet, the only thing that bothers him is if he try's to bench. So, he doesn't barbell bench anymore.

Other than that he's good to go. At 53 yrs I stopped benching myself. Once in awhile I'll hit it, but I won't go heavy. I had a buddy who was a powerlifter and he tore his pec warming up with 225.

You had no choice with that severe of a tendon tear. Good luck.

 

[juicedaddyjr]

Ahh I see. How long ago was the injury? From my understanding, which is obviously limited because I'm not a doctor or physical therapist...but a partial tear in the muscle belly and/or tendon can self heal if you treat it right and ease back into benching after a few months. As long as his tendon/muscle did not tear completely and retract, then yeah it should be able to heal without surgery. Best of luck to him..and thanks!


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[theoldcountry]

Ahh I see. How long ago was the injury? From my understanding, which is obviously limited because I'm not a doctor or physical therapist...but a partial tear in the muscle belly and/or tendon can self heal if you treat it right and ease back into benching after a few months. As long as his tendon/muscle did not tear completely and retract, then yeah it should be able to heal without surgery. Best of luck to him..and thanks!


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It's been about 1 1/2-2 yrs ago now. You are correct. My ortho said a muscle tear could heal on it's own. In fact, he said it's like trying to stitch up hamburger meat. The tendon is the main thing you don't want to rupture. The MRI doctor in his report said it was just the muscle. My ortho, when he read the MRI, said it looked like the tendon was partially torn. Since he was slowly making progress he said he would hold off surgery and wait and measure his progress. Thank God he was able to heal on his own.

When I started to research pec tears it seemed like time after time the bench press caused a major portion of those tears. And, like I said, his chest feels weird when he has tried. So, I told him forget it. Do something else.

Tell you what, when I was younger and benched a lot there was a couple times I remember benching and feeling like I was gonna rip my pec. I immediately stopped, thinking my body wasn't warmed up, or maybe my chest wasn't recovered from a previous workout. I would bet if I ignored my body I would have torn it.

 

[Wesley Sniper]

The bench is nothing but an injury prone exercise. and it's really not that good of a chest exercise honestly. you'll build a way better chest with dumb bells

Agreed! [emoji1303] I gave up barbell flat bench years ago, and don't have any problems putting on size with dumbbells.


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[44YOGearHead]

Although I think many misuse the bench and subject themselves to injury, just as many fuck themselves up with db's trying to do too much simply because the look db's offer. I see all kinds of guys using (no pun intended) the 120's and they're literally wobbling under them waiting to take one to the face after 4-5 reps. I mean it's just 240 pounds man, if you can't squeeze out a few good sets of 10 with that weight on the bench incorporating a full fascia stretch then why are you fucking with the db's?
The weight game is a funny creature bro's... everybody wants to look strong, but rarely are strong.

 

[Wesley Sniper]

Lol, I see those ego lifters every day, all day and it makes me laugh. The quarter rep squatting club too.

It's an individual thing. What works for a straight beast such as yourself, isn't gonna work for me. I'm thinking longevity. I still got a good ten years of good lifting left in me.

Swolle is the goal, size is the prize. Whatever it takes to get there my dude


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