Advice: Training around an injury- approaches

[OldManLogan]

Hello everyone.
Over the last year, I experienced a moderate rotator cuff tear, which has finally healed with PT and BPC-157/TB500, cofirmed by MRI. However, I somehow also developed a some chronic bicep tendonitis (at the shoulder attachment point).

I've been training around the injury during this time, avoiding any exercises that aggravate that tendon- but I've noticed the muscle development in my back/shoulder/trap on that side is less than the fully functional side.

What approach would you take as far as correcting that muscle size imbalance? I should also stress that from a strength standpoint, that injured left side is just as strong as the non injured right side, as I've made sure to give the same stimulus to both.

So-

1) How do I approach programming/ training to try and balance this out aesthetically?
2) Doc says PT MIGHT work, or he could perform shoulder surgery to detach then reattach the bicep tendon in a separate location, which would bring function back to 100% but after 8-12 weeks of recovery.

What would the pros here advice?
Thank you all.

 

[Sectør]

Hello everyone.
Over the last year, I experienced a moderate rotator cuff tear, which has finally healed with PT and BPC-157/TB500, cofirmed by MRI. However, I somehow also developed a some chronic bicep tendonitis (at the shoulder attachment point).

I've been training around the injury during this time, avoiding any exercises that aggravate that tendon- but I've noticed the muscle development in my back/shoulder/trap on that side is less than the fully functional side.

What approach would you take as far as correcting that muscle size imbalance? I should also stress that from a strength standpoint, that injured left side is just as strong as the non injured right side, as I've made sure to give the same stimulus to both.

So-

1) How do I approach programming/ training to try and balance this out aesthetically?
2) Doc says PT MIGHT work, or he could perform shoulder surgery to detach then reattach the bicep tendon in a separate location, which would bring function back to 100% but after 8-12 weeks of recovery.

What would the pros here advice?
Thank you all.

For training I’d maybe do a bit more isolation movements, starting with the weaker/imbalanced side, then rep match with your stronger side. Maybe throw in an extra set or two on the weaker side as well until the imbalance catches up

Having had multiple rotator cuff tears myself, warming up properly is absolutely critical (doing horizontal and vertical rotator cuff movements to fully warm up the area before moving to pressing movements helps tremendously). Stretching helps too. I still avoid exercises that cause me discomfort or pain (such as flat bench).

Can’t really comment on the bicep issue as I have no experience there

 

[Jefe]

Basically what Vanguard said.

I’m avoiding anything painful. Being extremely careful with everything.

I had my bicep reattached. So far it’s not bad. I can only do bent bar and hammer grip curls but I have a bullet in my elbow on that arm and that is more of a factor than the bicep surgery.

In 6 months I can update that, but it’s better than I expected.

I’m not overhead pressing. I can only incline press. 20 degrees is nice. 30 or higher I can’t do it. It might change with time.

It was torn for years and I was told it was only dislocated, as long as you can put up with the pain, you can play. I could do everything ( with pain) but once the weights got higher, I needed the surgery.

 

[Massive G]

In the mid 2000s I was training pretty fucking heavy and experimenting with descending sets super heavy training and even tried GVT. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was close gripping 365 on the Smith and felt a thing in my left delt. I didn't have any bruising but looking back I probably had a slight tear in the cuff. Anything remotely close to the area of the medial and anterior delt hurt like shit. I tried everything ice heat deep massage dmso ibuprofen bromelain and nothing seemed to help. I couldn't do any pressing movements. I had previously read an article about training the other side of the body to help stimulate the non trained side.
I had no issues training back biceps triceps. Switched to training one side with one arm Smith flat and incline presses one arm Smith military and behind neck. To my suprise I didn't shrivel up to nothing and maintained the mass. Obviously didn't grow new but staved off the atrophy.
I have tendinitis in my right bicep lower. I have tried everything freeze sleeve heat massage thera gun grounding patch and it still aches. I started just training that side really light and using cables as well as light machines and dumbells and to my surprise it is progressing in size without chronic pain.
I have always overused the preacher curl for strict slow curls with negative stretching at the end so this was a pleasant change.
My favorite exercise is a cable curl standing using the lat pull down.