MY VIDEOS AFTER PEC TEAR

[Big Dave Smith]

Hey everybody. I'll post up these two videos.

#1- A few hours after the injury
YouTube - after hospital

#2- The day after
YouTube - The day after

It's been 16 days since the injury. I have 90% ROM now and can do limited upper body stuff. Nothing for chest and no pressing for delts/triceps.

Timeline so far...

Fri- INJURY
Mon- ORTHODOC
Weds- MRI
Fri- MRI called. Needed another MRI. Doctor didn't tell me they wouldn't have any answers. Wasted ORTHO appt. MRI was supposed to call me with a new appointment. Never did.
Mon- early evening MRI called to make a new appt.
Weds- another MRI
Sunday- Not happy with the speed of the procedure here.


I may try to contact Victor Prisk if this doctor looks even the least bit unsure. At the initial visit, he said "Holy crap!" when he saw my chest. "I've only seen one of these before. You're number 2."

Hopefully I won't need surgery. If so, I'm going elsewhere.

 

[Ivan]

Daaamn

Geez Dave, it sounded like a "wet rag" tearing? OUCH! Yeah man it looks like it has something to do with you biceps muscle, but who knows? Does your left pec hurt? Be careful with what you are doing man, you could hurt yourself more. Get some anti-inflammatories in your system if you can. I don't know about you doing any upcoming shows though...you need to heal dude!

BTW -- You DO like Fedor lol! And a pretty impressive physique all around too!

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Geez Dave, it sounded like a "wet rag" tearing? OUCH! Yeah man it looks like it has something to do with you biceps muscle, but who knows? Does your left pec hurt? Be careful with what you are doing man, you could hurt yourself more. Get some anti-inflammatories in your system if you can. I don't know about you doing any upcoming shows though...you need to heal dude!

BTW -- You DO like Fedor lol! And a pretty impressive physique all around too!

Thanks bro. I'm pretty sure it's the chest. I'm doing anything I can in the gym without being stupid for now. I feel gun shy psychologically now... even with legs. I did 6 plate hacks on Saturday. Wound up stopping at 12 because I got scared. I know I could have gone heavier or gotten more reps with 6 plates, but it just freaked me out. Weight is holding around 270lbs though.

I've got the anti-inflammatory stuff from the doctor. Theres a definite difference in the way it feels in my left pec. I have no idea what to expect. I'm still the odds of getting surgery are even. If yes, I need to consider my options.

 

[almard]

I had the exact tear...it recoved after while but the shap of the muscle didn't back....It's going to take while even if you fell you can bench again.....

What I have learned is not to bush my body to the limit and never have a set less than 10 reps

 

[Big Dave Smith]

What was your recovery like? How long before you felt like you could attempt light weights? How long ago was it and how do you feel now?

 

[qbkilla]

damn u did it on reverse bench, working your tris? i tore my pec minor on flat bench. i lost a lot of size but part was due to the fact i decided to diet while i was unable to lift heavy. i got my bodyfat way down, now that im able to lift again i can just focus on bulking back up and any fat i had was gone. that was my approach. i figured i could not add size while injured, so i used to the time to cut up. i would think if the tendon tore you would be better getting the surgery, if it tore in the muscle (before the tendon) then i do not think surgery is an option. can you still feel the tendon going up into your arm? if you try and reach over and compare it to the other side where the tendon is intact?

 

[almard]

What was your recovery like? How long before you felt like you could attempt light weights? How long ago was it and how do you feel now?

I didn't have surgery, so It took me almost 6 month to full recovery....

You may fell fine in the next couple day's and that you could train the muscle but you won't be full recoverd and that will just effect the Process of your recovery....

I don't think you need surgey as It won't do much...

It's been 8 months now and I fell good other than the shape of the muscle looks alot diffrent thant it used to be...exact the looks of your's now bro..

Just my exprince ....

 

[Moen]

Victor Prisk would be a good idea, always better to immediately go to someone that is more performance-oriented (as I expect he is since he's into bodybuilding himself). Nice guy as well, basically gave me a free consultation through email.

 

[bigcats]

It to me looks like the bicep tendon .shouldnt need surgery but you never know.I would get second opinion on thatThe bicep tendon and the chest insert where youy have a bruise.Dont be a hereo and try to lift to early.You defiently look like fador bro.And their is nothing wrong with that.As for the police officer,god puts people in our path for a reasdon.I hope for a speedy recovery from you.

 

[notsobig32]

hey dave,

i suffered a pec tear a few years ago(3 years) and i went to a doc that was very similar to what you are describing yours like. i did not get a warm fuzzy so i found a great ortho in my area that specializes in sports injuries. He explained i only really had 2-3 weeks to get this operated on if i chose to and i went for it. Now i have the full range of motion(a large ass scar), and the shape is not completely off.

I hope that it all works out for you.

nsb

 

[jalsmiley]

i think i posted in ur other thread but i had to chime in again after seeing the videos...mine looked identical in bruising...i had pec major tendon rupture where it attaches at top of bicep to the bone up there...

GET A GOOD DOC!!! any doc that says u are the 2nd he saw, run!!! my doc was the ortho for detroit lions and few other major sports teams...he did so many of these repairs that he took my mri and tossed them, he went by feel! feeling up my armpit for the tendon that holds the pec major in place, once he didnt feel that tendon in place he scheduled my surgery immediately.

recovery: after surgery i had a little infection that set me back about a week or two, but 13 weeks in a sling, rehab, which i did most myself for a couple months, started to get some decent range of motion, then started weight training shortly after that but with zero direct chest work. when i came back into chest work it was strictly incline stuff, and slowly added pec major work with light dumbells.

this was years ago, i busted it doing 8 reps with 325 and afterward never went over 225 or 245 for reps out of being scared....i recently went for 3 plates again and it felt ok for 3 reps....whic i wont be doing again(just had to see if i could do it for some stupid reason! ha) i concentrate on incline and do flat stuff lighter now...no reason to fuck it up again!!
good luck bro...i hope it all works out for you

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Went to the doctor for the follow up...

It's a complete tear of the muscle, but not tendons. It's moved down about two inches from the insertion.

If I get surgery, he thinks it'll still be weak. If I don't, it hopefully will keep its shape.

I'm going to try to contact Victor Prisk. Getting a copy of the MRI on a cd so that I can show that to Victor or anybody who's more knowledged than my doctor.

I've heard conflicting things. I just spoke to a guy at the gym who tore his years ago. Said it kept shape and he benched 400 6 months later. I'll never do flat again, but I was encouraged by what he said. I'll keep everybody updated!

 

[Shelby]

Dave - what sort of weight and rep range were you working in when this happened?

 

[chestrockwell420]

jeez man looks and sounds painful as hell. i wish you a speedy recovery and hope you get back to work soon...good luck

 

[DOGGCRAPP]

Dave - what sort of weight and rep range were you working in when this happened?

Shelby he told me he had 365 on there and was going for 6

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Dave - what sort of weight and rep range were you working in when this happened?

I was doing reverse grip bench presses on a smith machine. I had just done a set of 3 plates per side for something like 12-15 with relative ease. Decided to throw a 25 on each side. I knew I could safely get 6-8 reps... or so I thought.

Sucks. My logbook was fantastic. I got 275 for reps on barbell military presses and even did 315 for one or two.


Been worrying all night about what's going to happen. Surgery? No surgery? Will I be able to be strong and or stimulate hypertophy again? Do I see how this goes, then go into MMA as my hobby? Is the meteoric rise of Miley Cyrus a sign of the apocolypse?

I'll try to figure it all out.

 

[pesty4077]

Hey Dave, go out and get a couple of opinions. Hoping for the best and a speedy recovery!

 

[jalsmiley]

great news about it not being tendon...(not so great about COMPLETE tear but i think it could have been way worse!!) .man that shit was rough!! i had a slight muscle tear in middle of pec and it healed up pretty fast....best of luck to ya bro

 

[Jasthace]

I did the exact same thing,with normal grip BP.It was a ripping sound like a rag as you say,it was like three rips.
Rip rip rip,complete instint agony that lasted only about 1 second.The bar at that side hit the ground. Then it was swollen around the chest neck.Most of the blood went into the biceps and slowly worked its way down,some blood went around my nipple.
Go and get the surgey as soon as you can,I did'nt,I had a flight to catch in two days to thailand,and was gone for three weeks.I was so bulked up at the time I could'nt see how it would look.untill I cut up,now I have to get very cut to bring out the seperation between that pec and the intercostals.

 

[ericinbc]

i feel for ya Dave. i tore my right pec a couple years ago benching the exact wieght. how extensive is your bruising now? any spreading from the delt or forearms,back? once they figure out just what they are gonna do for you rehab wise you should seriously look into IGF-LR3 for helping the repair. it was amazing for nerve and tissue regeneration on myself helping to bring me back to a good %90 of pre injury state.