Bicep tear or ????

I have developed a terrible pain on the distal end of the right bicep.  If you lay two fingers at the distal end of the bicep, between the bicep and the groove/fold of the elbow, that is where my pain is concentrated.

It is not a constant hurting type pain, but I can always feel some discomfort there.  It doesn't seem to bother my normal workout routine (Rippetoes), like doing chins, dips, bench, O/H presses or even deads.  But if I were to try to do a pull-up (overhand), it friggen kills my bicep!  I can't even get halfway up.  Doing that causes the entire right bicep to light up with fire!  Worse when trying to do a negative, as soon as I step off the step and hang my body weight I have to immediately let go.  And forget curls, at about the 5th or 6th rep with only a 20# DB and I am in pain.  Not a good workout pain or soreness, but "this fricken hurts" pain! 

It doesn't affect normal day to day stuff, but there is always a lingering dull pain right in that area.

This just started when I went back and started Rips program over again about three weeks ago.  The only thing I can think of that I might have done to aggravate it is the chins.  I grab the bar, then fully hang, do the chin, then lower myself to a full hang.  The first couple of workouts doing this I could feel a "pull" in that area when at the full hang, but I didn't have pain yet.  The pain started getting worse over the course of the last two weeks.

So, does this sound like a bicep tear of sorts?  I don't think my regular doctor would have a clue.  Do I need to see a specialist of some kind?

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin, whey, creatine. [/fon

damn man that sucks.  the only help i can offer is to your question about seeing a specialist...i would.  not worth it to not go ya know...

"When lifting, always choose a load that will challenge you to complete the number of reps you're going for. Ideally, you won't be able to complete more than one rep more than your goal number-if you can, the load isn't challenging."
 MH[/

lol, as unbelievable as this may sound-and i may be wrong, but i think this is simply what happens when you train biceps to there full.

That pain you speak of i used to get a lot and my biceps grew @_@ lol.

I couldnt use them for workouts for like 3-4 days after, but if i rested them totally (not even other exercises) for 7 or so days they'd be fine again, and the dull ache i got too.

I dont think its damage, youve just trained them a bit too much, most people cheat with nearly every bicep exercise, you dont, meaning your first site of fibres that get used are the very beginning of the bicep from the elbow point, as a result the rest of the muscle is contracted from that point, and you get a lot of pain there.

But see a doc just incase, though usually theyl just say "stop doing weights" from my experience, they dont actually say whether its damaged or something semi normal or even normal because they just think "weights=damage"

I had a similar pain before, except mine was in my shoulder.  But there's a bicep tendon that's connected to the shoulder.  I felt the same pain only when doing pull-ups, chin-ups, and rows too.  I didn't feel it during pushing exercises or deadlifts even.  All I did was just chill out for a week or two, and I eased back in with light weights, and I was okay again. 

If it was me (and believe me, I'm no doctor or even anything close to anyone that knows about this stuff), I'd rest completely from all lifting and take ibuprofen every day for at least a week.  I'd then ease back into the lifting and see if the pain persists.  Continue to take it easy until you feel that the lifting is not affecting the injury.  Basically, just listen to your body.

That's what I would do before consulting a doctor.  Doctors tend to play it too "safe" so they don't get sued.  Playing it safe (by way of a doctor) and training for strength don't go well together, which is why I like to let things try to heal on thier own before having to take a doctor's advice.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

ibuprofein isnt actually a good drug at all

the reason your body is inflaming the region is a response by the body and it is filling with water and all manner of biological bodies to repair the damage, ibuprofen does kill inflamation pain, but at a cost of much slower healing.

It Inhibits COX mechanisms for recovery.

Balls, I didn't know that.  I always just took it because it made the pain go away temporarily.  Personally, I avoid all medications at all costs anyway.  I tend to just deal with pain most of the time.  Mainly, I just listen to my body.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

twistedlink


lol, as unbelievable as this may sound-and i may be wrong, but i think this is simply what happens when you train biceps to there full.

I don't really do any direct bicep training other than the chins.  I tried curls and pull-ups last night just for snits and grins to see how badly it would hurt.  It hurt pretty fricken bad!

For one workout I do squats, bench, deads, then dips.  The other is squat, O/H press, bent over rows, and chins. 

I hate the thought of having to stop working out again, but I don't want this to get to the point that it really jacks me up.....

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin, whey, creatine. [/fon

twistedlink


ibuprofein isnt actually a good drug at all

the reason your body is inflaming the region is a response by the body and it is filling with water and all manner of biological bodies to repair the damage, ibuprofen does kill inflamation pain, but at a cost of much slower healing.

It Inhibits COX mechanisms for recovery.

I asked my doctor about inflamation at one point and he said the same thing that you said, but he also added that sometimes the nerves don't always get the signal to stop trying to heal so they stay inflamed, in which case ibuprofein can be a good thing. 

Thats why after 7 days-you can take ibuprofen, to make sure thats not happening, but when people are popping ibu's every workout theyre actually taking two steps forward and one step back.

Im glad my knowledge is on par with a doctors LOL

twistedlink


ibuprofein isnt actually a good drug at all

the reason your body is inflaming the region is a response by the body and it is filling with water and all manner of biological bodies to repair the damage, ibuprofen does kill inflamation pain, but at a cost of much slower healing.

It Inhibits COX mechanisms for recovery.

I can't tell you how many times I wondered about that....!!!!!!!!! I almost posted that as a question once or twice, but didn't feel like doing the research for the before you post info....

my logic and your factual answer are the same, I never take ibuprofin unless I am in significant pain that prevents me from doing things.

Sorry Robert, I have nothing to advice per your situation, I hope you mend up quickly.

do you go to full extensions at the bottom of your chins?

I do hardway, and I'm thinking that's possibly where this came from. 

Sitting here thinking about this today, I think the first time I ever felt pain in that area was towards the beginning of the year I was doing DB curls, and since I had read to do this on the internet, I fully extended my arms after each curl.  I actually had to think about it and force myself to be able to do it.  And it kind of stung each time I did it.  Only did it that once though! 

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin, whey, creatine. [/fon

So, should I lay off the chins for a week or two?  What about the deadlifts?

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin, whey, creatine. [/fon