Bodybuilding & Bicep Tendon Injuries
Bodybuilding can be extremely hard on the joints and muscles. Most bodybuilders lift hundreds of tons of weights during their career. This can subject them to many different injuries, including those in the bicep tendons.
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Bodybuilding Exercises
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Bodybuilders must work all muscle groups, including the chest, shoulders, back, biceps, triceps, forearms, legs and calves. Bodybuilders work out four to six times per week and do at least eight to 16 repetitions for most body parts. Their goal is usually to hit each body part twice per week. Muscles like the biceps are smaller but they are still used when working other areas of the body. An example is the back workout. Any pulling motion employs the biceps. If you perform back and bicep exercises on separate days, you are using the biceps about four times per week. This can exert a lot of wear and tear on this relatively small muscle group.
Push-Pull Versus Other Training Methods
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The push-pull training method entails working back and biceps on the same day. This workout routine is much easier on the bicep tendons versus other routines. For example, bodybuilders who train chest and biceps on the same day will probably do back and triceps together. These people will be using their biceps four times per week, while push-pull advocates will only use them twice in one week. This gives the biceps more time to recover, which can help prevent injuries.
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Biceps Training
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Most bodybuilders do barbell and dumbbell curls for their biceps as well as preacher or concentration curls for peak (height of the inner bicep head). They also tend to lift heavier weights than the biceps require for growth. Occasionally, they grip dumbbells vertically to perform hammer curls. While this exercise can help to elongate the biceps, it is also extremely hard on the lower part of the muscle.
Posing
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In addition to working the biceps during workouts, bodybuilders practice posing for competitions. The amount of posing increases as the date of the show or competition draws closer. Flexing the biceps can also make these individuals more susceptible to biceps injuries.
Biceps Injuries & Treatment
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Bodybuilding can cause strain on muscles in either of the two biceps heads or near the elbow. Certain extensors and flexors in the forearms overlap the elbow and extend into the biceps. These muscles are extremely vulnerable to injury. Bodybuilders can also get tendinitis or even rip their biceps from the bone. Rest and ice are recommended for strains. Ripped tendons require surgery.
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- Photo Credit Nash Jocic
