https://youtu.be/_nydVOhfS4c
Dear Doug,
Hey – I wanted to bother you for a moment if I could. In 2014 at a national bench press competition I tore my left pectoral tendon from the insertion point. I had one day of pain and after that none. I don’t have any loss of ROM at all. I elected not to have the surgery for a lot of the same reasons that you did, including my age at the time of injury – 43. I can deadlift a lot and my squat is coming along. I can bench about 200 lbs with my hands in pretty close and it feels like I could make that go up.
Here is the thing though if you put a large box in front of me filled with feathers, lol, and had me pick it up off the ground solely by squeezing my arms into the box and lifting, I cant do that. If my pec is opened up I don’t really have much strength there. It really is a weird feeling deadlifting 500 lbs and then not being able to lift an over-sized box that weighs not much at all.
Open and closing heavy doors on that side also a challenge. So I wanted to ask you is benching at all just a risk that I don’t want to take? I don’t want to hurt my right side…. Is benching okay to do in moderation with light weights? Is there a way I can strengthen my left side more? I appreciate your time and I reached out to you specifically because we have such similar stories.
– thanks for your time
Jon
Jon, it’s no bother at all. Instead of just responding to your pectoralis tear by way of type, I also included visual aids by way of video.
Your not alone in wondering if you can ever have a respectable bench after tearing your pec major. I wondered if I would ever bench again, much less at the height of my career. However, we both will agree, you will never bench at the competitive level again because you chose conservative treatment.
I know I won’t. But in no way do I regret not getting the surgery. My life is fantastic without it.
As regards your having little to no pain the day after injury. That is not uncommon. Some people can have a full rupture and feel no pain. It’s like the muscle just rolls up and they go to the doctor with a deformed chest wondering what happened.
You also asked “can I strengthen the ruptured side of my chest?” To a small degree yes. Whats left of your pec can still flex and assist at the joining of the clavicle and sternum. It will aid in stabilization in the push-up or overhead press.
The real warning is, to what degree can the injured side assist without causing further injury. Is it worth risking injury to the bicep tendon? If that ruptures your life will never be the same!
Sliding heavy lanai doors, using a pec deck, performing dumbbell fly’s, competitive benching, throwing a football, are out for me. But I hated dumbbell fly’s anyway.
In the video I give you a few tips on what might help for benching after a major pec tear. Hope it helps Jon.
Doug
