Tendon tears (Bicep and Pec)
Hello all, long time follower on this site, first post. I've been following starting strength and the Texas Method on and off for a couple of years now with absolutely amazing gains for my age (late 40's).
First I'll share a story that may help someone and then ask a question.
January 11, 2020, shoveling wet snow, I go to pitch a heavy shovel full and POP! Left bicep tendon exploded off the bone of my forearm. Pain was blinding initially, heavy bruising and one of the heads of the muscle bunched up in my upper arm. I had surgery to reattach it on 1/20, the endo button procedure. Incredibly, after the initial injury I never experienced what I call pain, just discomfort, as related to the surgery. By may i was starting to get strength back and by June I could do pullups. Today I'm near full strength, but it doesn't have endurance and tires quickly.
Late June I began a round of Texas Method. By late July I was getting my numbers back up pretty decent. July 29 I was benching at 90% of my 5RM, first set on rep number 2 and felt a massive and extraordinarily painful POP in my right pec, I may have had my elbows in a bad position. After an MRI and trip to the same surgeon, he told me I had a partial tear (grade 2 I think). The tendon tore away from the muscle as opposed to tendon tearing away from the bone and therefore inoperable. I began physical therapy last week, PT said i should have about 4 visits, once a week. Mostly stretching and some digging at the scar tissue to get it in line with the grain of the muscle.
Can anyone who has had such a pec tear offer advice and or how well they came back from it, how they rehab'd it, particularly at middle age? I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop pressing heavy, at my age. If that's the future, so be it, I'll do lighter weights after I heal, but that would suck.
Thanks all!