Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

By Tom Nikkola | VIGOR TrainingHealth & Fitness Nutrition Mental Health Fitness

Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training episodes

November 06, 2018 Blood Flow Restriction Training: What Is It? How Does It Work?

Blood flow restriction training, also known as occlusion training or KAATSU, might sound like some sort of hardcore training method reserved only for meatheads and serious athletes, but that's hardly the case.

In fact, it could be the perfect addition to a training plan for weekend warriors, a way to get older adults started with building strength and muscle, and a solution for rehabbing injuries faster than ever.

I’ll explain what it is, how it works, what the latest research shows, and how to do blood flow restriction training.

What Is Blood Flow Restriction Training?

Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR) is a style of weight training that uses higher reps and lighter loads while wearing a compression strap, tourniquet, or blood pressure cuff, on your upper arms or legs, depending on what you're working.

Unlike traditional strength training, which requires you to lift at least 70% of your one-rep (1RM), BFR training increases muscle mass and strength using only 20-50% of your 1RM.

When I first came across that single statement, I was skeptical. However, I've learned not to let my skepticism keep me from trying something new.

I ordered a pair of BFR Bands and gave them a try. I was impressed with the results, and loved being able to give my joints a break from the constant grind of heavier weight training.

If there's a "magic" in BFR, it comes from metabolic stress.

The band, wrap, or cuff on your limb creates compression, occluding your veins while allowing for normal flow through your arteries.

The occlusion of your veins slows the return of low-oxygen, high-lactate blood flow from your arms or legs. The reduced flow also limits how quickly oxygen reaches your working muscle cells.

Like damming a flowing river, blood backs up, creating a "pump" in the muscle. This creates stress in your muscle cells, triggering numerous metabolic effects, leading to muscle and strength development.

If you want to skip over the technical details and get right to how to do BFR Training, jump to the bottom of this article.

For the sake of those who are skeptical, or even think this sounds scary, I'll first go over the science behind BFR and the research supporting its use.

The Benefits Of Blood Flow Restriction Training

Blood flow restriction training increases strength and muscle mass at rates typically seen only by lifting heavy weight...without lifting heavy weight.

Traditional strength training programs use loads of at least 70% of an individual's one rep max (1RM). Even young, fit, healthy athletes need a break from heavy training on occasion.

In addition, injuries, aging, surgery, and various diseases prevent people from using such heavy loads consistently.

Unfortunately, high-rep, lower-weight strength training doesn't increase strength or muscle mass much...unless it's done in combination with occlusion training.

When To Use Blood Flow Restriction Training

You can integrate BFR training into multiple different cases, such as:

* When traveling, and you don't have access to all the equipment you'd normally use. You could do a BFR-only training session with the equipment typically...
19 min
November 06, 2018 Blood Flow Restriction Training: What Is It? How Does It Work?
Blood flow restriction training (BFR), also known as occlusion training or KAATSU, might sound like some sort of hardcore training method reserved only for meatheads and serious athletes, but that's hardly the case.
BFR could be the perfect addition to a training plan for weekend warriors, a way to help older adults build muscle and strength, and a great way to rehab injuries faster than ever.
If you're a member of my online personal training program, VIGOR Training, you'll see blood flow restriction training on in your workout program on occasion.
What Is Blood Flow Restriction Training?
Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR) is a style of weight training that uses higher reps and lighter loads while wearing a compression strap, tourniquet, or blood pressure cuff, on your upper arms or legs, depending on what you're working.
Unlike traditional strength training, which requires you to lift at least 70% of your one-rep (1RM), BFR training increases muscle mass and strength using only 20-50% of your 1RM.
When I first came across that single statement, I was skeptical. However, I've learned not to let my skepticism keep me from trying something new.
I ordered a pair of BFR Bands and gave them a try. I was impressed with the results, and loved being able to give my joints a break from the constant grind of heavier weight training.
If there's a "magic" in BFR, it comes from metabolic stress.
The band, wrap, or cuff on your limb creates compression, occluding your veins while allowing for normal flow through your arteries.
The occlusion of your veins slows the return of low-oxygen, high-lactate blood flow from your arms or legs. The reduced flow also limits how quickly oxygen reaches your working muscle cells.
Like damming a flowing river, blood backs up, creating a "pump" in the muscle. This creates stress in your muscle cells, triggering numerous metabolic effects, leading to muscle and strength development.
If you want to skip over the technical details and get right to how to do BFR Training, jump to the bottom of this article.
For the sake of those who are skeptical, or even think this sounds scary, I'll first go over the science behind BFR and the research supporting its use.
The Benefits Of Blood Flow Restriction Training
Blood flow restriction training increases strength and muscle mass at rates typically seen only by lifting heavy weight...without lifting heavy weight.
Traditional strength training programs use loads of at least 70% of an individual's one rep max (1RM). Even young, fit, healthy athletes need a break from heavy training on occasion.
In addition, injuries, aging, surgery, and various diseases prevent people from using such heavy loads consistently.
Unfortunately, high-rep, lower-weight strength training doesn't increase strength or muscle mass much...unless it's done in combination with occlusion training.
When To Use Blood Flow Restriction Training
You can integrate BFR training into multiple different cases, such as:
When traveling, and you don't have access to all the equipment you'd normally use. You could do a BFR-only training session with the equipment typically found in a hotel.To rehab an injury, such as a torn biceps tendon or reconstructed ACL. Some research shows the effects can be transferred from one active limb to the other limb in cases of immobilization.To begin a strength training program as an older adultAs a "deload" period to give your body a break, without losing strength or muscle massDuring competition season to avoid impacting athletic performance, while still building muscle and strengthTo build or maintain strength and lean mass in people with degenerative diseasesTo slow the progression of cachexia or sarcopenia
Blood flow restriction can even slow the loss of muscle in an immobile limb without performing any exercise at all!
How Blood Flow Restriction Stimulates Muscle Growth
15 min
October 30, 2018 Cardiac Cachexia: How to Stop the Muscle Loss
You know you're not in the best of health. After all, you've had your share of heart-related issues. However, you're still getting around and able to do most of the activities you did in the past. You're just moving a little slower.
But, you have noticed your shoulders are starting to look a little smaller and your legs a bit skinny. You shrug it off, telling yourself that it must be just due to your age.
Then, your balance and stability start to falter. You dismiss it. “It’s just one of those things,” you think.
The muscle loss continues. Your scale weight drops. On one hand, you feel good because your doctor’s been telling you to drop some weight for a while, but you don’t really look leaner in the mirror. You just look skinnier.
In jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, you look normal. In fact, some of your friends remark about how much weight you’ve lost, so you fool yourself into thinking it’s actually a good thing.
You get a blood test and your blood sugar is at pre-diabetic or diabetic levels. You wonder how that’s possible since you don’t have much of an appetite anymore, and barely eat anything. “It must be genetic,” you think. Your doctor wants you to get on a diabetes drug just to be safe.
You rarely feel energetic or enthusiastic. You don’t like the feeling. It’s not like you have a reason to feel depressed, but you do. Life is actually pretty good, so you don’t want to burden anyone by sharing how you feel. Maybe the feeling will pass.
If this sounds at all familiar, stop!
As bad as the above scenario sounds, it can get a lot worse.
This is what sarcopenia and cachexia sound and feel like. Sarcopenia is age-related muscle loss. Cachexia is accelerated, disease-related tissue loss. Neither is a good situation, but cachexia causes much more dramatic deterioration in your health.
In this article, I hope to open your eyes to the effects of age and disease-related tissue loss, and implore you to take action and extend your quality of life.
Unfortunately, most doctors give little direction to their older adult patients, seeing their physical decline (and cognitive decline) as just a part of getting old.
In my opinion, this mindset would be like a football team giving up when they’re behind by two touchdowns after the first half of the game.
Although there are many different diseases connected to cachexia, and the strategies to slow it have similarities, I'm writing this article with the focus on cardiac cachexia because I believe a close family member with heart disease is dealing with cardiac cachexia right now. Perhaps you, or one of your family members is as well.
Muscle And Quality Of Life
To think of muscle as something useful only for vanity or athletics is like thinking your brain is only good for math problems and trivia.
Here’s a handful ways muscle impacts your health, none of which relate to vanity or being the fittest man or woman in your age range.
Muscle provides strength, stamina, and balance for everyday movement. Muscle and its connection to your nervous system (the neuromuscular system) creates smooth, fluid movement so you can continue knocking golf balls down the fairway, write your name with the same handwriting you’ve used your whole adult life, or lift a soup spoon to your mouth without spilling on your chin.
Muscle protects and stabilizes your joints.Would you knowingly drive down the road with loose lug nuts on each of your tires? Of course that would be stupid. Yet, that’s what happens when you ignore the loss of muscle supporting your joints, and hope that you make it through the day without hurting something.
Like the giant cables that support a bridge, your muscles add support to your joints.
Muscle is the main storage area for glucose. Your liver and muscle tissue are the only places you can store glucose. When the tanks shrivel up, you either have to avoid carbs completely, which isn’t fun or realistic,
22 min
October 30, 2018 Cardiac Cachexia: Symptoms And Strategies To Slow Weight Loss

You know you're not in the best of health. After all, you've had your share of heart-related issues. However, you're still getting around and able to do most of the activities you did in the past. You're just moving a little slower.

But, you have noticed your shoulders are starting to look a little smaller and your legs a bit skinny. You shrug it off, telling yourself that it must be just due to your age.

Then, your balance and stability start to falter. You dismiss it. “It’s just one of those things,” you think.

The muscle loss continues. Your scale weight drops. On one hand, you feel good because your doctor’s been telling you to drop some weight for a while, but you don’t really look leaner in the mirror. You just look skinnier.

In jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, you look normal. In fact, some of your friends remark about how much weight you’ve lost, so you fool yourself into thinking it’s actually a good thing.

You get a blood test and your blood sugar is at pre-diabetic or diabetic levels. You wonder how that’s possible since you don’t have much of an appetite anymore, and barely eat anything. “It must be genetic,” you think. Your doctor wants you to get on a diabetes drug just to be safe.

You rarely feel energetic or enthusiastic. You don’t like the feeling. It’s not like you have a reason to feel depressed, but you do. Life is actually pretty good, so you don’t want to burden anyone by sharing how you feel. Maybe the feeling will pass.

If this sounds at all familiar, stop!

As bad as the above scenario sounds, it can get a lot worse.

This is what sarcopenia and cachexia sound and feel like. Sarcopenia is age-related muscle loss. Cachexia is accelerated, disease-related tissue loss. Neither is a good situation, but cachexia causes much more dramatic deterioration in your health.

In this article, I hope to open your eyes to the effects of age and disease-related tissue loss, and implore you to take action and extend your quality of life.

Unfortunately, most doctors give little direction to their older adult patients, seeing their physical decline (and cognitive decline) as just a part of getting old.

In my opinion, this mindset would be like a football team giving up when they’re behind by two touchdowns after the first half of the game.

Although there are many different diseases connected to cachexia, and the strategies to slow it have similarities, I'm writing this article with the focus on cardiac cachexia because I believe a close family with heart disease is dealing with cardiac cachexia right now. Perhaps you, or one of your family members is as well.

Muscle And Quality Of Life

To think of muscle as something useful only for vanity or athletics is like thinking your brain is only good for math problems and trivia.

Here’s a handful ways muscle impacts your health, none of which relate to vanity or being the fittest man or woman in your age range.

Muscle provides strength, stamina, and balance for everyday movement. Muscle and its connection to your nervous system (the neuromuscular system) creates smooth, fluid movement so you can continue knocking golf balls down the fairway, write your name with the same handwriting you’ve used your whole adult life, or lift a soup spoon to your mouth without spilling on your chin.

Muscle protects and stabilizes your joints.Would you knowingly drive down the road with loose lug nuts on each of your tires? Of course that would be stupid. Yet,
23 min
October 30, 2018 Cardiac Cachexia: Symptoms And Strategies To Slow Weight Loss
You know you're not in the best of health. After all, you've had your share of heart-related issues. However, you're still getting around and able to do most of the activities you did in the past. You're just moving a little slower.
But, you have noticed your shoulders are starting to look a little smaller and your legs a bit skinny. You shrug it off, telling yourself that it must be just due to your age.
Then, your balance and stability start to falter. You dismiss it. “It’s just one of those things,” you think.
The muscle loss continues. Your scale weight drops. On one hand, you feel good because your doctor’s been telling you to drop some weight for a while, but you don’t really look leaner in the mirror. You just look skinnier.
In jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, you look normal. In fact, some of your friends remark about how much weight you’ve lost, so you fool yourself into thinking it’s actually a good thing.
You get a blood test and your blood sugar is at pre-diabetic or diabetic levels. You wonder how that’s possible since you don’t have much of an appetite anymore, and barely eat anything. “It must be genetic,” you think. Your doctor wants you to get on a diabetes drug just to be safe.
You rarely feel energetic or enthusiastic. You don’t like the feeling. It’s not like you have a reason to feel depressed, but you do. Life is actually pretty good, so you don’t want to burden anyone by sharing how you feel. Maybe the feeling will pass.
If this sounds at all familiar, stop!
As bad as the above scenario sounds, it can get a lot worse.
This is what sarcopenia and cachexia sound and feel like. Sarcopenia is age-related muscle loss. Cachexia is accelerated, disease-related tissue loss. Neither is a good situation, but cachexia causes much more dramatic deterioration in your health.
In this article, I hope to open your eyes to the effects of age and disease-related tissue loss, and implore you to take action and extend your quality of life.
Unfortunately, most doctors give little direction to their older adult patients, seeing their physical decline (and cognitive decline) as just a part of getting old.
In my opinion, this mindset would be like a football team giving up when they’re behind by two touchdowns after the first half of the game.
Although there are many different diseases connected to cachexia, and the strategies to slow it have similarities, I'm writing this article with the focus on cardiac cachexia because I believe a close family member with heart disease is dealing with cardiac cachexia right now. Perhaps you, or one of your family members is as well.
Muscle And Quality Of Life
To think of muscle as something useful only for vanity or athletics is like thinking your brain is only good for math problems and trivia.
Here’s a handful ways muscle impacts your health, none of which relate to vanity or being the fittest man or woman in your age range.
Muscle provides strength, stamina, and balance for everyday movement. Muscle and its connection to your nervous system (the neuromuscular system) creates smooth, fluid movement so you can continue knocking golf balls down the fairway, write your name with the same handwriting you’ve used your whole adult life, or lift a soup spoon to your mouth without spilling on your chin.
Muscle protects and stabilizes your joints.Would you knowingly drive down the road with loose lug nuts on each of your tires? Of course that would be stupid. Yet, that’s what happens when you ignore the loss of muscle supporting your joints, and hope that you make it through the day without hurting something.
Like the giant cables that support a bridge, your muscles add support to your joints.
Muscle is the main storage area for glucose. Your liver and muscle tissue are the only places you can store glucose. When the tanks shrivel up, you either have to avoid carbs completely, which isn’t fun or realistic,
22 min
October 17, 2018 5 Life-Changing Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day
You might expect this article covers questions like “What is the meaning of life?” or “What is my purpose?” It doesn’t.
Those are better questions for a college philosophy class, or a deep discussion with friends after a few drinks.
The questions I cover here are life-changing because they can change the direction of your decisions on a daily basis. Small changes over time lead to a massively better life down the road.
These questions, and the corresponding answers create a compound effect . They are questions I ask myself constantly, and have also used them with clients over the years.
At first, they’re not easy to answer. In fact, they will probably make you feel uncomfortable. But, over time, they’ll shift the way you see the world, your part in it, and your perception of the power you hold to make your life better and easier.
Your Daily Dialogue
On my walk to the gym, I often pass by a guy who, based on his behavior, I believe is addicted to meth. On one hand, I feel sorry for the guy. If his issue is meth, that’s pretty hard to break free from. What grabs my attention is the wild, vocal, enthusiastic conversations he has…with himself.
People walking by might see his behavior as weird, but it isn’t much different from anyone else. We all talk to ourselves, just not out loud (well, most of the time it isn’t out loud).
The average person has between 12,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day. Most of the thoughts are part of an ongoing, one way lecture in their heads…They judge, complain, excuse, blame, and should all over themselves.
Actually, that’s how most conversations play out with other people today, too. Lots talking and telling others what to think. Very few questions and even less listening to the answers...but I digress.
I’ve found one or more of the following questions get me out of the one-way lecture in my head, and into a two-way conversation and solution for whatever situation I’m in.
Question 1: What If I’m Wrong?
The perfect question for checking your ego and controlling your emotions.
This question isn’t an easy one to answer. Before you ask this of someone else, I suggest you wrestle with it yourself first.
The reality is, you’re probably wrong about more of your beliefs than you are right. I am too.
There’s very little in life for which we can have absolute certainty. If people contemplated this question before posting online, their posts and comments would be dramatically different.
So many people seem so certain of their beliefs. If you challenge them or disagree, they unfriend, dislike or even attack you.
When did this happen? When did people become so childish in their thinking that they became convinced the rest of the world needed to see everything the same way they did?
At the time of this writing, the appointing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States was the top news story.
I tuned into some of the story, and also observed how people reacted to both sides of the allegations of sexual misconduct.
If you're out of the loop, or reading this at a time where the story is part of the history books, you can quickly catch up on this Wikipedia page.
I saw so many emotional outrages on both sides. Personally, I felt I'd be a fool to have an opinion on the matter. Here's why: I wasn’t there. That's obvious. But here are some other reasons.
Based on my life experiences, education, media and people I listen to, and my unconscious beliefs, I come into any controversial topic with certain biases.
Those biases cause me to interpret the information I’m exposed to differently than someone else with different experiences, living in a different environment. I could even take my anger and frustration from some past experience and place it on someone here and now that had nothing to do with it.
Those biases have even more influence over me when I'm emotionally-charged.
Then,
28 min
October 17, 2018 5 Life-Changing Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day

You might expect this article covers questions like “What is the meaning of life?” or “What is my purpose?” It doesn’t.

Those are better questions for a college philosophy class, or a deep discussion with friends after a few drinks.

The questions I cover here are life-changing because they can change the direction of your decisions on a daily basis. Small changes over time lead to a massively better life down the road.

These questions, and the corresponding answers create a compound effect . They are questions I ask myself constantly, and have also used them with clients over the years.

At first, they’re not easy to answer. In fact, they will probably make you feel uncomfortable. But, over time, they’ll shift the way you see the world, your part in it, and your perception of the power you hold to make your life better and easier.

Your Daily Dialogue

On my walk to the gym, I often pass by a guy who, based on his behavior, I believe is addicted to meth. On one hand, I feel sorry for the guy. If his issue is meth, that’s pretty hard to break free from. What grabs my attention is the wild, vocal, enthusiastic conversations he has…with himself.

People walking by might see his behavior as weird, but it isn’t much different from anyone else. We all talk to ourselves, just not out loud (well, most of the time it isn’t out loud).

The average person has between 12,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day. Most of the thoughts are part of an ongoing, one way lecture in their heads…They judge, complain, excuse, blame, and should all over themselves.

Actually, that’s how most conversations play out with other people today, too. Lots talking and telling others what to think. Very few questions and even less listening to the answers...but I digress.

I’ve found one or more of the following questions get me out of the one-way lecture in my head, and into a two-way conversation and solution for whatever situation I’m in.

Question 1: What If I’m Wrong?

The perfect question for checking your ego and controlling your emotions.

This question isn’t an easy one to answer. Before you ask this of someone else, I suggest you wrestle with it yourself first.

The reality is, you’re probably wrong about more of your beliefs than you are right. I am too.

There’s very little in life for which we can have absolute certainty. If people contemplated this question before posting online, their posts and comments would be dramatically different.

So many people seem so certain of their beliefs. If you challenge them or disagree, they unfriend, dislike or even attack you.

When did this happen? When did people become so childish in their thinking that they became convinced the rest of the world needed to see everything the same way they did?

At the time of this writing, the appointing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States was the top news story.

I tuned into some of the story, and also observed how people reacted to both sides of the allegations of sexual misconduct.

If you're out of the loop, or reading this at a time where the story is part of the history books, you can quickly catch up on this Wikipedia page.

I saw so many emotional outrages on both sides. Personally, I felt I'd be a fool to have an opinion on the matter.
31 min
October 17, 2018 5 Life-Changing Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day
You might expect this article covers questions like “What is the meaning of life?” or “What is my purpose?” It doesn’t.
Those are better questions for a college philosophy class, or a deep discussion with friends after a few drinks.
The questions I cover here are life-changing because they can change the direction of your decisions on a daily basis. Small changes over time lead to a massively better life down the road.
These questions, and the corresponding answers create a compound effect . They are questions I ask myself constantly, and have also used them with clients over the years.
At first, they’re not easy to answer. In fact, they will probably make you feel uncomfortable. But, over time, they’ll shift the way you see the world, your part in it, and your perception of the power you hold to make your life better and easier.
Your Daily Dialogue
On my walk to the gym, I often pass by a guy who, based on his behavior, I believe is addicted to meth. On one hand, I feel sorry for the guy. If his issue is meth, that’s pretty hard to break free from. What grabs my attention is the wild, vocal, enthusiastic conversations he has…with himself.
People walking by might see his behavior as weird, but it isn’t much different from anyone else. We all talk to ourselves, just not out loud (well, most of the time it isn’t out loud).
The average person has between 12,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day. Most of the thoughts are part of an ongoing, one way lecture in their heads…They judge, complain, excuse, blame, and should all over themselves.
Actually, that’s how most conversations play out with other people today, too. Lots talking and telling others what to think. Very few questions and even less listening to the answers...but I digress.
I’ve found one or more of the following questions get me out of the one-way lecture in my head, and into a two-way conversation and solution for whatever situation I’m in.
Question 1: What If I’m Wrong?
The perfect question for checking your ego and controlling your emotions.
This question isn’t an easy one to answer. Before you ask this of someone else, I suggest you wrestle with it yourself first.
The reality is, you’re probably wrong about more of your beliefs than you are right. I am too.
There’s very little in life for which we can have absolute certainty. If people contemplated this question before posting online, their posts and comments would be dramatically different.
So many people seem so certain of their beliefs. If you challenge them or disagree, they unfriend, dislike or even attack you.
When did this happen? When did people become so childish in their thinking that they became convinced the rest of the world needed to see everything the same way they did?
At the time of this writing, the appointing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States was the top news story.
I tuned into some of the story, and also observed how people reacted to both sides of the allegations of sexual misconduct.
If you're out of the loop, or reading this at a time where the story is part of the history books, you can quickly catch up on this Wikipedia page.
I saw so many emotional outrages on both sides. Personally, I felt I'd be a fool to have an opinion on the matter. Here's why: I wasn’t there. That's obvious. But here are some other reasons.
Based on my life experiences, education, media and people I listen to, and my unconscious beliefs, I come into any controversial topic with certain biases.
Those biases cause me to interpret the information I’m exposed to differently than someone else with different experiences, living in a different environment. I could even take my anger and frustration from some past experience and place it on someone here and now that had nothing to do with it.
Those biases have even more influence over me when I'm emotionally-charged.
Then,
28 min
September 27, 2018 Torn Bicep Tendon? How To Speed Up Recovery After Surgery
Cinderella wasn't referring to a torn bicep when they sang the 80's rock ballad, "Don't Know What You've Got 'Til It's Gone," but that song title is #truth when it comes to a ruptured biceps tendon. You don't give much thought to how valuable your bicep is in everyday movement until it's no longer attached to your forearm. In a fraction of a second, and with the sound of a gunshot, your arm goes from feeling strong and functional to weak and flaccid.
After getting over the disbelief, your mind moves to the reality of surgery and the recovery process. When done right, your recovery can return your arm to its previous strength and function. Done wrong, your recovery process can leave you with subpar strength, reduced range of motion, and a thick and ropey tendon layered in scar tissue.
Prevalence of Distal Biceps Tendon Ruptures
Distal biceps tendon ruptures occur in one to three out of every 100,000 patients each year, with middle-aged men making up most of the cases.
As hard as it is to believe, the first reported biceps reattachment took place in 1898! I wonder who drew the short straw for that surgeon to try out the new surgery.
Though it sucks when it happens, you can get back to lifting, playing, and posing in your underwear (if that's your thing), in a short period of time. A good surgeon, and a solid rehab and recovery program can get you close to the strength, endurance, and muscle size you had before you tore it.
Of course, this all hinges on your willingness to work hard during the recovery period.
As common as it is for people to tear their biceps tendon, there isn't much information on how to maximize recovery. So, I thought I'd put together an article to that does just that.
I'll start with a few frequently asked questions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Torn Bicep Tendons (Distal Biceps Tendon Ruptures)
Before I delve into the recovery strategies, let me answer some common questions. Chances are, you're reading this because you just tore your bicep (or you know someone who did) and need to know how to deal with it.
Do you have to get your biceps tendon reattached?
It’s possible to lift your arm and hold your spouse's hand without getting your tendon reattached. However, you probably won't be opening pickle jars or rock climbing up the same cliffs with the same confidence if you skip surgery.
Your bicep turns your hand out (supination) as well as helps lift your forearm and hand toward your shoulder (elbow flexion). A ruptured tendon reduces supination strength by 40-60%, and elbow flexion strength by 30%. While it isn't life-threatening, you'll find that it's inconvenient. The investment in surgery right away will be worth it.
I only have a partial tear. Should I still do surgery?
In many ways, a partial tear is worse. With part of the tendon still attached, you're more likely to experience pain when you use your arm, and you're more likely to end up tearing it down the road anyway.
The bigger issue is, if you wait to do surgery, you end up with fraying of the tendon, which makes it difficult for a surgeon to reattach it. If you opt for immediate surgery, your surgeon will cut the rest of the tendon and clean it all up before reattaching it, making it more likely you'll have a successful outcome.
If I have it reattached, what is the chance that I'll tear it again?
If your surgery goes well, and you follow a solid post-surgery plan, it isn't likely. Only 1.5% to 1.6% of patients re-rupture their biceps tendon.
How soon after a rupture should I have surgery?
As soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more your bicep retracts up your arm, and the more painful it will be to pull it back down. If you wait too long, it probably won't be worth it. Get into surgery in two weeks or less if possible.
What can I do to heal and rebuild my strength and function as fast as possible?
Read on. That's what the rest of this article is all about.
31 min
September 27, 2018 Torn Bicep Tendon? How To Speed Up Recovery After Surgery

Cinderella wasn't referring to a torn bicep when they sang the 80's rock ballad, "Don't Know What You've Got 'Til It's Gone," but that song title is #truth when it comes to a ruptured biceps tendon. You don't give much thought to how valuable your bicep is in everyday movement until it's no longer attached to your forearm. In a fraction of a second, and with the sound of a gunshot, your arm goes from feeling strong and functional to weak and flaccid.

After getting over the disbelief, your mind moves to the reality of surgery and the recovery process. When done right, your recovery can return your arm to its previous strength and function. Done wrong, your recovery process can leave you with subpar strength, reduced range of motion, and a thick and ropey tendon layered in scar tissue.

Prevalence of Distal Biceps Tendon Ruptures

Distal biceps tendon ruptures occur in one to three out of every 100,000 patients each year, with middle-aged men making up most of the cases.

As hard as it is to believe, the first reported biceps reattachment took place in 1898! I wonder who drew the short straw for that surgeon to try out the new surgery.

Though it sucks when it happens, you can get back to lifting, playing, and posing in your underwear (if that's your thing), in a short period of time. A good surgeon, and a solid rehab and recovery program can get you close to the strength, endurance, and muscle size you had before you tore it.

Of course, this all hinges on your willingness to work hard during the recovery period.

As common as it is for people to tear their biceps tendon, there isn't much information on how to maximize recovery. So, I thought I'd put together an article to that does just that.

I'll start with a few frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Torn Bicep Tendons (Distal Biceps Tendon Ruptures)

Before I delve into the recovery strategies, let me answer some common questions. Chances are, you're reading this because you just tore your bicep (or you know someone who did) and need to know how to deal with it.

Do you have to get your biceps tendon reattached?

It’s possible to lift your arm and hold your spouse's hand without getting your tendon reattached. However, you probably won't be opening pickle jars or rock climbing up the same cliffs with the same confidence if you skip surgery.

Your bicep turns your hand out (supination) as well as helps lift your forearm and hand toward your shoulder (elbow flexion). A ruptured tendon reduces supination strength by 40-60%, and elbow flexion strength by 30%. While it isn't life-threatening, you'll find that it's inconvenient. The investment in surgery right away will be worth it.

I only have a partial tear. Should I still do surgery?

In many ways, a partial tear is worse. With part of the tendon still attached, you're more likely to experience pain when you use your arm, and you're more likely to end up tearing it down the road anyway.

The bigger issue is, if you wait to do surgery, you end up with fraying of the tendon, which makes it difficult for a surgeon to reattach it. If you opt for immediate surgery, your surgeon will cut the rest of the tendon and clean it all up before reattaching it, making it more likely you'll have a successful outcome.

If I have it reattached, what is the chance that I'll tear it again?

If your surgery goes well, and you follow a solid post-surgery plan, it isn't likely. Only 1.5% to 1.
34 min

About Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

From the publisher's feed

Tune into the audio version of my written articles found at tomnikkola.com, read by yours truly. I candidly cover health and fitness,…

Share Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

Sign up to save your podcasts

Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training episodes

About Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training