Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

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.

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Do you supplement with 2000-5000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D each day? Or, do you use your lunch hour to lie in the sun in just a loincloth? If not, you're likely low in vitamin D.

More than half of the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D, and as many as four out of five in the United States may be below optimal levels.

Low blood levels of vitamin D increase risk factors for diabetes, arthritis, dementia, and bone loss. You could also be increasing your risk of viral infections, like the flu.

Fortunately, the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world is easily preventable. High-quality supplements are inexpensive, and if you live in the right latitude, you can get a healthy dose from moderate mid-day sun exposure.

After reading this article, you’ll understand why vitamin D is one of my Foundational Five, the best supplements for foundational health.

In all my many years of practice of medicine, I've never seen one vitamin, even vitamin C, have such a profound effect on human health.

Dr. Soram Khalsa, board-certified internist and medical director of the East-West Medical Research Institute

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is actually a prohormone, not a vitamin. It influences the expression of more than 200 genes and acts as a precursor to hormones such as DHEA and cortisol.

The active form is called 25-hydroxy vitamin D, or 25(OH)D.

You consume vitamin D in two forms: ergocalciferol (D2) and cholecalciferol (D3). However, even if you consume fortified foods like orange juice or milk, you'll fall woefully short of optimal cholecalciferol intake.

Ergocalciferol comes from plants. Humans cannot convert it to cholecalciferol very well.

Cholecalciferol comes from animals and is superior to ergocalciferol at improving vitamin D status. The best food sources include fatty fish, beef liver, and cod liver oil.

Of course, food and supplementation aren't the only ways to raise 25(OH)D. Since the time of Adam and Eve, humans relied on sun exposure.

In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon, and Persia, sunlight (heliotherapy) prevented and treated various medical conditions.

Juzeniene A, et al.

When the sun reaches your skin, the UVB rays stimulate the production of 25(OH)D. Of course, sunblock prevents this production.

To benefit from the sun's rays, you need to live close to the equator and expose most of your skin to the mid-day sun for 20-30 minutes. That would give you about 10,000 IU, or 200 times the amount in a glass of fortified milk.

Some practitioners believe exposing your private parts to the sun is the best way to get vitamin D to levels to rise. I have no personal experience, but if you have the right place to try nude sunbathing, go for it.

A lack of sun exposure limits the amount of vitamin D in your body, but other factors reduce its production, as well.

For example, melanin blocks UV rays, and UV rays stimulate vitamin D production. As a result, those with darker skin produce less vitamin D than those with lighter skin when exposed to the same amount of UV light.

Liver and kidney dysfunctions compromise the conversion of cholecalciferol to active vitamin D. Also, certain medications like statins and plant compounds interfere with absorption.

Cholesterol and vitamin D are absorbed in similar ways. Medications and plant compounds that interfere with cholesterol uptake also interfere with vitamin D absorption.

Effects of Low Vitamin D

Since vitamin D affects almost every body system, it's no surprise that low levels can lead to catastrophic consequences.

The Flu

The role of vitamin D in supporting your immune system cannot be understated.

A British doctor named R. Edgar Hope-Simpson first connected low 25(OH)D to the flu. He observed that in both hemispheres, cases of the flu rise in late fall and early winter, which is the same time when levels drop from their summertime high. His observations were correct.

Do you supplement with 2000-5000 IU of Vitamin D each day? Or, do you use your lunch hour to lie in the sun in just a loincloth? If not, you're likely low in vitamin D.



You could be raising your risk of developing a plethora of health problems, including diabetes, arthritis, dementia, bone loss, and getting the flu, just to name a few.



More than half of the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D, and as many as four out of five in the United States may be below optimal levels.



Fortunately, the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world is easily preventable. High-quality supplements are inexpensive, and if you live in the right latitude, you can get a healthy dose from moderate mid-day sun exposure.



After reading this article, you’ll understand why vitamin D is one of my Foundational Five, the best supplements for foundational health.



In all my many years of practice of medicine, I've never seen one vitamin, even vitamin C, have such a profound effect on human health.Dr. Soram Khalsa, board-certified internist and medical director of the East-West Medical Research Institute



What is Vitamin D?



Vitamin D is actually a pro-hormone, not a vitamin. It influences the expression of more than 200 genes and acts as a precursor to hormones such as DHEA and cortisol.



The active form of vitamin D is 25-hydroxy vitamin D, or 25(OH)D.



Through your diet, you consume vitamin D in two forms: ergocalciferol (D2) and cholecalciferol (D3). However, even if you eat fortified foods, the amount you consume through diet is a fraction of what you need each day.



Ergocalciferol comes from plants and is not converted to active vitamin D in the body very well. Cholecalciferol comes from animals and is the best form for increasing 25(OH)D. It's also the form most researchers use.



Of course, food and supplementation aren't the only ways to raise vitamin D. Since the time of Adam and Eve, sun exposure has been our main supplier.



In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon, and Persia, sunlight (heliotherapy) prevented and treated various medical conditions.Juzeniene A, et al.



When your skin is exposed to sunlight, UVB rays stimulate the production of vitamin D.



To benefit from the sun's rays, you need to live close to the equator and expose most of your skin to the mid-day sun for 20-30 minutes. That would give you about 10,000 IU, or 200 times the amount in a glass of fortified milk.



Some practitioners believe exposing your private parts to the sun is the best way to get vitamin D to levels to rise. I have no personal experience, but if you have the right place to try nude sunbathing, go for it.



Today, we get more light from our computer screens and cell phones than light from the sun (a topic for another time, but that type of light could be cause far more damage than an occasional sunburn). Even when you get out in the sun, you're probably covered in so much sunblock that you can't benefit from the UVB rays anyway.



Since you’re probably not going to practice buck-naked sunbathing, or even get out in the sun very often at all, supplementation will be necessary to maintain optimal levels.



You might also like: Hemp, Essential Oils, And The Endocannabinoid System: Your Guide



Effects Of Low Vitamin D

Do you supplement with 2000-5000 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D each day? Or, do you use your lunch hour to lie in the sun in just a loincloth? If not, you're likely low in vitamin D.

More than half of the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D, and as many as four out of five in the United States may be below optimal levels.

Low blood levels of vitamin D increase risk factors for diabetes, arthritis, dementia, and bone loss. You could also be increasing your risk of viral infections, like the flu.

Fortunately, the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world is easily preventable. High-quality supplements are inexpensive, and if you live in the right latitude, you can get a healthy dose from moderate mid-day sun exposure.

After reading this article, you’ll understand why vitamin D is one of my Foundational Five, the best supplements for foundational health.

In all my many years of practice of medicine, I've never seen one vitamin, even vitamin C, have such a profound effect on human health.Dr. Soram Khalsa, board-certified internist and medical director of the East-West Medical Research Institute

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is actually a prohormone, not a vitamin. It influences the expression of more than 200 genes and acts as a precursor to hormones such as DHEA and cortisol.

The active form is called 25-hydroxy vitamin D, or 25(OH)D.

You consume vitamin D in two forms: ergocalciferol (D2) and cholecalciferol (D3). However, even if you consume fortified foods like orange juice or milk, you'll fall woefully short of optimal cholecalciferol intake.

Ergocalciferol comes from plants. Humans cannot convert it to cholecalciferol very well.

Cholecalciferol comes from animals and is superior to ergocalciferol at improving vitamin D status. The best food sources include fatty fish, beef liver, and cod liver oil.

Of course, food and supplementation aren't the only ways to raise 25(OH)D. Since the time of Adam and Eve, humans relied on sun exposure.

In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon, and Persia, sunlight (heliotherapy) prevented and treated various medical conditions.Juzeniene A, et al.

When the sun reaches your skin, the UVB rays stimulate the production of 25(OH)D. Of course, sunblock prevents this production.

To benefit from the sun's rays, you need to live close to the equator and expose most of your skin to the mid-day sun for 20-30 minutes. That would give you about 10,000 IU, or 200 times the amount in a glass of fortified milk.

Some practitioners believe exposing your private parts to the sun is the best way to get vitamin D to levels to rise. I have no personal experience, but if you have the right place to try nude sunbathing, go for it.

A lack of sun exposure limits the amount of vitamin D in your body, but other factors reduce its production, as well.

Liver and kidney dysfunctions compromise the conversion of cholecalciferol to active vitamin D. Also, certain medications like statins and plant compounds interfere with absorption.

Cholesterol and vitamin D are absorbed in similar ways. Medications and plant compounds that interfere with cholesterol uptake also interfere with vitamin D absorption.

Effects of Low Vitamin D

Since vitamin D affects almost every body system, it's no surprise that low levels can lead to catastrophic consequences.

Do you supplement with 2000-5000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D each day? Or, do you use your lunch hour to lie in the sun in just a loincloth? If not, you're likely low in vitamin D.

More than half of the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D, and as many as four out of five in the United States may be below optimal levels.

Low blood levels of vitamin D increase risk factors for diabetes, arthritis, dementia, and bone loss. You could also be increasing your risk of viral infections, like the flu.

Fortunately, the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world is easily preventable. High-quality supplements are inexpensive, and if you live in the right latitude, you can get a healthy dose from moderate mid-day sun exposure.

After reading this article, you’ll understand why vitamin D is one of my Foundational Five, the best supplements for foundational health.

In all my many years of practice of medicine, I've never seen one vitamin, even vitamin C, have such a profound effect on human health.Dr. Soram Khalsa, board-certified internist and medical director of the East-West Medical Research Institute

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is actually a prohormone, not a vitamin. It influences the expression of more than 200 genes and acts as a precursor to hormones such as DHEA and cortisol.

The active form is called 25-hydroxy vitamin D, or 25(OH)D.

You consume vitamin D in two forms: ergocalciferol (D2) and cholecalciferol (D3). However, even if you consume fortified foods like orange juice or milk, you'll fall woefully short of optimal cholecalciferol intake.

Ergocalciferol comes from plants. Humans cannot convert it to cholecalciferol very well.

Cholecalciferol comes from animals and is superior to ergocalciferol at improving vitamin D status. The best food sources include fatty fish, beef liver, and cod liver oil.

Of course, food and supplementation aren't the only ways to raise 25(OH)D. Since the time of Adam and Eve, humans relied on sun exposure.

In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon, and Persia, sunlight (heliotherapy) prevented and treated various medical conditions.Juzeniene A, et al.

When the sun reaches your skin, the UVB rays stimulate the production of 25(OH)D. Of course, sunblock prevents this production.

To benefit from the sun's rays, you need to live close to the equator and expose most of your skin to the mid-day sun for 20-30 minutes. That would give you about 10,000 IU, or 200 times the amount in a glass of fortified milk.

Some practitioners believe exposing your private parts to the sun is the best way to get vitamin D to levels to rise. I have no personal experience, but if you have the right place to try nude sunbathing, go for it.

A lack of sun exposure limits the amount of vitamin D in your body, but other factors reduce its production, as well.

For example, melanin blocks UV rays, and UV rays stimulate vitamin D production. As a result, those with darker skin produce less vitamin D than those with lighter skin when exposed to the same amount of UV light.

Liver and kidney dysfunctions compromise the conversion of cholecalciferol to active vitamin D. Also, certain medications like statins and plant compounds interfere with absorption.

Cholesterol and vitamin D are absorbed in similar ways. Medications and plant compounds that interfere with cholesterol uptake also interfere with vitamin D absorption.

Effects of Low Vitamin D

Since vitamin D affects almost every body system, it's no surprise that low levels can lead to catastrophic consequences.

The Flu

The role of vitamin D in supporting your immune system cannot be understated.

A British doctor named R. Edgar Hope-Simpson first connected low 25(OH)D to the flu. He observed that in both hemispheres, cases of the flu rise in late fall and early winter, which is the same time when levels drop from their summertime high. His observations were correct.

Exercise produces free radicals, and antioxidants combat free radicals. So, you should load up on antioxidants before exercise, right? Wrong! Here's why.

This might come as a surprise, but using an antioxidant supplement before or during a workout is a bad idea. By doing so, you shortchange the results of your training session.

I'm not saying antioxidants are harmful, or that you should toss your supplements or stop eating vegetables and fruit altogether. They're just not a good idea around your exercise session.

To understand why, we need a brief background on free radicals, reactive oxygen species, and antioxidants.

Don't worry, though. I'm not going to get too technical – just technical enough to use some critical thinking. I want you to understand why combining exercise and antioxidants could curtail the benefits of exercise.

What Are Free Radicals And Reactive Oxygen Species?

Free radicals are highly reactive atoms which are short one electron. They cause an old pickup truck to rust, and they cause your body to age and break down.

The only mission of a free radical is to find another electron, even if it means stealing it from another atom in a cell membrane or your DNA. By stealing the electron, the free radical becomes whole but makes the atom it took the electron from a new free radical.

This initiates a chain of events where one atom becomes a free radical, steals an electron from another atom, makes that other atom a free radical, which steals an electron from still another atom, and on and on it goes.

As the chain of events carries on, it destroys cell membranes and can alter your DNA, contributing to diseases like diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, arthritis, cataracts, heart disease, cancer, and accelerated aging.

Chemicals and environmental toxins can increase your exposure to free radicals, which is why it's so important to reduce your exposure to those toxins whenever possible.

Side note: This is what first got my wife Vanessa interested in essential oils. Her mom passed away quite young, after dealing with Lewy Body dementia for several years. The doctors at the Mayo Clinic could not specifically pinpoint a cause but felt strongly that exposure to environmental toxins contributed to the disease.

Though you get exposed to free radicals from the environment, you also produce them yourself.

Your mitochondria use oxygen to produce energy, and a byproduct of that energy production is a specific category of free radicals called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). The more energy you produce, the more ROS you create. So, higher-intensity or longer-duration exercise does generate more free radicals.

However, that doesn't make exercise a bad thing. I'll come back to this shortly.

How Do Antioxidants Work?

Antioxidants enter the picture to stop the free radical chain of events. They freely donate electrons to the free radicals they come in contact with.

This is why antioxidants are believed to play such an essential role in long-term health and longevity. You get antioxidants through food, supplements, and herbs. Your body also produces its own antioxidants.

Some of the most common dietary antioxidants include tocopherols (vitamin E), L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), carotenoids (vitamin A), alpha-lipoic acid, lycopene, and lutein.

Others found in the diet and supplements include Coenzyme Q10, resveratrol, pterostilbene, and curcumin. And then there are thousands of other compounds in plants that act as antioxidants.

Exercise produces free radicals, and antioxidants combat free radicals. So, you should load up on antioxidants before exercise, right? Wrong! Here's why.

Weight training has a way of mimicking life, which is why the lessons learned in VIGOR Training are as practical outside the gym as they are inside it.

And just like life, the shortcuts or easy options rarely produce long-lasting results.

The following are the five most common mistakes people make with weight training. Maybe you don't make any of these mistakes. If that's true, pass this along because someone you know might be making them right now.

1. You Put Too Much Emphasis On Avoiding Pain Or Injury

Somewhere, sometime, somebody sold the idea that you can get fit and healthy without ever getting hurt.

I’ve even heard wannabe personal trainers say you should never be sore after training sessions. Sad, but true.

The reality is, reward rarely comes without risk when lifting weights or in real life.

To create deep, meaningful relationships, you have to accept that you’ll get hurt or heartbroken. To avoid ever being hurt, you’d have to avoid ever making a connection with someone else.

To lead and influence others, you’ll have to accept that the more people love what you do, the more you’ll have people who hate you too. To avoid the pain of small-minded critics, you’d have to remain small an insignificant.

To build a strong, healthy body, you first have to break it down so it can rebuild stronger than before.

You’ll often be sore, you’ll sometimes get hurt, and you’ll occasionally get injured.

When I design the VIGOR Training sessions, I do so with the goal of minimizing the risk of injury, but it isn’t possible to prevent it. The only way to avoid an injury is to do nothing. To sit on the couch day after day and get weak and fat. You might never get hurt, but you’ll also lose your health.

You can't avoid pain. You choose your pain. The pain of building strength, or the pain of being sick.

You can choose the short-term pain and discomfort of strength training so you can become stronger, healthier, and make more of your body and mind.

Or, you can choose the future pain of obesity, heart disease, dementia, cancer, and possibly premature death by opting for the short-term comfort of crappy food and a comfortable couch.

You’re reading this because you want more from life. Rather than fearing the chance that you’ll get hurt, expect that one day you will, and decide now that you’ll carry on no matter what happens.

Building strength and improving fitness requires you to consistently push yourself harder than you have before.

The truly fit often teeter between doing just enough and a little too much.

They experience muscle soreness. They sometimes feel pain. And every once in a while, they get hurt. But we have bodies that can bounce back. It’s better to deal with occasional pain and make progress than sit in comfort and get weak and fat.

Of course, there are smart ways to train and dumb ways to train. But even when you follow a sound program, you do risk getting hurt. That’s just the nature of using your body.

If you spend your life avoiding the chance of getting hurt, you totally limit the opportunity to get healthy and fit.

2. You Change Up Your Training Program As Often As The Country Changes Presidents

Pause for a moment and try to think of an area of your life where you’re thriving, yet you aren't growing and experiencing new challenges. You'll have to think for a long time before something comes to mind.

A business that doesn’t explore new challenges and take new risks eventually becomes irrelevant, like Kodak.

An athletes who wins every competition gets bored or complacent. Eventually, they look for new ways to feel the high he or she once felt from the competition because like anyone else, they need to feel and experience new challenges.

A married couple who does the same thing day after day…the same shows, the same restaurants, the same vacations, heck, even the same sex, gets stale and the relationship decays.

Weight training has a way of mimicking life, which is why the lessons learned in VIGOR Training are as practical outside the gym as they are inside it.

And just like life, the shortcuts or easy options rarely produce long-lasting results.

The following are the five most common mistakes people make with weight training. Maybe you don't make any of these mistakes. If that's true, pass this along because someone you know might be making them right now.

1. You Put Too Much Emphasis On Avoiding Pain Or Injury

Somewhere, sometime, somebody sold the idea that you can get fit and healthy without ever getting hurt.

I’ve even heard wannabe personal trainers say you should never be sore after training sessions. Sad, but true.

The reality is, reward rarely comes without risk when lifting weights or in real life.

To create deep, meaningful relationships, you have to accept that you’ll get hurt or heartbroken. To avoid ever being hurt, you’d have to avoid ever making a connection with someone else.

To lead and influence others, you’ll have to accept that the more people love what you do, the more you’ll have people who hate you too. To avoid the pain of small-minded critics, you’d have to remain small an insignificant.

To build a strong, healthy body, you first have to break it down so it can rebuild stronger than before.

You’ll often be sore, you’ll sometimes get hurt, and you’ll occasionally get injured.

When I design the VIGOR and VIGORESS training sessions, I do so with the goal of minimizing the risk of injury, but it isn’t possible to prevent it. The only way to avoid an injury is to do nothing. To sit on the couch day after day and get weak and fat. You might never get hurt, but you’ll also lose your health.

You can't avoid pain. You choose your pain. The pain of building strength, or the pain of being sick.

You can choose the short-term pain and discomfort of strength training so you can become stronger, healthier, and make more of your body and mind.

Or, you can choose the future pain of obesity, heart disease, dementia, cancer, and possibly premature death by opting for the short-term comfort of crappy food and a comfortable couch.

You’re reading this because you want more from life. Rather than fearing the chance that you’ll get hurt, expect that one day you will, and decide now that you’ll carry on no matter what happens.

Building strength and improving fitness requires you to consistently push yourself harder than you have before.

The truly fit often teeter between doing just enough and a little too much.

They experience muscle soreness. They sometimes feel pain. And every once in a while, they get hurt. But we have bodies that can bounce back. It’s better to deal with occasional pain and make progress than sit in comfort and get weak and fat.

Of course, there are smart ways to train and dumb ways to train. But even when you follow a sound program, you do risk getting hurt. That’s just the nature of using your body.

If you spend your life avoiding the chance of getting hurt, you totally limit the opportunity to get healthy and fit.

2. You Change Up Your Training Program As Often As The Country Changes Presidents

Pause for a moment and try to think of an area of your life where you’re thriving,