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Bicep Tears


PeterSweden

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I have watched videos like this and I can not find one single video where the bicep of the arm holding overhand snaps.

Its always the hand with palm facing forward, DU, that snaps.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv5tF04eTK4

If you put your arm in DO position and tense the muscles the bicep doesnt get very flexed but twist your hand around and you can feel how its working and flexes.

Is DO grip injury free for the biceps?

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Blir nog en tår om den släpper, minst en tår!

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Just pointing out that there is no such thing as bicep, it is biceps!

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The reason that it's always underhand that the biceps tears in mixed grip deadlift is that you can get a temptation to 'curl' the bar by bending the elbow. If your arm isn't completely straight/locked out, your biceps will be straining, and if the weight is heavy enough, it can tear. Relatively light weights are of course no trouble, but if you're going for a PR and don't have the form in check, it could be very painful.

As long as your arms are kept straight, you should never have any biceps problems from mixed grip deadlift.

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I believe Wojo was using an overhand grip on the adjustable thick handle when he tore his bi.

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The biceps can tear at any time, in any movement. Your best bet is to train the bicep through complete range of motion, in various angles, using many, many exercises. I think curls are very important to biceps health.

Many strongman competitors will tell you not to waste your time, but then look at all of them that unfortunately tear their bicep clean a log or lifting a stone. It's not like they don't do those lifts ALL THE TIME. What they don't do is direct biceps work.

Add that in as well as stretching and the like and you should be able to avoid the injury.

Shoulder stability/mobility also plays a factor.

You can also avoid high risk things such as alternated grip on the deadlift. I won't even do alternated deadlift, because I am afraid of tearing a bicep. I just go DO from the floor and I use straps when I go out of a rack. Why test my grip on a deadlift if I fear I may be at risk for a biceps tear, when I already plan on testing my grip in some other manner in another section of my workout?

These are my thoughts.

Here is the video where Wojo unfortunately tore his bicep. Ever since then, I have done nothing but work my biceps harder and in more different ways in order to keep them safe.

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Great post Jedd! I also almost never do alternating grip on the deadlift for fear of tearing the biceps. I think the numbers of sets I've ever done with an alternating grip could probably be counted just using my fingers and toes. I use full ROM when I train my bicecps. And whenever I do any kind of deadlift, clean or snatch, I try to keep my arms extended during the pull. I also try and stretch every now and then to prevent stiffness in the arms. Most of the guys who tear their biceps look relatively stiff. I think if your biceps feel tight just from having your arm straight, you are in the risk of getting a torn biceps.

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He had a hammercurl grip when it ripped.

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Here is the issue with DO. You will never, ever reach your full potential on the deadlift unless you learn to hook and do it long enough that you can take the pain. If you ever plan on competing in anything but grip, you will need to learn to alternate grip. Never tweaked a biceps deadlifting, but I have popped some stuff in my forearm. If you train alternate grip, and you strenthen your biceps, you should not habe an issue.

Keep in mind things like antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals can weaken connective tissue.

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I might be wrong here but way back in Kinesiology class I think I remember that the primary function of the biceps is to "rotate" the lower arm - curling it is the secondary function. This could explain "why" to some degree as maximum tension is applied.

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Here is the issue with DO. You will never, ever reach your full potential on the deadlift unless you learn to hook and do it long enough that you can take the pain. If you ever plan on competing in anything but grip, you will need to learn to alternate grip. Never tweaked a biceps deadlifting, but I have popped some stuff in my forearm. If you train alternate grip, and you strenthen your biceps, you should not habe an issue.

Keep in mind things like antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals can weaken connective tissue.

I have to agree with Rick here. I've been doing mixed grip deads for over 10 yeas, up to 565 and a couple misses at 585 and lifting for 18. Never tore a biceps.

I've seen so many people try to shrug or curl the weight at the top and that leads to injury. If you just leave your arms dangling and you biceps never coming into the lift, you will have no issues.

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Thanks Rick - my memory is like the rest of me - getting a little slow. It's nice to at least "sort of" remember stuff from the early 70s when I went to school :)

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I can say that several factors contributed to my biceps tear in varying degrees. The first was a long term lack of direct biceps training...I was always focused more on other lifts and never spent much time working my arms...that has now changed. Several mistakes on my part that day were definitely a factor as well....lack of a good general warm-up, lack of a specific warm-up, unfamiliarity with the implement itself (I had never touched an adjustable thick bar before)....and lastly was taking a neutral grip instead of a fully pronated grip.

Since my biceps tear, I've only been deadlifting DO (using strap as necessary) with the exception of one workout about a month ago, where I worked up to 500 for a beltless single with an alternating grip just to get over the mental block. However, I still continue to deadlift DO just to be safe...plus it puts your body in a healthier, symmetrical position.

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Agreed Jedd...strongmen are bad about training biceps! I always tell people "how the hell are you going to pull a truck w/o biceps?" and it usually clicks. My staples in bicep training are heavy hammer curls, straight bar for high reps and machine preacher curls even. I've been competing for 3 years and never had an injury.

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I can say that several factors contributed to my biceps tear in varying degrees. The first was a long term lack of direct biceps training...I was always focused more on other lifts and never spent much time working my arms...that has now changed. Several mistakes on my part that day were definitely a factor as well....lack of a good general warm-up, lack of a specific warm-up, unfamiliarity with the implement itself (I had never touched an adjustable thick bar before)....and lastly was taking a neutral grip instead of a fully pronated grip.

Since my biceps tear, I've only been deadlifting DO (using strap as necessary) with the exception of one workout about a month ago, where I worked up to 500 for a beltless single with an alternating grip just to get over the mental block. However, I still continue to deadlift DO just to be safe...plus it puts your body in a healthier, symmetrical position.

How well did it heal? Did you have surgery?

I know a guy named Mattias who tore his right biceps while doing dumbell curls and his arm looks ridiculous now, even with surgery.

Its destroyed for the rest of his life.

The arm is weak and he cant train arms or rows like he used to.

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