[Adam Bishop]

Here’s the rehab plan I used and a couple of my rugby players used aswell. It is set up for strongman as it’s a very common injury therefore you can ignore the return to strongman events etc.

Hope it helps. Fire any questions my way…

Weeks 1-2
In Sling with elbow kept at 90degrees. No rehab work on bicep. Trained around the injury in the gym. Safety Squat bar squats 3 times a week and 2 contralateral upperbody sessions (training non injured side) to maintain muscle mass.

Weeks 3-4
Out of sling. Get range of motion back in arm. No loading yet. Focus on getting arm straight and getting full supination of forearm back. This is very important to do before loading. Continuted SSB squat work and Contralateral work.

Weeks 5-6
Commenced non-direct loading of injured side. No direct bicep work but some light pressing and rows. Continued SSB squats.

Weeks 6-9
Direct loading of bicep commences. Start with light bicep curls and compare strength to the non-injured side. Stick with supinated curls as puch as possible. focus on the contraction of the medial head of the bicep. It is common for the Brachioradialis to become dominant after the time in the sling. A Compex (EMS) is a good tool for bicep activation prior to bicep work. This is the session I performed 3 times a week during this period (Monday/Wednesday/Friday):

Single Arm DB Preacher Curl 3×12
Incline DB Curl (supinated) 3×12
Standing Cable Curl (like a double biceps pose) 3×12

Progressed each arm independantly until the injured size was withing 95% of the non-injured side. Key is to keep with the supination range of motion work during this period.

Weeks 10-12
Back to “normal” gym training, probably no strongman events that risk the bicep yet but deadlifting (straps) and yoke etc is ok. Direct bicep work moved to heavier variations such as barbell curls and DB hammer curls etc. I would recommend some swiss ball squeezes during this period as well to mimic picking up an atlas stone.

Weeks 13-16
Back to full strongman training

[Adam Bishop]

Last heavy events session of Brits prep. Everything felt straightforward enough.

Viking press – 150×8
Yoke – 360x18m
Loading – 4 implements in 35sec

Then home to watch the rugby and walk the dogs.

[Adam Bishop]

Light legs session today. Once again dropping volume.

Squat 220×2
Leg ext – 1 set
Leg curl – 1 set
Calf raises – 1 set

That was it not the most exciting session but much needed part of the taper process as I have my final “proper” session tomorrow hitting some events

[Adam Bishop]

Final rest day of the week. Got lots done. A couple of walks again took me over 10k steps and I sorted some stuff out for my sponsors.

Squat session tomorrow and I’ve got a quick photoshoot to door prior to training.

Nothing heavy on the bar tomorrow. Tapers are always tough mentally as I love training and want to lift especially right now when I’m feeling strong but sticking to the plan will yield results when it counts.

[Adam Bishop]

Should read normal life not lift haha

[Adam Bishop]

Hi Stuart, I’m assuming you are UK based here, was the surgery done on the nhs or private? I ask because the NHS’s concern is to get you back to “normal” lift and usually do not take into account training etc.

It sounds like you’ve had a standard distal tendon reattachment. Did your surgeon say anything about having to use a graft for the tendon at all? If they did then that lengthens the recovery time but most of the time there is enough tendon left to allow a clean reattachment.

I’ve overseen and advised on quite a few bicep reattachments (including my own in 2017) so answer the above questions and if it’s applicable I’ll copy and paste my 12 week rehab plan for you.

[Adam Bishop]

Rest day today and got some grown up stuff done. Truck had a service so went for a walk while it was in the garage then did another 40min walk in the afternoon with the dogs.

Topped off the day with a trip to Costco for supplies.

Bodyweight was 151.1kg this morning.

[Adam Bishop]

Kicked the morning off with a physio session. Tricep was sweet so minimal work there but my TFL was jacked as fuck and my patella was angry due to the heavy session on Saturday so Joe the physio treated these issues. TFL release is especially grim!

Back to the barn for my press session and it was a good one. Strict log press was feeling normal today and starting to feel legit strong again. Massive confidence boost for after Brits when I start my WSM prep.

Strict log press – 150×1
Dips – 1 set
DB lateral Raises – 1 set
Cable Pressdowns – 1 set

In the afternoon I had my weekly massage session where we worked on my back, quads and adductors.

All in all a very good day.

[Adam Bishop]

First session of my competition taper today. Back was still a little stiff from events and travelling so I was happy with the reduced work load. This week I drop the volume on my assistance work then next week it goes all together for minimal volume.

I also had to get my loading done today as I didn’t get it in on my trip to use the comp kit.

Deadlift – up to 320×1
CG Pulldown – 1 set
Seated Row – 1 set
WG Seated Row – 1 set
Loading – anchor, sandbag, keg and tyre for 12m each. 34.77sec

[Adam Bishop]

Hi Andy. You will need to speak to your doctor about it and ask to have a sleep study done. They will give you a device to wear while you sleep at home for a few days to assess your sleep issues.

Once you have a doctors note saying you have sleep apnea you can just order a CPAP online or wait for the nhs to sort you one.

I ordered mine online after going through my private sports doctor.

Hi Adam, why do you have to wait to have note before ordering one? [/quote]
It was a requirement of the company that I bought my CPAP from. Don’t know if that’s just a UK/EU thing but they would not send the machine until I had a note from the doc

[Adam Bishop]

Hi Andy. You will need to speak to your doctor about it and ask to have a sleep study done. They will give you a device to wear while you sleep at home for a few days to assess your sleep issues.

Once you have a doctors note saying you have sleep apnea you can just order a CPAP online or wait for the nhs to sort you one.

I ordered mine online after going through my private sports doctor.

Thanks mate im going to get the ball rolling today

[/quote]
No problem, good luck with it.

One other important thing to find out is if you are predominantly a nose or mouth breather while you sleep as this will impact which mask you buy.

[Adam Bishop]

Hi Andy. You will need to speak to your doctor about it and ask to have a sleep study done. They will give you a device to wear while you sleep at home for a few days to assess your sleep issues.

Once you have a doctors note saying you have sleep apnea you can just order a CPAP online or wait for the nhs to sort you one.

I ordered mine online after going through my private sports doctor.

[Adam Bishop]

Much needed rest day today. Body is a little beat up but nothing serious – more the driving and late night than anything else.

Walked the dogs, got some rehab done on my knee with the game ready and completed my ISOs for my knee and elbow.

Back in the gym tomorrow for some pulls.

[Adam Bishop]

I am a big big fan of isometrics for tendinitis – mainly as it’s the only thing I have found that kept people training/competing in their sport consistently.

For you these isometrics could be as simple as keeping your hand neutral and pushing down on a table to begin with. I like to start off with 3 sets of 45sec twice a day. From there you can progress to holding a dumbbell in a “wrist curl” position for the same time frame with light load then move to shorter ISOs such as 3x20sec eventually going to 3×3/10sec holds.

The key is to get it done daily as ensure you keep the muscles in your forearms supple. Rolling with a lacrosse ball or rolling in on a table works well. This should help take some tension that is being exerted by the muscle out the tendon.

Unfortunately this is going to be a long process and you’re going to have to be on it with the rehab work but I think this approach coupled with a slow graduated return to problem movements will yield the best results.

[Adam Bishop]

Hi Jason, to echo JP here, we need to know which movements cause issues and in what wrist positions. Any pin point pain in a certain area of your wrist?