Distal Bicep Tendon Workout

When the biceps muscles and tendons of your upper arms are healthy, your workouts can include any number of strength-training exercises to build muscle size, strength and endurance in the biceps muscles. When you've damaged your distal biceps tendon -- the tendon that attaches your biceps muscle to the elbow -- you'll have to take more care and focus on rehabilitative exercises.

  1. A Word on Recovery

    • If you've damaged your distal biceps tendon, the best course of action is to seek the help of a doctor, physical therapist or sports therapist who can work with you and address your condition according to your lifestyle and needs. If the tear is complete and the tendon is detached from the bone, you may need surgery. During the recovery phase -- typically around two months after the injury -- your provider may recommend various movements that focus only on improving your range of motion. This might include simply flexing and extending your forearm, bending the wrist forward and backward or flipping the hand from a palm-up position to a palm-down position. When you get the OK to progress in your recovery, the exercises you'll do may be similar to those, with the addition of weight.

    Gripping Exercises

    • To reestablish grip strength, try squeezing and releasing a piece of putty, repeating the motion for about 30 seconds at a time. When you're ready you can make the exercise more challenging by gripping a tennis ball. For this and all other exercises, stop if the exercise causes you any pain. For rehabilitation, you'll typically do all these exercises every day or even several times a day -- though your physical therapist will usually alert you of the ideal frequency.

    Flipping Exercises

    • Once you're able to flip your palm from one side to the other without pain, you can progress the exercise with the addition of weight. Start with a very light weight, such as a half-pound dumbbell, holding it firmly in your hand. Tuck your elbow into your side and bend your arm to 90 degrees, so the forearm faces upward. Then, slowly turn the palm downward. Continue that up and down motion for 30 seconds.

    Curling Exercises

    • Performing biceps curl exercises is typically recommended in the advanced phases of rehabilitation. Don't expect to be lifting heavy dumbbells as you might have done before your injury, however -- at least not at first. Start with a very light weight, such as half-pound or 1-lb. dumbbell. Stand up, hold the dumbbell in one hand with the palm facing outward. Then bend the elbow and pull the dumbbell up toward the shoulder. Full recovery can take four to five months, so even if you're feeling like you can lift more weight, you should generally stick with light weights until your physical therapist tells you it's OK to start lifting heavier weight.