Strongman legend Brian Shaw has devoted over a decade of his life to the sport. He recently retired and selected the fourth edition of his own competition as a fitting way to mark the end of his career. In light of this, he decided to give it his all at the 2023 Shaw Classic, letting everybody know that no setbacks would stop him. This mentality ended up securing him the win and the title of Strongest Man On Earth, but his body has taken a beating during it as well. Most importantly, Brian tore his pec muscle during the second day of competition and has now revealed how severe it is in a YouTube video.
Following the conclusion of day one, Brian Shaw sat in second-place of the 2023 Shaw Classic, just 0.5 points behind Mitchell Hooper. However, he was excited for day two since he knew that he had a chance to overtake the Canadian. Unfortunately, shock struck him following the second event of day two, the Standing Chest Press, as he felt a tear in his right Pec. Brian still pushed through the injury on the final two events and won the show, displaying his competitive resilience for one last time.
Brian Shaw’s Pec Tear Evaluation and Treatment
Being a Strongman for so long, Brian Shaw has torn multiple muscles already. So, having some experience with a hamstring tear, Brian decided to go back to the same doctor who treated him, which required him to travel all the way to Arizona.
“Heading down to Arizona to get some treatment done for my pec… After the treatment, I got down there on my hamstrings, and how well that worked, I figured it would be a good idea to head back down and get this checked out.”
After arriving at the clinic, Brian Shaw took a blood test, which required him to fill 60 vials. Having taken out so much blood, Brian was then hooked up to an IV with the purpose of rehydration and recovery. He had to answer multiple questions, including one about whether his injury happened during the concentric or eccentric motion of the lift.
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However, while it would be hard to guess from how pain-free Brian Shaw looked at the start of the video, once he took his shirt off, the Pec Tear was more than evident. The entire right side of his pec was bruised, and even some parts of his bicep changed color.
So, the next thing to do was to perform an ultrasound, which was also shown in the video. Even with an untrained eye, it is clear that the Pec muscle has been torn, but the doctor gave a very detailed insight into what is actually happening.
“He got both fibers. He got both clavicular and pec. He has some fiber disruption, as you can tell by the gaps here. But, best case scenario, like you can still see the attaching planes. It is high grade, but it is partial,” stated the doctor.
“To actually take a look at it is pretty cool,” responded Shaw.
Brian Shaw immediately received his treatment, which luckily only required some injections. Muscle tears often require surgery, but Brian did not have to undergo it. However, he still had to receive the undisclosed medication with direct needle penetration, which was also shown in the video and on the ultrasound.
“It kind of feels pressurized, like full, like really full. It is such a weird feeling… It’s alright, we’ve got all the good stuff in there.”
Brian Shaw then put a pack of polarized, military-developed ice on his peck. After everything was done, Brian had a final conversation with the doctors about what he should do from now on and revealed his thoughts about the treatment.
“So, the procedure is officially complete. I feel like it was a big success. They were able to get in there and treat everything… I’m really confident with this.”
Watch the video here:
Related: Mitchell Hooper Reflects on Hamstring Injury and Second Place Finish at 2023 Shaw Classic
Ultimately, Brian Shaw’s Pec Tear should not pose any long term issues for him, but it is undoubtedly an inconvenience for him currently. Brian could have put in an even better performance at the 2023 Shaw Classic if it weren’t for the injury. However, he has concluded his career by officially becoming the Strongest Man On Earth, despite being injured.
With everything done and settled, Brian Shaw ends his career with four WSM titles, two Shaw Classic titles, three Arnold Strongman Classic titles, and an additional 18 International titles. All this, alongside countless World Records and additional moments of greatness.
Luckily, Brian Shaw will not be distancing himself from the sport completely, but will instead look to improve the Shaw Classic competition for years to come. His goal is to build it into the greatest Strongman competition in the world, both by giving the athletes what they deserve and the fans what they want to see.
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