“I Tore My Bicep From The Bone”: Lou Ferrigno Once Risked His Bodybuilding Career To Save His Daughter’s Life

Lou Ferrigno is an iconic bodybuilder and television star. Ferrigno starred as, “The Incredible Hulk” from 1977 to 1982. Lou was the first man to portray the big green monster on screen. His portrayal was so iconic that decades later, in 2012, Marvel studios came knocking. Lou became the voice of the Hulk in the first Avengers movie. While his on-screen exploits made him famous, Ferrigno once had to pull off a Hulk-like feat of strength to save his daughter.

In a YouTube video, Lou recalled the incident where he tore his right biceps completely while saving his daughter Shanna.

Lou Ferrigno tore his biceps to save his daughter

In February 2020, Lou Ferrigno uploaded a short video to his YouTube channel. In that video, Lou talked about the worst injury he had ever suffered. Lou said, “I had this air compressor on the truck and my daughter Shanna playing in the back.”. He added, “I remember the fact I parked it there, it was 1000 pound air compressor, and I remember trying to move it.” However, the truck shifted and the former Mr. Universe had to intervene to protect his daughter. He said, “I (Lou) grabbed the air compressor, not to fall on the ground, fall on her. I strained so hard I tore my biceps from the bone completely.”

Ferrigno’s daughter was safe. However, he said, “I heard, like a shirt rip. I looked at my arm, it was like a little boy’s arm.“; The Incredible Hulk actor had suffered the worst biceps injury imaginable, a complete bicep tear from the elbow joint.

Lou then said that the biceps had curled up to the armpit. “I was devastated, devastated because of my bodybuilding career, ” said the former Mr. Universe. However, Lou would soon find a solution, when footballer Bubba Smith recommended a doctor who could fix his arm.

READ MORE: Unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno Clinched the Iconic Role With His Original Bodybuilding Body in 1977

A day after the accident, Ferrigno got surgery. While it took about six months to heal completely, Lou said, when he came back, he was just as strong as before. Lou could, “Even deadlift six hundred pounds.”

Lou once deadlifted a car

In 1977, Lou Ferrigno took part in the first World’s Strongest Man competition. During the contest, Ferrigno won two events. One was the bar bend, and the other was the car deadlift. The Mr. Olympia contender lifted one side of a car that weighed 2684lbs. While he didn’t lift the full weight of the car, it was an extremely impressive display of strength. Ferrigno also placed 5th overall.

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Lou Ferrigno is a bodybuilding legend. His portrayal of the Incredible Hulk is iconic. Despite having a promising bodybuilding career, Lou didn’t hesitate to save his daughter. However, like a true superhero, Lou put his daughter’s life before everything else.