minor pec tear

[chest6]

I did this last week while stretching cold, and then I made it worse from heavy chest work 2 days afterwords. This week it still hurt a lot when I started to warm up, so I stopped and didnt go any higher than 185. How long would it take for muscle atrophy to take place? How long can I give my chest a rest before I start to lose strength??

[Papi93]

From researching my NSCA textbook, it takes a month before you lose muscular strength. If you are overtrained, you might actually become stronger with the time off. It is a longer period of time for muscle atrophy (don't remember the exact length of time). Psychologically, it is a different story .

[Papi93]

How do you know you had a pec tear? Is it muscle strain or pec tear?

[IBdmfkr]

I just strained my chest on Monday. I will be taking a few weeks off and split legs into Mon:quads Thurs:hams. Let is rest chest6, you could end up doing much more damage by pushing yourself. Keep protein high and do some pushups if possible in the meantime.. just my 2cents. I think mine was more of a muscle cramp due to lack of hydration though, we will see.

oh yea, 185!
j/k

[chest6]

I just strained my chest on Monday. I will be taking a few weeks off and split legs into Mon:quads Thurs:hams. Let is rest chest6, you could end up doing much more damage by pushing yourself. Keep protein high and do some pushups if possible in the meantime.. just my 2cents. I think mine was more of a muscle cramp due to lack of hydration though, we will see.

oh yea, 185!
j/k

haha dont know what that 185 means but ya..even 185 hurt and thats usually baby weight.

I dont think it was an actually "tear"..I just didnt know what else to call it. I would call it a muscle strain now that I think about it. A pec "tear" seems a little overkill to me.

Another question: Would stretching make it better? On another board they said to stretch but stretching just makes it hurt

[Doc.Sust]

stretch away! deep tissue massage /trigger point therapy would help.(consider seeing someone who specializes in sports massage) even a muscle strain is a slight tear, but if it was major, you would be bruised badly and wouldn't be able to get under any weight. rest, do chest one day a wk super light. i wouldn't take off a month, to me thats too long, but i would lift ridiculously light for 6- 8 wks to let myself heal.

[chest6]

thanks for all the advice guys

[Doc.Sust]

any questions, feel free to ask.

[IBdmfkr]

185, just made me laugh because that is what I am lifting too right now! haha, I hurt myself on 315 on my 8th rep. Nothin to it, but Thanks doc. sust, I will try going light as well, since I have a very similar problem right now.

[chest6]

185, just made me laugh because that is what I am lifting too right now! haha, I hurt myself on 315 on my 8th rep. Nothin to it, but Thanks doc. sust, I will try going light as well, since I have a very similar problem right now.

I was just training w/ singles and it startin hurtin once i got to 355..which usually isnt too bad at all

[IBdmfkr]

Yep, with heavy weight comes injury if not careful. So sad.

[chest6]

Yep, with heavy weight comes injury if not careful. So sad.

well ya. I hurt it stretching 2 days before chest day. Doing these heavy singles probably didnt make it better though.

[AnabolicBoy1981]

stretch away! .

I dont get this. If there is a tear in the muscle, why stretch and elongate the muscle while there is a tear in it? This seems like it would just keep pulling the tear apart. Would it be better to just do nothing let the wound close for a week then start with the light weights, then move on slowly to stretching?

[ward065]

chest, i think the best thing to do is lay off chest, maybe even pullup exercises for 3 weeks or so until you don't feel it bothering you anymore

[IBdmfkr]

I'm just doing pushups for maintainance and to see how it feels, don't push it chest. Could put you out for a long time if you injure it further.

[chest6]

chest, i think the best thing to do is lay off chest, maybe even pullup exercises for 3 weeks or so until you don't feel it bothering you anymore

Ha..I wish I would have read this before I did pullups yesterday. I did feel it a little bit...I need to quick pushing through things when I feel pain..damn football messed me up

[IBdmfkr]

Did you say you were like 6'3 265? Whats your BF.

[Doc.Sust]

I dont get this. If there is a tear in the muscle, why stretch and elongate the muscle while there is a tear in it? This seems like it would just keep pulling the tear apart. Would it be better to just do nothing let the wound close for a week then start with the light weights, then move on slowly to stretching?

no it won't. light stretching , not pushing yourself over the limit will increase the range of motion. heavy lifting will increase the tear and not let the injury heal.

[chest6]

Did you say you were like 6'3 265? Whats your BF.

6 2 270..prolly 17 or 18%

[IBdmfkr]

6 2 270..prolly 17 or 18%

Damn, cut it down and you'll be an animal. good work.

[chest6]

Damn, cut it down and you'll be an animal. good work.

its hard man when all this strength is coming along..my gf told me i was gettin a lil chubby cuz i tell her to be honest with me

oh and my damn pec hurt as bad/worse than last week today..just from skull crushers..i only did like 3 reps then stopped

[IBdmfkr]

Take a rest and Keep the diet clean. No need to put yourself out for a long period of time because of this. Be safe.

[Doc.Sust]

time off to heal is needed. i have had a shoulder problem for the last few weeks, and i have tried to lft through it. 3-4 wks later it still hasn't healed,and it is only a mild sprain strain. i took a few 3 days off so far, and feel better, with just alittle stretching and alot of ice. sometimes we don't have a choice, time off is a necessity and any gains you lose now are temporary, you will get them back and then some!!!

[shread]

i have had this, plus an inflamed ac joint since may this year.

horrible, the doctors said i could do about half wieght, but i wish iread this post first.

i ended up getting cortisone injected 4 weeks ago, and i havent touched any muscelse except abs.

i just decided i wasn't going to wait the full 6 weeks til i saw the specialist again, even though he said i could keep doing the gym after 2 weeks i didnt, because this has been here too long.

im going to do just the bar tonight (20kg) 4 sets of 10, see how it goes...

do you reckon because i have had this injury for around 5 months already i will need more time off?

it doesnt hurt unless i do flat bench, just in the join between my shoulder and chest, (i think its the pec minor) at about 60-70% wieght. and that was 4 weeks ago.