Pop in quad while doing heavy leg extensions

[npc2010]

I recently was in the gym training legs. I warm up very slowly gradually increasing the weight by a couple bricks per set. I usually do about 8 warm up sets before I am at my heaviest set. I was doing stack for my first set for 30 reps. My strength is very high right now due to being on a cycle, and i just recently tried to rig the stack and hang a 25 lb plate on the ball of the stack. The first day I tried it, it felt very good. I did it for about 20 reps. On this particular day when I got to my second set, I was cruising thru my reps and all of a sudden something popped in my inner quad. I instantly dropped the stack and grabbed my thigh. It was sore and I didnt do anthing else that night. Just went home to ice it. There was no swelling or bruising, just sore in that area. Feels alot like when you take a shot in the quad and its sore. Has anyone ever heard of this type of injury? This is the first time that this has ever happened to me in 20plus years of lifting. Is it possible for the pop to be something other than a partial tear?

[lovbyts]

If you are lucky it was just the muscle jumping/moving across the tendon. It's like a rubber band wen stretched and pull and release the middle while holding the ends in place.

If there is no knot, no bruising or serious after pain you may have gotten lucky

Most people get hurt ON cycle due to the euphoria feeling you can lift more. That does not mean your muscle are really ready to do that much yet. Many many people get hurt.

That's why I rarely try to MAX out.

[npc2010]

Thats what I was hoping that it was actually. I wasnt sure if that was a possibility, but now that someone else has suggested it, it makes me feel that it is possible that is what happened. I told my workout partner the same thing, that it almost felt like a muscle was caught up in a bind and then suddenly popped loose! Now I am very cautious on how soon to try to lift on it again. Walking around doesnt hurt at all. It only has pain when its in the down position like when you start the leg extension movement. I am in the mist of getting ready for a National Qualifier soon and I dont have alot of time to lose. Any suggestions on what I should do to get back and growing? That is assuming that is was just a muscle popping over a tendon? How long should that type of injury be sore for?

Also, should I not go as heavy again? I know the weights that I use are very heavy compared to what alot of guys use in the gym and even my workout partners, but I am able to do 20 to 30 good reps with it. I need all the leg growth that I can get because my legs are my weak point. So I put everything I have into them. I could see if I was doing a weight that all i could do is barely swing up 4 or 5 reps, that would be asking for an injury. So now i am gunshy of pushing my legs due to walking the tightrope of growing vs. injury. Do you think I should avoid leg extensions all together for a few weeks? and just do what feels comfortable?

[lovbyts]

Of course take it SLOW/easy and work your way back up. I know you will be paranoid for a while but if it doesnt hurt just keep going back up and see what happens. I would work up to about 80% of max for a week or two then back to 100% if no problems. Ive heard once the muscle snaps like that it can happen more frequently but hopefully it was just bound up the one time.

[npc2010]

Yea, i think im just gonna go very light this week on leg day and almost skip quads and give them one more full week to heal that area. Ill just focus on hams and calves that workout, then next week just feel my way back. Man, I sure hope it was just a fluke pop. I guess Ill know once I start training it heavy again. Could be that was just a one time freak incident. Ive definitely never had it before.