# Pec strain Need advice on training around it



## Texan69 (Jan 14, 2018)

Have a pectoral strain gonna be our for a little bit. Any advice on training around it, obviously I know that I will not be able to do chest. But any tips on training shoulders or triceps without compromising recovery time of the injury. It’s been 4 weeks and the only tricep work I have done it cable shit. I’ve been able to train my shoulders however. I’ve bumped it up to working shoulders twice per week now. 
I have been wanted to do skullcrishers for my triceps but I’m worried that my chest will activate partially thus slowing recovery of the injury. I cannot even do dB row from a bench or rack because placing that hand down in the side of my injured pec causing my chest on that side to contract and feel pain. 

Any advice would be awesome, also please share your shoulder workouts


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## PillarofBalance (Jan 14, 2018)

How bad of a tear was this? Did you need surgery?


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## PillarofBalance (Jan 14, 2018)

Just so I don't have to come back later 

If it's not a complete tendon rupture and just a minor strain don't work around it. Work it. 

Start pressing on an incline with 5lb dumbbells and do 100 reps. Do this every training day and increase the weight 5lbs or so each time.


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## tinymk (Jan 14, 2018)

I am a big heat/ ice contrast guy.  I have had far too many strains to recall as a powerlifters.  I agree with POB if it is just a strain work it real light on training days.


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## trodizzle (Jan 14, 2018)

More noods please and thank you.


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## Texan69 (Jan 15, 2018)

I was ding flat bench and lower the weight to my chest felt a very intense sharp pain on the side of my chest in the upper area where it connects to the shoulder and along the armpit .
the next day limited range of motion and tender to the touch. No swelling or discoloration.
the day after range of motion was restored but tender to the touch and very painful to use. Doc just did a exam by feeling it and said it’s most likely a strain and to rest 6 weeks. 
So it’s been 5 weeks and it hurts still.


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## Jin (Jan 15, 2018)

Texan69 said:


> I was ding flat bench and lower the weight to my chest felt a very intense sharp pain on the side of my chest in the upper area where it connects to the shoulder and along the armpit .
> the next day limited range of motion and tender to the touch. No swelling or discoloration.
> the day after range of motion was restored but tender to the touch and very painful to use. Doc just did a exam by feeling it and said it’s most likely a strain and to rest 6 weeks.
> So it’s been 5 weeks and it hurts still.


 Had the same thing. Both pecs. One of them twice. Rest and super light weight volume work as advised by POB. Get blood in the muscle to help recovery. Stay away from any sizable weight until it no longer hurts. Then slowly work your way back up to heavier loads.

any movement that causes pain should be skipped.


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## PillarofBalance (Jan 15, 2018)

Texan69 said:


> I was ding flat bench and lower the weight to my chest felt a very intense sharp pain on the side of my chest in the upper area where it connects to the shoulder and along the armpit .
> the next day limited range of motion and tender to the touch. No swelling or discoloration.
> the day after range of motion was restored but tender to the touch and very painful to use. Doc just did a exam by feeling it and said it’s most likely a strain and to rest 6 weeks.
> So it’s been 5 weeks and it hurts still.



Doctors suck on these things. It still hurts because you need to get it moving.


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## JuiceTrain (Jan 15, 2018)

I strained my bicep recently,
Ice, compression and basic movements is all I did..Took about 3days but everything's back to normal....


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## Texan69 (Jan 16, 2018)

Jin said:


> Had the same thing. Both pecs. One of them twice. Rest and super light weight volume work as advised by POB. Get blood in the muscle to help recovery. Stay away from any sizable weight until it no longer hurts. Then slowly work your way back up to heavier loads.
> 
> any movement that causes pain should be skipped.




Awesome asvice. I’m going to wait till FEB 1st then just add in 3x10 bench and incline work like 115 super light and see how that feels. Probably stay away from fly or pullovers due to the far stretch of the muscle on those lifts. 
Irritated too because I was finally hitting 325 for 5 clean slow reps no spot and bam this shit. I know that’s not an impressive number for some of you guys but I was ecstatic over it haha


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## Texan69 (Jan 16, 2018)

PillarofBalance said:


> Doctors suck on these things. It still hurts because you need to get it moving.



How much weight? What I use for warm up? 
Should I basically do a workout consisting of warm up level intensity? Just to get
the blood flow? It’s hard to workout and not aim for results that’s my biggest issue 
I don’t know how to listen to my body and back off. I always wanna try and go balls to the wall which is probably what caused the injury in the first place


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## Jin (Jan 16, 2018)

Texan69 said:


> How much weight? What I use for warm up?
> Should I basically do a workout consisting of warm up level intensity? Just to get
> the blood flow? It’s hard to workout and not aim for results that’s my biggest issue
> I don’t know how to listen to my body and back off. I always wanna try and go balls to the wall which is probably what caused the injury in the first place



less than wu weight. 

No problem with too little wight. Too much could set you back more weeks.


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## BigJohnny (Jan 16, 2018)

I went through the same thing around thanksgiving. Mine was purple as hell and swollen and sore. I followed POB’s advice and did 10lb incline dB presses for 110-120 reps eod. Within 4 weeks I was back benching with weights at 75-85% of max. Listen to pillar, he knows his shit!


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## Texan69 (Jan 29, 2018)

Update, I tried working my chest light like I was advised. I did 25 reps with just the bar (45) then I did 3x10 with 135 which is very light for me I can rep that out 42 times so this weight is not heavy for 10 reps. Did nice slow controlled reps. And my pec still hurts.
so what I’m doing now is every workout just doing 10 reps with the bar on bench just to keep it moving but it’s bewn 5 weeks now and still hurts. Gonna wait till week 8 and if still
birts gonna get an MRI or x ray or whatever spots tears. 
My chest doesn’t hurt to the touch, no sweing and full range of motion I just get a severe pinch/burn type pain when I do any kind of chest exercise also after I worked it for about 24 hours I had tingles in my upper bicep


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## SFGiants (Jan 29, 2018)

My doc told me when I tore mine if I don't get under the bar light it will heal in a way to make it hard to bench, keep it very light and add weight each week.

Takes 6 to 8 weeks to be 100%


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## BRICKS (Jan 29, 2018)

1) get that MRI done.  If you need surgical repair, the sooner it happens the better your chance for rehab.

2) 10 reps a day with the bar isn't going to rehab that.  Tendons heal slowly, and they have a poor blood supply relative to muscle. To get that blood flowing you need to rep a light weight a lot more than ten reps.  Think 40-50 reps at least.  Consistantly.  Daily. You may have to go lighter than the bar.


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## DarksideSix (Jan 29, 2018)

I’ve been through the same thing more than once.  Get a small car buffer and put that ****er on it and help lessen it up.  I also did sets of 50 with 135 on flat bench and just get it nice and warm and keep at it.  It tales a good month.  Work it with really high reps EOD or at least twice a week. After week 2 start slowly adding 5-10lbs and continue doing very high reps.


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