# Thought I'd share a training ending injury I had



## ProteinFarts (Mar 15, 2014)

In 2005 (it's taken me this long to 95% recover) I almost completely tore my pec in half. In the past chest was my strongest. I had warmed up good. I was on my 2nd set (so I still had 2 more heavier to go) and was doing flat bench chest flies with 90 lb dumbells. Everything felt awesome I was strong as **** and in the zone. I was on my 6th rep. And I used to go super wide and deep. Like I get down to the bottom and then I use my back muscles to pull them down further (stretching the sheath that encapsules the muscle - that's an Arnold tip there). Anyways I was going down and near the bottom and all of a sudden with no warning my chest muscle exploded. It was the grossest feeling you could imagine. I felt all of the thousands of muscles fibers all tear in a split second. The weight and my arm just dropped to the ground and I screamed bloody murder like a girl. Not just for a second either lol. 

A CT confirmed it was mostly ripped. but apparently they do not do surgery on tendon to muscle unless it is a complete and total tear. Took me about a year before I could lift again. And it has taken me till now before I could lift heavy chest again. I still worry each time I lower the weight when I do chest. Given that it came out of nowhere. Wasn't even close to my max. I was newly big though at the time. So apparently my tendons had not caught up to my muscle I gained. At the time it was one of those gain 30lbs in 30 days type of things. 

Anyways hopefully I have learned all those lessons lol. Pic is after a few days when  the blood settled. My arm should not of been that big.


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## PillarofBalance (Mar 15, 2014)

You were doing a fly with 90lb dumbbells?


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## ProteinFarts (Mar 15, 2014)

yes. but I was going up to 110. that was my intention. in other words it wasn't overly heavy for me. so I thought


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## Big Worm (Mar 15, 2014)

Some exercises arent meant to be done heavy........just my opinion though.


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## nightster (Mar 15, 2014)

Ouch, .....


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## Armedanddangerous (Mar 15, 2014)

Wow that sucks brother


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## #TheMatrix (Mar 15, 2014)

Big Worm said:


> Some exercises arent meant to be done heavy........just my opinion though.



At least not with out a good spotter.


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## RedLang (Mar 15, 2014)

Nasty tear. 

You should now have monster legs after that year off chest


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## Georgia (Mar 16, 2014)

Damn. That sucks. Glad you didn't die at least.


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## Mind2muscle (Mar 16, 2014)

I press 100/110 lb db's.  Damn makes me feel like a vag that you were doing flies with 90's :beaten:  Glad to hear you recovered though.


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## ProteinFarts (Mar 16, 2014)

#TheMatrix said:


> At least not with out a good spotter.



Lol thanks guys. I had a good spotter - my brother at the time. But there was no need he thought to even pretend to spot because I was repping them out with ease at the time. That's what scares me about it. I could see having that happen when you push it beyond your limits. But when doing 10 reps?? Because I'm crazy I'm back up to using 60's. But afraid to go heavier. Took me 4 or 5 years before I could hang from a pull up bar. Ripped part of the bicep too. And apparently your chest stretches pretty hard when  you get to the bottom of a pull up. That's why I'm enthusiast ATM because for the first time in a long time I'm able to get my weight numbers back up to close to my highschool years. Still about 90 lbs off my bench when I was 18. But trying to catch up with myself.


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## Azog (Mar 16, 2014)

Most of the stories I hear about tears are like this. They just happen randomly, with no warming and typically at sub max loads. Shit kinda freaks me out sometimes. Glad to hear you are recovering! Are you doing any sort of therapy?

Btw, 90lb flies is ridiculous! I feel like a badass doing the 45s.


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## ceo (Mar 16, 2014)

Azog said:


> Most of the stories I hear about tears are like this. They just happen randomly, with no warming and typically at sub max loads. Shit kinda freaks me out sometimes. Glad to hear you are recovering! Are you doing any sort of therapy?
> 
> Btw, 90lb flies is ridiculous! I feel like a badass doing the 45s.



Same here.  Most of the torn muscle stories I hear are, "I was on my second warmup set when..."  It's almost never a 1RM story.

I think I would find a different exercise.


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## JonTheAtheist (Mar 16, 2014)

Big Worm said:


> Some exercises arent meant to be done heavy........just my opinion though.



This. Yah, those flys are a bitch and really get after those pectorals. Too heavy and Snap City.


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## JonTheAtheist (Mar 16, 2014)

Azog said:


> Btw, 90lb flies is ridiculous! I feel like a badass doing the 45s.



Me too but with 20's! NOT srs.


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## ProteinFarts (Mar 16, 2014)

Azog said:


> Most of the stories I hear about tears are like this. They just happen randomly, with no warming and typically at sub max loads. Shit kinda freaks me out sometimes. Glad to hear you are recovering! Are you doing any sort of therapy?
> 
> Btw, 90lb flies is ridiculous! I feel like a badass doing the 45s.



Don't worry I make up for it by being weak as hell on shoulders. You know when you lift your arm up over your head, your pec follows it up and bundles into a mass in your armpit-ish? Mine does not anymore. It all fell into nipple area pretty much. I hide it well with shear bulk but I do have one bitch tit now because of it. lol. After a year or so I started doing flys with 2 1/2 dumbbells and worked up from there very very slowly. Lots of slow pec stretches too. Thats all the therapy I did. Basically I just gave up on working out for a long time and moved onto cardio. But it's good to be back! Oh and did I say already I love this board. You guys rock! Very positive vibe here. Me likey


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