More to the point, the program I am journalizing here:
had me doing an explosive strength day (day 4), with which I was to find an 18 rep max at the beginning and I presume speed rep it for 6 sets of 3, 60 seconds between sets. For week 1 I just guessed 165lbs, but found it ridiculously easy. Up to 185lbs last week and it seemed not bad, but I thought to get more speed for week 3, the workout just passed on Tuesday. I actually did it at 190lbs and after the first or second sets I noticed a slight strain and didn’t have the presence of reason to stop altogether until after set 5.
It hurt a tiny bit in the interim. Today is the maximal strength day and last I left off with a pair of 92.5lbs dumbbells for working sets, no presumption of speed. I planned an extra warm up set in addition to skipping rope, beginning with a pair of 55lbs for 10, slowly and felt optimistic until I stretched back to control landing them on the floor after.
It hurt then and has shocks of pain these last few hours with simple towel drying of my hands. I have Meloxicam 15mg daily on an as needed basis for an old hamstring strain that is improving of late. I took it a few hours ago to no difference.
I have stretched a bit. I wonder if anyone has any ideas to nip this one early and get back on track, please and thanks.
Ouch. I have found that when I strain/pull something that the fastest way to heal it is to STOP every exercise that directly activates that muscle for at least a couple of days, and then slowly move back into working it again - usually with just some mild bodyeight workouts before easing back into the heavier stuff. Anything else just seems to aggravate the problem and delay healing. Just my experience of course. It sucks when you are making gains and then have to back way off.
Well, hey, I am getting back into rope skipping and maybe that and lower body work can partially take my mind off of it.
As to body weight moves, I might be working it less drastically straight off with my next plan: Barbell bench around 85lb-100lb for a few sets of 10 maybe Saturday or Sunday (thursday today). My squats are tomorrow, maybe throw in abs, I already don’t do enough.
I had the same thing happen recently. I just stared lifting frequently again after a 5 month focus on jujitsu and I guess because of my higher fitness I was improving a ton from week to week. I strained it one workout and decided to max two days later anyway (I did end up hitting a 20 pound PR, even though I’m about 25 pounds lighter than before!!!). I’ve just been icing it, resting it, and gently stretching. Its been about a week and it feels almost totally healed. Good luck!
It wasn’t killing me, I just felt like it was telling me to stop all the same.
Sharp pain later spooning oatmeal to my mouth.
MD physio appoinment not until thursday the 25th. I will likely lift 3 times a week.
Farmerbrett is maybe right about shooting myself down. the right kicks on thursday I knew hit the left ham a bit, I just thought I was doing well enough of late to get away with it. Yesterday I walked a fair bit (shopping was included with nice weather) and I hurt it even more using a pumice stone on a huge corn/callous on my left foot. today I went walking again and realized fuck it I am taking the bus home. Ibuprofen liberally today. I won’t deadlift until Wednesday.
Saw the MD physio today. She said that with an acute strain, the Meloxicam I had taken for my older hamstring strain wouldn’t likely help. So, for reference, in the first 4 days of such a strain, rest and ice, no point in elevating unless you can get an incline chair, sort of. Start door frame stretching gently as it goes and start back dynamically with arm weight flys from then up to day 7. then try dumbbell work up to about 2 weeks, very light, and listen to your body. the reason for the dumbbells is that you don’t want to rob the muscle affected by making the other side take up slack. I am myself at the point where it is fine to do barbell work, and for the next 4 weeks I should increase gently. I am just past the 2 week mark.
For my hamstring, I mentioned my blip in tweaking it a bit and she said I would be wise to listen to my body signs BEFORE it starts to hurt. I am better at doing that.
the meaning of this is such. I have over the last few weeks been very touch and go, not with my pec strain but my long standing left hamstring.
Farmerbrett described me as my own worst enemy the way I used the muscle and I was touch and go with analgesic until this past week. I was doing fine, without analgesic up to mid day yesterday and then I went on a walking shopping trip. It was snowing and my left foot slipped and slightly over extended my left ham suddenly and it was hurting outright lying down a few hours later. this morning it was not too bad without taking anything. still, my just past parallel squats were limited. I stopped short of a full 5 X 5 at feather weights and moved on to my pec rehab.
There i used a pair of 30lbs dumbbells, went deep with neutral grip, and did 3 sets of 10 and called that reasonable.
Just an update, I had an idea. I am dealing with the rehab of my left pectoral muscle as per the thread title, but also my left hamstring is up and down like a toilet seat. With snowfall the other week I slipped and quickly extended my left leg and that was a tweak right there. It is a glum thing. I am catching up on my skipping rope endurance much to the improvement of my ego.
I have been training squats and deads, feather weights, ongoing even though I stopped the 3 week program a while back, and also I do feathers for flat dumbbell chest press. the leg moves I do on a 5 X 5 and got this idea.
Wendler. I should start this program the weekend after I take a week off. I will just assume a feather max (I reaggravated my hamstring by taking 5 weeks off and max testing to start the rippetoe program last spring) for everything but shoulders and just progress through the sets unless I feel like stopping it at whatever stage and continue on as listening to my body tells me.