Chest problem

[prodigy06]

I tore my chest last year and didn't do any benching for a long while, it healed and I started benching again and it was fine for a while... but about 3 or 4 times since then I've pulled the part of my chest I tore and another part doing easy shit. Today It happened again, I pulled my upper left pec warming up with 225..... 225! BITCH WEIGHT!! It always happens on the negative part of the lift and it hurts for about 3-4 days. It's not a form problem (even if it was, I still should not get a pull from 225..), I'm obviously not going to heavy, some days I can go as heavy as I did prior to tearing my pec and other days (like tday) I get a pull with very light weight.
Why do you think this is happening? Diet problem? I seriously have no idea and it's pissing me off.

 

[BILLYGRINGO]

I tore my chest last year and didn't do any benching for a long while, it healed and I started benching again and it was fine for a while... but about 3 or 4 times since then I've pulled the part of my chest I tore and another part doing easy shit. Today It happened again, I pulled my upper left pec warming up with 225..... 225! BITCH WEIGHT!! It always happens on the negative part of the lift and it hurts for about 3-4 days. It's not a form problem (even if it was, I still should not get a pull from 225..), I'm obviously not going to heavy, some days I can go as heavy as I did prior to tearing my pec and other days (like tday) I get a pull with very light weight.
Why do you think this is happening? Diet problem? I seriously have no idea and it's pissing me off.

SOunds to me like you didnt give it enough time to heal bro and you should be using more theraputic weight higher reps and of course HGH

 

[prodigy06]

SOunds to me like you didnt give it enough time to heal bro and you should be using more theraputic weight higher reps and of course HGH

I dunno, I thought I did heal, I was back to where I was and this shit is happening at random (like in the middle of a warm up set for no reason).. I think I'll see my doc.

 

[jasthace]

I also tore my pec last year, quite badly too.
The left pec has torn and buddled up inwards,it acutally looks quite freaky and has more peak,I wish I had done the other side at the same time!
I've forgotton about doing heavy as possible benches.
This is the sytem I've been using for the last month and have been moving up in weight with every workout; I do 8 x 6 reps [60% of one rep max workload} with 30 second only interval between sets,when I'm able to complete the full sets/reps at the working weight,I move up in weight
This system works well.

No I'm shit scared to go heavy and explosive as I used to,as far as chest is concerned and vividly recall that rip,rip,rip sound/feeling.
I've also incorporated this 8x 6 reps at nominated working weight {30-60 second max rest period] with my squats and b/bell rows, my size ad strength is going up rapidly.
Mind you I have just finished an 8 month cutting period ! which I commenced because of my torn pec.

 

[Reinheart]

You should first warm up your shoulders and then your chest thoroughly starting with a light weight and relatively high reps. Instead of starting the warm up with 225 begin with 125 pounds and work your way up to 225. You could do 130, 180 and then 225. Flyes are a good warm up as well. I hope this helps brother.

 

[prodigy06]

You should first warm up your shoulders and then your chest thoroughly starting with a light weight and relatively high reps. Instead of starting the warm up with 225 begin with 125 pounds and work your way up to 225. You could do 130, 180 and then 225. Flyes are a good warm up as well. I hope this helps brother.

I did 135 x 12, 185 x 12, 225 x 10 and then 225x3(pull) as my warm up. But I agree, I do need to warm up differently I never liked going right into pressing movements I will try doing flys for light high reps as a warm up and then maybe do DB instead of BB bench.

do 8 x 6 reps [60% of one rep max workload} with 30 second only interval between sets,when I'm able to complete the full sets/reps at the working weight,I move up in weight

When I heal I going to try that. What kind of sets / reps are you doing on your other chest movements?

 

[Reinheart]

I did 135 x 12, 185 x 12, 225 x 10 and then 225x3(pull) as my warm up. But I agree, I do need to warm up differently I never liked going right into pressing movements I will try doing flys for light high reps as a warm up and then maybe do DB instead of BB bench.

Ok, warm-up sounds good enough. I would do machine presses or smith machine presses over dumbbell presses due to stability reasons. Dumbbells are harder to control than a barbell, so this means one wrong movement could lead to injury again. Strengthen your pecs with machines or medium weight barbell presses and then switch to dumbbells.

 

[prodigy06]

Ok, warm-up sounds good enough. I would do machine presses or smith machine presses over dumbbell presses due to stability reasons. Dumbbells are harder to control than a barbell, so this means one wrong movement could lead to injury again. Strengthen your pecs with machines or medium weight barbell presses and then switch to dumbbells.

Great, now I get to be the dork benching on the smith woohoo

 

[BILLYGRINGO]

Great, now I get to be the dork benching on the smith woohoo

ROTFLMAO !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Reinheart]

Great, now I get to be the dork benching on the smith woohoo

Lol! Dork or not you will probably be able to press a lot more than you do with the free weights. Besides you would be a bigger dork if you totally fucked your pecs up and needed to stay away from the gym for a month's time or so. Makes sense huh?

 

[prodigy06]

Lol! Dork or not you will probably be able to press a lot more than you do with the free weights. Besides you would be a bigger dork if you totally fucked your pecs up and needed to stay away from the gym for a month's time or so. Makes sense huh?

yea, I've done that before, just hate having to climb back up.

 

[Reinheart]

yea, I've done that before, just hate having to climb back up.

See? That's my point. So take it easy there bro! =)

 

[jasthace]

. What kind of sets / reps are you doing on your other chest movements?

Decline dumbbells.
Using higher reps with this,as its more difficult getting into the decline position for a mere 6 reps.I just use these as a worm up.
After the bench press routine,I'm spent,it's a hard workout!
Its fast,and taxes to the max without putting to much weight on the susceptible former injury.
The idea is to stimulate the Central nervous system,heres where I got the idea from ,but I changed it by adding more reps,in hope of gaining more size rather than strength alone.

Westside Barbell"Often Imitated but never duplicated"

 

[Thickneck]

Imo if you tweaked it on your warm up sets it was not all the way healed . I bet i have had 6-8 times over the years where my rt. pec felt like it was ripping . Turns out most of the times it was tendonitus . I now and have for 4-5 years put the bench at a slight incline and have not experienced it since . You can still build a big chest with inclines as your primary exercise . I have not been hurt since giving up benches . Also i can do heavy db press though with no problem . Good luck ..............

 

[SwollenMick]

As an athletic trainer/physical therapist Id tell you to take some ibuprofen for the acute inflammation. inflammation causes swelling which causes pain which decreases strength and range of motion. take the profen and throw some ice on it as often as possible 30mins on 30 mins off, this will also help the swelling and calm the torn fibers.

after about 4 days or when there is absolutely no sign of pain, swelling, tightness, throw some heat on it for 20 mins and stretch the muscle. the heat will help warm up the fibers and promote healing. the strech will break up scar tissue and help stretch the fibers with the goal of becoming elastic like before the injury. the best pec stretch is lying on ur back with your hands behind your head and have your lifting partner push down on your elbows.

lastly begin with low weight high reps to promote bloodflow to the area and re-educate the muscle on how it feels to be worked out. any sing of pain and the weight should be lowered but remain with high repititions.

remember brother rehabbing injuries is a long process. if not done right or pushed too fast the fibers will quit and tear rather than adapt to the stress, in which case you will have to start all over. keep a good head on ur shoulders and your confidence high, afterall the high reps will help add endurance which will pay off when you're back to 100%.