Experienced a minor pectoral strain today and am fukking bummed. I've been making tremendous gains in the gym, but noticed my body seemed off this week with recovery. When I squatted the other day, I was extremely stiff, even after stretching and warming up. Had lingering knee pain that wouldnt go away. Should have listened to my body and took the week off to recover. As I have been going balls to the walls for about 8 weeks straight. My second set on barbell incline press, I felt a small pop in my pec. Sh!t fukked up my day and focus on the gym. I literally dropped the barbell on my hips and lifted in on the floor, mid rep, because I was terrified to further injure it. So far there's no bruising, have 100% ROM. It's just tender in a small spot in my chest and hurts only if I contract it, by doing the chest fly movement. (Ded fkn Srs)

At least you stopped before something serious happened. Maybe de-load for a week or two to keep the blood flowing?

Lifting is a long game bro's, recovery and maintenance are big factors.

Edit: I remember I use to keep pulling neck muscles on shoulder exercises, I tried 3 physio places before I found someone who could help.

Yeah it sucks. I usually feel like I need a deload after 5-6 weeks. When I push it past that is when things start randomly hurting.

Big woop. Trying blowing up you back/hip, or having an incarcerated hernia.

minor knee pain
minor shoulder pain
fukked back deadlifting

im fully healed now but was never able to regain 100% of my strength. makes lifting not even fun anymore when you just go in circles.

Damn brah. Injuries are fukking frustrating, especially when you're going balls to the wall to attain a goal.

I think i have pussy genetics tho.... Srs.

I've injured myself more times than I can remember.

You can do some icing for the first two days and then use heat. I prefer heat mostly. Then after a couple days start doing soft tissue work because you will have scar tissue forming. When you start lifting again, start very light and work back up over time. Don't forget to stretch and continue soft tissue work.

I used to take deload weeks whenever I felt like it, but after getting overuse injuries and such I started taking deloads every 5th week. I'm also religious with soft tissue work and stretching. Seems to keep me from ****ing my **** up too much.

I jacked my neck up something crazy on incline (heavy weight, seat too low so hurt myself trying to maneuver the weight from too far back behind my head).

I took 3 weeks off alternating days between long runs or hitting legs with weights. It sucked not hitting upper body at all but I still made gains and was better off

you should go get that checked out. Surgery on muscle tears are only viable for a 10 day window before they start to pull back.

If you heard it pop, thats probably a tear. I tore my pec last year and had the same experience. Couple sets in, chest was tight but I've worked through that many times, I stretched it out and kept going.

pop pop pop. little more than 1/3rd partial tear muscle from tendon. Inoperable unless I wanted to have it wrapped with dead man tendon and even then it wouldnt do much but fix the deformity.

Pretty sure if you get your muscle scraped it will blossom from the injury but if its minor that is a viable alternative treatment that can help it heal.

Careful. Luckily not an important muscle.

I already did my due diligence, it's defintely a grade 1 strain. It's not even near the tendon, have zero mobility issues, and can still flex the pec. Contacted my friend who is a physical therpist as well, a doctor wouldn't even consider surgery for something so minor. Instead of wasting my time and paying a copay at a doctor, I'm plannng to incorportae ROM training for the chest about 5 times a week, to keep blood flow there. That will to help the scar tissue to form along the muscle fibers, instead of clumping and limiting ROM once heeled. Once the pain is gone, probably after a week, maybe even less, I'll probably start barbell pressing just the bar for sets of 10-15. Full recover from this injury should be no longer than 3 weeks, it's a very minor strain luckily.