Pulled a Muscle

[scopedknife]

I pulled a muscle in my arm training yesterday. Any advise on what I may be able to do to help it heal as quick as possible, and when I can get back to training? Also, just to help prevent it happening again, any advise on a good warm up (particularly for upper body, as that's what I train the most at the moment)

[Oti]

I recommend just letting it heal. The more you mess with it, the more damage you'll do. Just because you have to let your upper body heal doesn't mean you can't still train the rest of your body.

For a warm-up, do whatever it is your workout will be, only easier. If you're lifting weights, lift less weight, if you're doing pull-ups, do one or two very slow ones, etc..

And, despite what all the coaches in the world tell you, DO NOT STATIC STRETCH BEFORE EXERCISING.

[scopedknife]

Yeah, I gathered that I could still do my regular core and lower body exercises. I'll stay of the arm for a while. Any idea how long?
Why the need to avoid static stretches?

[Oti]

It depends on how serious the damage is. It could be a small strain that isn't even a pull or it could be a full-blown pull, on the edge of being a tear. I'm not a doctor.

When I developed tendinitis in my elbow from the one-armed chin-up, I just gave it a few days of rest, then tried some chin-ups. It still felt funny, so I gave it a few more days, lathered, rinsed, repeated. Eventually it only felt slightly odd, so I ignored it and went ahead with my training because I'm an idiot fearless.

Luckily, my tendinitis only bothered me when I did strenuous things like the one-arm chin-up. Climbing and stuff was still fine, so I didn't really give it complete rest.

So, try that. Rest, then see how it feels.

Static stretching temporarily reduces the maximum force your muscles can produce (strength), so you should save your stretching for after your workout. It's safer and more beneficial then anyway.

Thank you for asking questions. That's how you learn.

[scopedknife]

I don't think it's anything too serious. It just hurts if I try anything strenuous.
The nurse I went to see recommended that I don't carry anything heavy with that arm for a couple of days, but I felt it would be best to ask somebody with more experience of my situation, ie somebody training for SASUKE (or at least doing some sort of physical training).
I'm slightly annoyed and impatient about waiting a couple of days, but I'll do it nonetheless (it hurt more when I did pull-ups immediately after she told me not to do anything with it ;D). Thanks!

[supersheep]

I pulled a forearm real bad last year, i didn't rest very long cause i didn't take it seriously and ended up making it a lot worse and it took a couple MONTHS to heal.

I started stretching a lot more before doing anything, thats the #1 key, and if you feel any discomfort other than the expected fatigue, stop and rest, it does no good to try to tough it out, that just causes injuries as i learned the hard way.

I haven't had any injuries since then and im still progressing just as well as I want, so that has really worked for me.

[The Chief]

I pulled my hamstring about 6 months ago, and it took a while to heal.

Listen to the doctor. They don't just give PhD's away.

[Oti]

I started stretching a lot more before doing anything, thats the #1 key,

Static stretching temporarily reduces the maximum force your muscles can produce (strength), so you should save your stretching for after your workout. It's safer and more beneficial then anyway.

[yamfriend]

not really an injury, but I split the skin on the sides of my fingertips when rope climbing, and I nevertheless continued rope climbing until a few days ago when I finally stopped after realizing that these cuts had become rather large. Though I might get a little weaker in rope climbing since I'm gonna stop it until these cuts heal completely, I've realized that despite wanting to continue exercising when you've accidentally hurt yourself (no matter how minor the "injury" is), you really should stop doing the exercises that will make things worse for that injury until they are fully healed.

[Oti]

It's alright. Any progress you lose in that short of a time will be negligible and easy to get back.

[scopedknife]

Yeah. It's slightly frustrating that I can't do any upper body work for a few days, but I can deal with it, knowing that as soon as I get back to it, I can continue the self improvement.
Unfortunately, in an effort to compensate for lack of upper body work yesterday, I did a bit extra lower body work, and now my quads are a bit stiff. Nothing that shouldn't be ok by tomorrow though ^_^

[artyfowljr]

yep that kind of things are really annoying...i hurt my ankle about a month ago but though it was ok and kept training...in two days it hurt even if I only put my foot on the floor and it was so swollen that I couldn't see the bones anymore. It still hurts, and it's so annoying...

[scopedknife]

Yeah. I know how you feel. I got myself some muscle rub for it though, and it's hurting far less than it did. I'm just going to give it a couple more days now. I would recommend getting some sort of muscle rub if you can to ease the pain, and if it's badly swollen, give it quite a while.

[artyfowljr]

it isn't really swollen anymore...it's annoying that it hurts when I less expect it, and every time it happens I think "Oh no, I reinjured it again!", and then I'm so afraid of really reinjurying it that I have to stop until I calm down and check that it's all right.

[Oti]

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. I almost broke my thumb a few weeks ago and since then, I've been doing fingertip push-ups and fingertip handstands, making sure to stress the thumb that was hurt.

[scopedknife]

Grrr... impatience is beginning to get the better of me. I sometimes just can't help but practice for Cliff Hanger whenever I see an opportunity; it's so difficult and frustrating to hold myself back. It also puts playing trombone at a temporary halt, since I can't hold up a heavy brass instrument on a damaged arm if I want it to heal asap

[bigblind168]

think of it this way, take the time that you'd do your upper body exirceses and use it for:
running
jumping
PLYOMETRICS[/i][/u][/size]

about 2 weeks ago i set up a 3ft by 3ft ploys station on my basement, i practice on it for around 45min-1hr everyday. Im faster, stronger, can jump higher, can squat more. However ive had to cut down my tim to around 20minutes cuz i hurt my upper back and now whenever i move my arms (which i do when i do plyos) or just do plyos in general its a f***ing pain

[bigblind168]

also purchase a pair of vibram 5 finger shoes. They are f***ing amazing. Confy, light, you run fast and jump higher.

[Oti]

I'm sorry, Blind. As much as I love you, I have to call BS on most of what you said.

- You don't need a "plyo station". Whatever they are, forget them. Use a nice, grassy area.

- 45 minutes to an hour is WAY too long to do plyometrics. You cannot sustain full effort for that long and that's what plyometrics need to be effective.

- Plyometrics doesn't improve your squat. It only helps your muscles build more energy and fire more rapidly, thus improving your explosiveness.

- 20 minutes is good for a plyometric workout.

- You should move your arms during plyometrics, so it's good that you do that. You need to try as hard as you can to jump.

- Those shoes don't enhance any abilities. It's only a fad, like that P90x workout. Unless you count grip as an ability, in which case, I agree (I guess. Never tried 'em).

I'm sorry.

[bigblind168]

Oct 7, 2009 19:16:15 GMT -5 Oti said:

I'm sorry, Blind. As much as I love you, I have to call BS on most of what you said.

- You don't need a "plyo station". Whatever they are, forget them. Use a nice, grassy area.

- 45 minutes to an hour is WAY too long to do plyometrics. You cannot sustain full effort for that long and that's what plyometrics need to be effective.

- Plyometrics doesn't improve your squat. It only helps your muscles build more energy and fire more rapidly, thus improving your explosiveness.

- 20 minutes is good for a plyometric workout.

- You should move your arms during plyometrics, so it's good that you do that. You need to try as hard as you can to jump.

- Those shoes don't enhance any abilities. It's only a fad, like that P90x workout. Unless you count grip as an ability, in which case, I agree (I guess. Never tried 'em).

I'm sorry.

- The kind of plyos i do is like quadrant jumping
1 to 2
1 2 3
3 2 4 1 1 3 42 2

ect

and i ment as a full work out, i do 20seconds of a pattern then take a second or 2 to assign a new pattern after 20min a small water break ect

- as for squats it could just be because ive been gaining muscle mass and losing fat mass, but the work out i consistantly do is plyos

- i dont recomend using vibrams for plyos, no anke support. Just i find when i run and do verticals and broad jumps i jumping higher and farther, and i run faster.