Achest tear (a chest muscle strain) is a common injury in bodybuilding, especially if you lift heavy weights during workouts tobuild muscle mass. The most traumatic chest tears occur in weightlifters or bodybuilders between the ages of 20 and 40 after doingeccentric chest contractionexercises like the bench press.

According to the National Federation of Personal Trainers, starting from a stretched position and fully contracting your chest muscles against a heavy weight increases your risk of chest injuries. In this article, we show you how to avoid this type of injury while training!

What is a pectoral tear?

Atight or pulled chest musclecan cause severe pain in the chest and lead to apectoral tear. A muscle strain or pull occurs when your muscle is stretched or torn. Up to 49% ofchest paincomes from what is calledintercostal muscle strain.

There are three layers of intercostal muscles in your chest, and these muscles are responsible for helping you breathe and stabilizing your upper body. Thepectoral musclesare located at the front of thechest.They are made up of two muscles.

The larger of the two is called the pectoralis major muscle, it runs from the sternum through the ribs and collarbone to the humerus (upper arm). The pectoralis minor (the smaller of the two muscles) originates at the front of the ribs and attaches to the front of the shoulder blade.

The pectoral muscles help with the movements of the scapula. Classicsymptoms ofchest muscle tension include: sharp (a sharp pull) or dull (chronic tension) pain, swelling, muscle spasms, difficulty moving the affected area, pain when breathing, or bruising. See a doctor if your pain comes on suddenly while doing strenuous exercise or activity!

What causes a pectoral tear?

Chestwall paincaused by a tight or pulled muscle often occurs as a result ofoveruseandovertraining. You may have lifted something heavy or injured yourself while playing sports.

For example, gymnastics, rowing, tennis, and golf all involve repetitive movements and can cause chronic strain. Weight training is also a major cause ofpectoral tear! Other activities that can cause tension are:

• If you reach your arms above your head for long periods of time,
  
• Contact injuries from sports, car accidents, or other situations
  
• Lift while twisting your body;
  
• a fall;
  
• Skip warm-ups before physical activity;
  
• Poor flexibility or athletic conditioning
  
• Muscle fatigue
  
• injury due to faulty equipment (broken weight machine, for example).

Certain illnesses can also causemuscle tension in the chest. If you recently had a chest cold or bronchitis, you may have pulled a muscle while coughing.

With the pectoral tear, what are the other risks?

Inflammation

If you strain your pecs, you can developinflammation in the tendon of the pectoralis major muscle. Pectoralinflammation can occur if you strain your pectoralmuscles with forced reps during your strength training.

As with thepectoral tear, usingpoor form of executionduringchest exerciseslike the bench press can also lead to inflammation. Symptoms include pain in the front of your arm or shoulder where these muscles meet your chest.

You may feel pain if you try to bring your arm inward across your chest or rotate your arm inward against resistance.

Breakup

Majorpectoral tendon rupturesarecommon weight training injuriesthat result from bench press exercises. Symptoms of this tendon injury include a sudden, sharp pain in the front of your arm orshoulder.

Pain and swelling can progress to these areas and produce symptoms similar toinflammatory injuries. You may see a gap or bump in your pectoral muscle somewhere on your chest.

How to treat a pectoral tear?

In the event of a pectoral tear, you must begin byremoving all resistance from your pectoral musclesto protect them from further injury. Then, the main treatments include:

• Rest: Stop the activity as soon as you feel pain. This is important so as not to aggravate the injury.
  
• Ice: Apply ice or a cold compress to the affected area for 20 minutes up to three times a day to slow bleeding and reduce pain and inflammation.
  
• Light Compression: Consider wrapping areas of inflammation with an elastic bandage, but don’t wrap too tightly, as this may interfere with circulation. This helps increase the pressure inside the wound and reduce bleeding and swelling.
  
• Elevation: Keep your chest elevated, especially at night. Sleeping in a recliner can help reduce blood flow to the injury.

If you suffer fromchronic fatiguedue to yourpectoral tear, you may benefit from physical therapy and exercises to correctmuscle imbalancesthat contribute to fatigue.

In more severe cases, surgery may be needed to repair the torn muscles. If your pain or other symptoms do not go away with home treatment, make an appointment with your doctor.

What recovery time to respect with a pectoral tear?

You should avoid strenuous exercise, such as lifting heavy objects, during your recovery. As your pain subsides, you can slowly return to your previous sports and activities. Pay attention to any discomfort or other symptoms you experience and rest if necessary.

Yourrecovery timedepends on the severity of your pectoral tear. Minor tears can heal as early as two to three weeks after the injury. More serious strains can take months to heal, especially if you’ve had surgery.

Follow any specific instructions your doctor gives you to get the best results and be able toresume strength trainingafter rest!

How to prevent a pectoral tear?

General precautions

Preventchest injuriesduring weight training by warming up your chest muscles withvery light weightsbeforelifting heavy weights.Pectoral tearsare more likely to occur when lifting heavy weights with cold muscles.

Slightly stretch your pectoral muscles after they are warmed up. Grasp a post or the outside corner of a wall and pull your torso away from the wall until you feel a slight stretch.

Hold for 15 seconds. Also, be aware that using anabolic steroids for bodybuilding can increase your risk of pectoral injuries.

Bench press precautions

Don’t put your elbows too far apart

We often hear that you have to flare your elbows to havemore tension in the cheston the bench press. Yes, it puts more strain on the pecs, which is why it’s also a great way to sustain apectoral tear.

You’re asking them to do more work than they’re really designed to do! Keeping elbows close to thebodyand bringing the bar to the base of your sternum, rather than across your chest at nipple level, puts your humerus in a more favorable position.

Use Bench Press Variations

Thesebench press variationsare a great way to add volume to your bench workouts without actually overtraining on theweight bench! You won’t go through a full extension, so your pecs are less likely to get hurt.

But you still crank up the volume and improve yourneuromuscular connectionso you have the parts to push a big weight when the time comes. The variants make it possible todiversify the contracted muscle fibersand therefore subject them to less tension without reducing the quality of the results obtained.

In summary: The pectoral tear

Apectoral tearis a fairly common injury in bodybuilding, and quite painful to live with. It is therefore better to avoid it if you have the opportunity! It is therefore atearing of the muscle tissueslocated inside the muscles of your chest. Usually, this tearing is caused byoveruseorovertraining.The treatment for this type of injury is fairly standard: rest, ice, elevation and compression. And we insist on the rest phase, which is the most important!

This is what will allow you to really recover and be back in thegymin great shape. Toprevent a pectoral tear, there are a few tips: warm up well, promote muscle flexibility through stretching, and respect the good form of execution of the movement so as not to injure yourself!

Chest Muscle Strain FAQ

What does a strained muscle feel like in the chest?

When the muscles in the chest wall become injured, the patient may suffer the following symptoms: pain that worsens with movement of the chest or upper spine. A discomfort that is made worse by activities such as deep breathing, sneezing, or coughing. a region of discomfort or tenderness within the chest wall that can be felt by the patient.

How long does it take for strained chest muscle to heal?

You should be able to feel better in a few of days or weeks if the infection isn’t too severe. Healing from severe strains might take up to two months or even longer. If your chest pain has been going on for longer than a year, it is called chronic and could be the result of long-term activities or motions that are performed over and over again.

How do I know if I have pulled a chest muscle?

Pain that comes on suddenly can be the result of chest muscular strain, particularly if the muscle is torn. It’s possible for a muscle strain in your chest to cause severe pain. In addition, it is possible for it to progressively spread throughout your body as bleeding or swelling develops around the wounded muscle.

What are 10 common signs and symptoms of chest injury?

Pain in the chest that is made worse by activities such as laughing, coughing, or sneezing are some of the most prevalent indications and symptoms. tenderness. bruising. …

• When you breathe in, you will experience excruciating pain if you have a shattered rib.
• a discomfort that can be felt in the chest or back, just above the ribs.
• a sensation that can be described as “crunchy” under the skin.
• extreme difficulty breathing in all situations.

How do I relax my chest muscles?

You are going to bring your arms down to your sides and thrust your chest forward in order to complete this exercise. This is a combined technique in which you push it down while also pushing your chest out, and you hold that position for thirty seconds. Chest Stretches for Tight or Sore Muscles – Ask Doctor Jo – YouTube

Can you pull a muscle in your boob?

The breasts are composed primarily of fat and veins, but that they are supported by a muscle. Specifically, the muscle in your chest known as the pectoralis major, which may be the cause of your discomfort. When you lift weights, carry large objects, or simply when you make a sudden movement, you run the risk of pulling this chest muscle. Pulled Breast Muscle: Symptoms, Treatment and Recovery

Can sleeping position cause chest pain?

In the event that the muscles and bones that make up your chest wall have been stretched or injured in some manner, every movement of your torso can cause you to experience excruciating agony. As a consequence of this, you can wake up with chest pain, particularly if you move about a lot in your sleep or if you tend to fall asleep with your chest on the pillow.

How do you rehab a strained chest?

Pec stretches are exercises that are performed to gently stretch the muscle in order to relieve this tightness. Your physical therapist will likely recommend that you undertake these exercises. It is important to ease into these stretches so as to reduce the risk of re-tearing or aggravating an existing injury. Manual therapy and massage along the fibers of the pectorals can be helpful in enhancing the effects of these workouts.

How do I heal a pulled muscle?

• Rest. Take a few days off from using the muscle, or wait until your physician gives you the go-ahead…
• Ice. Ice should be applied to the wound for twenty minutes for every hour that you are awake…
• Compression. The use of an elastic bandage to the affected muscle can facilitate a reduction in swelling…
• Elevation. …
• Medical treatment….
• Heat. The Best Ways To Recover From A Pulled Muscle | Piedmont Healthcare

How do you know if chest pain is muscle or lung?

chest. It appears like shifting positions and moving around does nothing but make the pain more worse. If your symptoms are similar to these, it’s likely that you’re dealing with anything that’s related to your lungs. If the discomfort is located on the right side of your chest, away from your heart, this is an indication that the condition is considerably more likely.

Can you pull ligaments in your breast?

In the absence of adequate support, the ligaments that attach the breasts to the chest wall are susceptible to being overstretched and uncomfortable at the end of the day. The end result is breasts that are achy and painful. During physical activity, you may find that this is especially obvious. Check that your bra is the right size for you and that it offers adequate support.

Is it OK to exercise with chest pain?

Angina, often known as chest pain, is not in and of itself a contraindication for physical activity. In point of fact, a certain amount of somewhat regular exercise may assist in the development of new blood vessels to the region of the heart that has arteries that are obstructed.

How should I sleep with a pulled chest muscle?

The optimal position for sleeping should keep the spine properly aligned, with the torso in a neutral position that protects against unneeded twisting or increased weight on the injury. This position can be achieved by keeping the knees bent and the feet flat on the floor. If you sleep on your side, you may find that the injured side is less bothersome when you turn over to sleep on the other side. Tips for Sleeping with Intercostal Muscle Strain