"Pop! Pop!" = The Sound of Both My Hamstrings Exploding

[StoneColdGold]

Well this just fucking sucks. I was doing my sprint workout today thinking, "ok, i've got 2 and a half months until football camp starts. i'm in pretty shitty shape right now, but thats plently of time to get back into top form."

then i start another acceleration sprint, and about 30 yards into it, both my hamstrings blow at the same time and I hit the asphalt track at close to full speed. after rolling to a stop, i'm bleeding from several places and cursing the gods because i know i'm out for a month. i've never heard such a loud pop from a muscle in my body.

to those attempting to get back into things, a word of advice: don't push too hard!!! I was trying to be a hard ass. i knew i was tired and weak and probably should have stopped. but i didn't.

so, it looks like hours and hours on a hand ergometer for me. but overcoming this adversity will only make the pure joy of fighting through a double team to make a sack all the more sweeter.

 

[imprint516]

Well that's tough but you sound like you have the right attitude so you WILL be back better then ever.. Good Luck bro.

 

[Hugh Gellatts]

I started using steroids because my right hamstring had been badly torn and kept on re-tearing, even when I gave it proper rest and rehab. Running the drugs made all the difference. Within a month I could sprint all out again. Definately get on something if you already aren't.

 

[Austin316]

ouch, sorry to hear that bro, take it easy and get yourself back on your feet

 

[MrMuscle]

man that sucks, nothing is worse than being injured. I used to do athletics, sprinst mostly, 100m and 200m. Did the nationals a couple of times and stuff. but i had to give it up, cuz my hamstrings kept blowing up on me. i remember this one time ,when i heard that popping sound you talked abut...it sounded more lke a bang...fucking sucks..what are you doing to heal yourself?

speedy recovery man

 

[Celt]

Sorry to hear it man. I blew mine out really bad in H.S. and then pulled it a couple of times playing FB in College. I had some scar tissue from the original injury in H.S.

My advice... Ice it like a madman. 20-30 on, and an hour off. Repeat this a lot. Also, after a week or so start trying to do some light range of motion movements. Nice and slow!!!! This will force some blood into the muscle.

Also, I was doing some pretty heavy quad work around the time I had the original problems. If you aren't working the hamstrings in a good balance with your quads, they will pull or tear.

Hope all is well. Don't push it during the recovery phase.... take your time getting back into it. Remember FB doesn't start until the first week in August. You get back by July 1, and you have two weeks to lose your legs, and 2 to get them back...

 

[Frackal]

That sucks man...good luck on recovery.

 

[StoneColdGold]

Thanks for the support, everyone. That's why I love this board. Its a place where you know people will understand your pain!

Hugh: I was at the end of week 2 of my Prop only cycle when it happened. I was going to keep the cycle going thinking it would keep my weight and muscle mass up while I can't train legs. But you're saying it actually speeds recovery??? Now THAT is good news.

MrMuscle: Right now, not doing much other than taking it easy, icing, using strong anti-inflammatories (Cataflam), and using some homeopathic remedies (Arnica) to keep the internal bleeding down. I'm going to go in for Active Release Treatment as soon as possible.

Celt: Good call about the imbalances. I was working the shit out of my quads going over 1000lbs on the leg press for sets of 8. But I had been laying off the hammy work. Obviously, a huge mistake on my part.

 

[Hugh Gellatts]

I used winstrol BTW.

 

[studcj]

Sucks bro! E-mail me and let me know where your gonna be playing, I have friends at every d-2 school in the state, and I could get you any of their workouts if you'd like. Good luck, maybe i'll see ya on the other side of the ball, be i pray that i don't cause then I'd have to run your big ass over! hehe....hey a guy can dream can't he??? good luck with the recovery, drop me an e-mail.

 

[NYStrip]

Bro, I pulled a ham so bad one time that the whole back of my leg turned black. I do sprint routines as well, and my hams still nag me, so basically I just quit doing 40's, because at about the 30 mark is where I hurt myself as well. I really believe it worthwhile to do 10's and 20's.

 

[herk]

Take some time to heal and you will be back up and running in no time...good luck bro

 

[machman]

sorry to here that dude

I blew my hamsting on the first day of camp doing my 40 yard sprints. It fucking sucked too because I was well on my way to a sub-5 second time. No big deal for most db's or rb's, but I was a 275 lb center.

Anyway I made it back with lots of ice, heat, stretching and light biking. Don't put off the rehab man, enlist the help of a physiotherapist like you'd have at school (university or highschool?), it'll make for a much faster recovery.

My problem was that I tried to stride out too much. I just wasn't flexible enough to run like a sprinter. You'll have to keep up the stretching all season too, or your hams will tighten up tighter than before, and trust me, with this comes lower back problems... and they don't go away easily.

 

[strengthmonster]

I tore both of mine many years ago showing off. I was in college and my friends didn't believe I could do the splits across two chairs. I'm not really a show off but after them saying 'bullshit' etc. I thought fuck it and did it. Only problem they were swivel chairs. I did it but then the back chair swivelled making me drop well below parallel and consequently tore both hams. I felt the rip and also heard a tearing noise. I hid the pain as I hobbled away and was out of training for quite some time. They are back to normal now though.

 

[StoneColdGold]

thanks for the encouragement guys. glad to hear that you bros who got hurt made a full recovery. i've already had low back problems for years, so we'll se what happens now. grrr.

cj-- you got mail.

 

[dogboy]

how the hell do you blow a Hamstring? Did you ever do stretching? how flexible were you? Were you not warmed up? Not bitchin, just askin...

 

[StoneColdGold]

how the hell do you blow a Hamstring? Did you ever do stretching? how flexible were you? Were you not warmed up? Not bitchin, just askin...

You say that as if a blown hamstring were an uncommon injury?

I ran 3/4 of a mile to warm up, then stretched. I'd already run several sprints and my hamstrings were very fatigued. It had been quite awhile since I'd asked my body to move at full speed. It wasn't happy with me. Then half way through one sprint both hamstrings just blew out and I hit the pavement.

 

[Jimsbbc]

I ran Varsity track in highschool for 2 years, it was very competitive. I tore a hamstring in a meet, and I was out for a very long time. It eventually healed, but I was having ultrasound sessions everyday, rehab too.