DID I TEAR MY BICEP MUSCLE????

amanda7630
amanda7630 Posts: 43
in Fitness and Exercise
I am on my second week of being consistent with my dieting and exercising and I did biceps on Monday. I felt sore where I worked out the muscles but I was ok until this morning. It has been two days now and I am just now getting this pain in my left bicep. I did 2 sets of 12 bicep curls with 12.5 pound dumbells. My right arm is sore but feels ok but my left is soooooooo sore and I cannot extend my arm out all the way without it really hurting. Did I tear the muscle or is it maybe just really sore? Does it matter that I am right handed, so maybe my right arm is stronger? Should I gently stretch my arm periodically or try to keep it held close to my body(which is the position it sits and doesn't hurt.)?
Maybe I am being a little dramatic or worrying too much or maybe I really did over work it a bit.
Any suggestions or information on this would be helpful! And any remedies to soothe the pain a bit would be awesome!
Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • Sarge516
    Sarge516 Posts: 256 Member
    I'm not a doctor....but I seriously doubt you tore anything, unless you have some underlying condition. The pain (called DOMS) should go away in a day or two.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    Give it a few more days before you jump to conclusions. You just started lifting weights and there will be an adjustment period. Not being able to straighten your arm can be typical after a hard/new workout. If it doesn't get better each day after day 3, then I would be a little concerned. First 2 days are always the worst.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    If you tore it then you wouldn't even question if it was torn or not. I've seen it happen one time in my life at the gym and it still haunts me to this day.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    You'd know if you tore it...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ2957l4r4U
  • lovemuffin6
    lovemuffin6 Posts: 49
    Have you tried some gentle stretches?
  • JustJennie13
    JustJennie13 Posts: 218
    Second day soreness is the WORST. You are probably correct about it being your weaker (non-dominant) side. Stretch!!! I typically follow lifting with Yoga. I have a DVD I use at home and it is a relaxation yoga which helps me sleep.
  • Barbonica
    Barbonica Posts: 337 Member
    When I started lifting, I couldn't lift my coffee cup in the morning for a couple of days. Take Aleve or your pain killer of choice, and give it another day or so. Do not try to do any lifting with the sore muscle groups until they are no longer sore.

    Good for you on lifting! Hang in there and don't give up; the soreness decreases as you become used to the exercising. Static stretching probably won't help too much now. I typically do a dynamic stretching routine before lifting (google it, there are lots out there), and some static stretches after. I don't know if it helps with DOMS, but I enjoy it and have had better results lifting since I became dedicated to the stretching routine. Probably some folks on the forum could provide more insight into stretching.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    I severely doubt it. At worst it's just a strain.

    Rest
    Ice
    Compression
    Elevation
  • Mr_Excitement
    Mr_Excitement Posts: 833 Member
    Sounds like simple DOMS to me. If you've never lifted before, it can be pretty bad at first, but it quickly becomes just a general ache that actually feels pretty good-- at least to me.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    I know three people who have torn their bicep, and when people say tear the bicep, they are normally referring to the tendons. When this happens, your bicep will roll up into a tight ball and you should see bruising in the area.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Yeah, you would definitely notice bruising if you tore it. Most likely you are just experiencing some really bad DOM's. Most people are either dominant right or left, so it's possible that your right arm is stronger than your left arm which is why it's more sore. Stretch, maybe apply some ice, and you'll be fine in a couple days.
  • amanda7630
    amanda7630 Posts: 43
    Thanks everyone! I think I was over reacting a bit but I feel reassured that it's just a little over worked. Thanks again!
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Thanks everyone! I think I was over reacting a bit but I feel reassured that it's just a little over worked. Thanks again!

    It happens. If you're just starting then this kind of pain can come as a shock to you and raise some alarm because pain isn't a normal sensation for a healthy individual.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    Thanks everyone! I think I was over reacting a bit but I feel reassured that it's just a little over worked. Thanks again!

    Just wait til you get to the day when you push your legs beyond any limit you thought you hard. Going to the washroom will become an adventure and you will understand why some people choose the handicap stall.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    I read this journal abstract today and thought you, and everybody else, might find these research results interesting. The full journal is available at the bottom of the page, http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/51/abstract.

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