Question on pain/bruising

[Roland Conde]

Hey, I searched and couldn't find an answer so I thought i'd inquire.

Monday night after my first workset of squats, I stupidly began a full speed spring to the fountain and mid-first-step slammed my left quad, right above my knee, into a bar protruding from a machine. There was a little superficial bruising, and pain (oh the pain), but I continued with my workout despite the pain as according to a friend I had no change in form on squats/cleans.

When I woke up the next morning, I had no bruising, but my leg hurt quite a bit, forcing me into a limp. This continued through to today, where I can walk without a limp but still feel pain when walking/pushing lightly on the muscle. Tried doing some bodyweight squats here at home to see how the leg feels, and I can do them, but it hurts, and I'm pushing off lifting till tomorrow/friday because I don't want to make it any worse.

My question would be: Is this a pussy move to pull? I worked through it monday, and it seems mostly better now, but I don't want to sacrifice form at all or cause a problem. In the future if there is no bruising, or even if there is bruising but nothing more significant, would it be ok to lift?

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you bruise a muscle belly, that area is more likely to further rupture due to the structural weakness in the are of the bruise that the disruption of the blow caused. I'd ice it and wait till tomorrow to train it. Pay close attention to your warmups and how they feel.

[Roland Conde]

Thanks Mark, I'm icing as I type and am gonna hold off till Friday since I still feel a bit more pain and tightness than I'd like in warmups. I'll definitely keep this in mind for future bruises.