skills101 Torn Hamstring Recovery Log

[skills101]

Hey guys, I don't have a training log but I've benefited from ancient past recovery stories via search engine. So, I figured I could do a temporary log over the next few weeks about my recovery from a torn hamstring. Maybe in 3 years someone with a torn hammy will find this via search engine and get something out of it. Plus it's therapeutic.

Patient: 24 yr-old male medical student, 5'8'', 185#, lifting on and off x5 years
Recovery Plan: Bill Starr muscle belly rehab

Day 0 (Injury) - Thursday 11/13/14 (dangerously close to Fri the 13th)
It was intensity day for TM, and I was expecting to get 355x5 on squat. I knew on the fourth rep that the fifth rep was probably not going to happen, but I wanted to try anyway. There was nothing too unusual about the 5th rep, besides being very tired. About two inches into the ascent, I felt my right hamstring tear like a piece of paper, mid thigh. I dumped the weight, somberly unloaded the bar, limped to my car, and drove home feeling crushed. 9/10 pain, no bruising or obvious deformities. I quickly began icing it and started to research how I would recover it. I knew it was a belly tear, and I knew that Bill starr's rehab protocol was the plan, so I brushed up on the protocol.

Iced the thing about 15 times (20 min each) for the rest of the day. ~1.5g ibuprofen total.

Day 1-2 - Fri 11/14-Sat 11/15

Still in a ton of pain, with no signs of getting better. Unfortunately, I was also in the operating room on Friday all day (standing) and couldn't get much relief. However, I iced it as much as I could and kept popping advil like candy. On Saturday, I iced it ~15 times.

Day 3- Sun 11/16

I had planned on getting in the gym this day, but the pain was still very sharp and it didn't feel quite ready. Also, I had a test on Monday which gave me a good excuse to stay home. So I just did air squats, 6/10 pain, constant throughout the sets.

Air Squats 3x25

Ice for rest of the day, dropped the advil to ~600mg only.

Day 4- Mon 11/17

After pulling an all nighter for a test, the hammy surprisingly felt like it was getting better (I didn't cringe getting on the toilet). So I got in the gym:

45 lbx3x25
Pain 5/10, constant throughout sets, less sharp but feels like I'm stretching the crap out of it (best way I can describe it)

Ice 5-10 times for rest of the day.