Just got back from my PT and the hamstring pain I created doing those shoulders to the ground feet on the ball hamstring crunches is a small/medium tear. Some swelling, but “not too bad.”
Anyone have any experience in trying to maintain fitness given such a prognosis? I assume that I can look forward to a few weeks of big swim volume, but can I ride my trainer for any length of time in zone 1? I suppose running is out completely for a few weeks.
Any advice (based on experience) would be appreciated.
I had a pretty bad tear in undergrad, cost me most of my senior Rugby season. You can try some running in the pool and some very light biking on a trainer. I spent a lot of time on a stationary bike just trying to keep some fitness. It really is a personal thing. If it starts to get tight, back off. I tried to come back early from mine to play in a reagional championship game… it ended up preventing me from playing in the sweet sixteen and trying out for all star teams. Don’t push it, your hamstrings can be very iffy.
My best advice is to take it easy at first and work back slowly. Its better to take 2 months to come back than to try to come back early and wreck your whole season.
The bike was one of the stationary bikes at my gym. I was mostly pushing with my quads and trying to not pull back with my hamstrings at all. My tear was pretty bad and I had absolutely no strength in my hammy at all. I would be able to work up a light sweat for the first few weeks, but nothing past that.
It really depends on how bad the injury is and how your hammy feels. Start off light for a few days and let it build back some strength. With my hammy, I could feel the tear as it would stretch out when I walked, biked, etc. When ever I would feel the tear start to stretch, I would back off.
My best advice it to take it slow and see how your body responds. Hamstrings are very iffy and if you push it too hard before it heals you will be back at square one. Just ask Ken Griffey Jr. Its been 3 years since I hurt mine and from time to time I still have some problems with it cramping because I never let it fully heal before I started pushing it.
To clarify, when I mean tear, I mean: running along in practice, foot slips in snow, hamstrings snaps, face slams into snow. It was the most painfull thing I have experienced and I couldnt walk for a few days. I hope yours isnt as bad.