Ouch! Pulled muscle. page

[Silky]

So I finally got round to ordering a pull up bar once I could find one that fit any of the non-standard doors in my house.

It arrived today. All I have done is hang on it for 1 second at a time about 15 times. That is literally all I can do. I have zero upper body strength.

Even that has been too much for me. I've pulled the muscle in my right shoulder. It hurts to move or sneeze!

This strength training lark is still new to me. How do I deal with the pulled muscle. Is it just to rest it a couple of days?

Then when I start again, how can I avoid pulling it again but start to increase my strength?

[EyeOfRound]

Yeah, rest it for a few days. Afterwards, there are a couple of things you can try - 1) negatives (stand up on a chair and then lower yourself from the pull-up bar) 2) jumping pull-ups (stand on a stool or box to get yourself closer to the bar and then use your legs to help yourself up) 3) band - get a thick round band specifically for pull-ups and use it to counteract some of your bodyweight.

[Alex Good]

Are you keeping you shoulder blades retracted? I always hurt my shoulder when I forget to do that. Okay not always, but my shoulder injuries all come when I forget to retract my shoulder blades.

[Silky]

Alex, I'm not sure if my shoulder blades were retracted or not. I guess that means they were not! How does you retract your shoulders?

Thanks for the tips eyeofround will try them out.

[Alex Good]

I usually just pull them together and stick my chest out. Not sure if that's what's right but it works for me.

[Noctiluca]

Rest and ice for 20 minutes at a time at least a couple times a day for the first couple days. Then be very gradual in adding back in your strength training. You might consider starting with something other than the pull-up bar too if all you have done is hang very briefly from the bar and managed to hurt yourself. You probably want to get a little strength going before throwing your whole body weight on your shoulder like that. Maybe start just by picking up something heavy-ish a few times. Build your grip strength and generally make your arms work a little bit. Also that means you'll be using your shoulders in a different way than when you injured it which will give you a little more time to let the injury heal while simultaneously starting your strength training.

[Silky]

Yes it's been a shock to me how weak I am. I never did have much upper body strength. However I was on prednisone, which is a cortisoloisal steroid, for 2 years and one of the side effects is muscle depletion. I didn't realise till today how bad it had got.

I'm gooing to build up my strength with other exercises but will keep up with the hanging on the bar one once this muscle heals as to go from 1 second to 30 seconds would be really something!

[The Tall Tree]

Yeah, rest it for a few days. Afterwards, there are a couple of things you can try - 1) negatives (stand up on a chair and then lower yourself from the pull-up bar) 2) jumping pull-ups (stand on a stool or box to get yourself closer to the bar and then use your legs to help yourself up) 3) band - get a thick round band specifically for pull-ups and use it to counteract some of your bodyweight.

I wish I had of thought of the band when I couldn't do one chin. I just grunted and strained under the bar, session after session, until I could, which sucked.