Need help stopping pulling/tearing muscles

[Mitch5]

So I have an awesome tendency to pull/tear my quads and hamstrings while sprinting. I stretch, do yoga sometimes, and occasionally foam roll.
What am I don't wrong!!? Does anyone have any tips that work for them.
Just pulled my hammy again yesterday and our rugby season is just starting! This can't happen!

[tigerdb2]

Without knowing the actual diagnosis and some other information we can only be as general as you've been. With that said, I would recommend A. Getting stronger B. Utilize a dynamic warm up and do not static stretch prior. It has been shown to reduce force production and sprinting is a high force activity. Your warm up should, well, warm your muscles up

[Mitch5]

Without knowing the actual diagnosis and some other information we can only be as general as you've been. With that said, I would recommend A. Getting stronger B. Utilize a dynamic warm up and do not static stretch prior. It has been shown to reduce force production and sprinting is a high force activity. Your warm up should, well, warm your muscles up

Sorry was not sure how to write this lol.
I tore my rectus femoris and my sartorious muscles where they cross in my quad. I tore my hamstring a year ago and it keeps coming back (not tearing just straining bad now) and my other hamstring (near insertion in glute) has a pain that feels like a bruised bone but I can tell its the muscle or tendon toward the top of it.

Before lifting I always warm up on bike/jog/agility ladder. Before practice we do dynamic warmup and cool down.

It runs in my family. My dad is very very tight and always pulled and tore muscles in his leg.

My last season of college rugby and need my legs to hold up at top gear.

Anything else needed?

[ZiR RED]

Couple of issues come to mind. 1. You are probably quad dominant and your hamstrings are probably weak. Time to lay off quad based exercises and put more focus into the posterior kinetic chain. Doing eccentric based movements for the hamstrings will help to prevent injuries. Look up nordic eccentrics and do more glute ham raises. Next, strengthen the hamstring at the hip with good mornings and RDL's.

2. The hamstring fibers are not arranged in a penate fashion, instead they are fusiform. There's no central portion of the belly where the fibers fan out, instead they run in parallel. This means that they contract very quickly, but their maximal force output is low. Compare this to the quadriceps, where the fibers run pennate to each other. Now, the glutes are also a pennate muscle, and really should be a primary hip extensor during much of sprinting, especially acceleration and change in direction (such as during rugby). Your issue might be that due to weak underactive glutes your hamstrings are recruited to work above and beyond their capabilities. This leads to weakening where the tendon inserts into the ishium and eventually tears...which, unfortunately, are often reoccuring with hamstring injuries.

So, the moral of #2 is strengthen your glutes.

[Mitch5]

Couple of issues come to mind. 1. You are probably quad dominant and your hamstrings are probably weak. Time to lay off quad based exercises and put more focus into the posterior kinetic chain. Doing eccentric based movements for the hamstrings will help to prevent injuries. Look up nordic eccentrics and do more glute ham raises. Next, strengthen the hamstring at the hip with good mornings and RDL's.

2. The hamstring fibers are not arranged in a penate fashion, instead they are fusiform. There's no central portion of the belly where the fibers fan out, instead they run in parallel. This means that they contract very quickly, but their maximal force output is low. Compare this to the quadriceps, where the fibers run pennate to each other. Now, the glutes are also a pennate muscle, and really should be a primary hip extensor during much of sprinting, especially acceleration and change in direction (such as during rugby). Your issue might be that due to weak underactive glutes your hamstrings are recruited to work above and beyond their capabilities. This leads to weakening where the tendon inserts into the ishium and eventually tears...which, unfortunately, are often reoccuring with hamstring injuries.

So, the moral of #2 is strengthen your glutes.

Wow omg this was exactly what I was looking for! Amazing man, I had a trainer tell me about the glutes before and he wanted me to do single leg kettlebell rdls . I'll look into the Nordic!
I think it all spans from I've had 3 knee surgeries and my first acl reconstruction they used part of my hamstring and it has always lagged with my quads getting stronger.
Do you know anything specific for fast recovery other then RICE and what not?

[ZiR RED]

Not much else you can do for recovery. Maybe some manual massage...

Just stick to mostly unilateral training like the single leg RDL's, split squats, etc. And get in some good glute activation and strengthening movements.

[ZiR RED]

I'm not sure where the rests of the posts in this thread went (ala - I am notified that there are new posts, but they are not showing up).

I was just thinking today, you may be over striding when you are sprinting as well. If that is occurring your are landing on the ground with your foot out infront of you a little with more hip flexion (i.e.: more stretch on the hamstring, and more force that it has to generate).

Br

[Mitch5]

I'm not sure where the rests of the posts in this thread went (ala - I am notified that there are new posts, but they are not showing up).

I was just thinking today, you may be over striding when you are sprinting as well. If that is occurring your are landing on the ground with your foot out infront of you a little with more hip flexion (i.e.: more stretch on the hamstring, and more force that it has to generate).

Br

I don't see others either! How do you hit top speed without landing with your foot in front of you?

[ZiR RED]

Check this out:

http://www.maximumtrainingsolutions....Technique.html

Br

[ZiR RED]

The above is about over striding.

This is also a really good read re hamstring pulls and training to prevent.

http://www.ausport.gov.au/sportscoac...itation_part_1

Br

[Mitch5]

The above is about over striding.

This is also a really good read re hamstring pulls and training to prevent.

http://www.ausport.gov.au/sportscoac...itation_part_1

Br

Thanks so much! I read the articles, you are one of the reasons I love this site!

[Mitch5]

Dammit guys I pulled it again pretty bad. I need help!
I've been reading into ART and anterior pelvic tilt.
Anyone have knowledge on these?
I'm willing to try anything...
A training program to save this guys life or rehab procedures or anything. This is killing me