How to tell if you tore something?

[Hellbore]

Hey, I'm new to boxing and I have been training to get in shape after being very out of shape.

1 week ago on Monday, I lifted pretty hard. The next few days my muscles were sore but my biceps stayed sore longer than the rest. The following Saturday I did bag work on the heavy bag while my biceps were still sore (so 5 days after lifting). Then later that evening I sparred with a friend and it was hard because my biceps were so sore I couldn't get any power on my hooks. I also had a hard time jabbing fast because of the soreness.

Anyway, they are still really sore a week later, today. Did I maybe injure them? How would I know if I tore something? I'd appreciate any tips of what signs to look for to know if I injured them.

[BBOXER14]

If you have torn sumthing, you wont be able to lift that muscle....if you attemt to you will feel a very sharp pain in that area. I think you just over worked you muscles

[Hellbore]

It hurts a little when I lift something with my bicep but mostly it hurts when I stretch it or just when I poke or squeeze the muscle.

[BBOXER14]

Hmmmmmm......it sounds like you might have over strained it. It happened to me to with my biceps. Just try and stretch it everyday....and everyday stretch it a little farther then the day before.

[Hellbore]

Well here is a picture of what really got me worried.. Sorry for the crappy pic...



The pic doesn' show very well but the bruise is purple and black in places.

See, 5 days after lifting it was still sore, but I hit the heavy bag anyway, then that night I sparred with a friend of mine and that made it really sore. The next day (Sunday) during church I was squeezing and massaging the muscle down by the elbow where it hurt most.

Monday morning I had these nasty bruises right there where it was previously sore. It's not sore there anymore though but the bruises made me think I must have tore something.

Could the bruises be from the massaging or are they from damage I did? The muscle isn't sore right there any more but it's a little bit sore on the rest of the bicep.Â

[Howlin Mad Missy]

trust me if you tore it you'd know, it really hurts and oh yeah you feel it tear

It could have been really overworked- I've have doms for over a week when I've gone mental with the weights or you may have strained it. The bruising can be a sign of a tear but if the muscle has not displayed then probably not.

[GutShot]

there has been some muscle damage to your bicep, it looks like a microtear, they are common when you over stretch or strain the muscle.

if it was a full tear you would be in hospital awaiting surgery to re-attatch the muscle to your tendons :P

take it as a warning to take time off to let it heal as once a crack appears in anything, once further stressed it can erupt into a larger tear.

[longarm]

You have at very least torn a blood vessel. You need to rest that.