A friend of mine told me he tore his pec and is having surgery in a couple of weeks. But the other day I saw him in the gym doing dumbbell lateral raises, heavy ass weight too.

I thought a torn pec muslce was really painful. I'm not saying he's lying at all, just wondering - is he just tougher than most people? :)

Seems like I remember reading about some bber (Dorian I think?) who tore his pec and couldn't lift for a while, had surgery, and still couldn't lift for a long time after that.

Is a torn pec muscle just not all that painful or limiting? Or are there varying degrees to the injury (a worse tear could be more painful for example)?

I think it depends on the severity of the tear but It's probably not a good idea to aggrivate the injury. Painkillers can make you feel like there is not a problem but muscle tears don't go away on their own. It's good that he is getting surgery but he should be careful with the weights until he is fully healed and cleared by the doctor.