When it's not what you think

[Fadi]

Have you ever suffered with a sore and at times annoying elbow pain? Have you been asked the usual questions by fellow bodybuilders? Questions such as: do you do barbell curls mate, and if so, do you use a straight bar or an EZ curl bar? The problem? You might just be looking in the wrong place for the right answers to your elbow problem.

Did you know that the "innocent" looking d/bell side laterals can actually fry your elbow's tendon? If not, great, please don't go attempting something different with that exercise just to find out what I'm talking about. And what could that "different" something be I hear you ask. How about reaching for a heavier d/bell than your elbow tendon is ready for and could tolerate? When your arm is extended to your side whilst under load, your side deltoids (the intended/targeted muscle of choice here), is not the only muscle coming to the party no. Your whole arm flexors/extensors (forearm) are also invited so as to stabilise your arm and help you keep a firm hold onto that d/bell, or else it'll just drop like a dead d/bell would into the arms of gravity below.



No, you don't believe me? Then you must be one of the wise bodybuilders who lift just the right weight and perform plenty of repetitions with it to exhaust your side delts before anything else gives way, bravo! If on the other hand you do feel some pain in that elbow tendon (tennis elbow), may I suggest you lighten up on your d/bells; stop doing super strict nearly straight arms raises, slow, and/or isometric holds (a la gymnasts' roman rings crucifix movement), and stop looking and / or blaming the straight bar barbell curls for something it had nothing to do with.



Above I chose the b/bell curls and side laterals, I could very well have chosen some other unrelated exercise that at times cause us to look in the wrong direction for the right answers. Have you got any exercises you'd like to share with Ausbb, in order for us all to increase our knowledge a bit please? Thank you for your time.

 

[White_Lie]

Recently went thru a bout of tennis elbow. I'm not entirely sure what flared it up initially, but any movement that stressed the forearm would be painful and slowed the healing process. Had to give away hammer curls, reverse grip work etc.

I have always done lateral raises with a bend in the elbow. But all raises (side, front or rear) I ensure my elbow is higher than my wrist. I can feel it working my delts better and I'm also sure this method reduces the load on the forearm.

Something I don't understand and that I see a fair bit of, is people with tennis elbow straps on, still trying to do super heavy isolation work. Lighten the load or give those exercises away for a bit until it repairs itself.

 

[Grunta]

I suffer from inflamed elbows, bastards come and go with no real pattern that I could identify.
Tricep push downs on the pulley seem to get the most pain out of them, drive me crazy sometimes.

 

[Fadi]

I suffer from inflamed elbows, bastards come and go with no real pattern that I could identify.
Tricep push downs on the pulley seem to get the most pain out of them, drive me crazy sometimes.

Sometimes the pattern is not to be found within the training department but rather within the nutritional one. There are plenty of foods/drinks that would affect your inflammatory response, either positively or negatively. Would that be a direction you'd look at at times, or would you always base the inflammatory pain on training? Thank you for the input by the way, I appreciate you sharing.

 

[Fadi]

Something I don't understand and that I see a fair bit of, is people with tennis elbow straps on, still trying to do super heavy isolation work. Lighten the load or give those exercises away for a bit until it repairs itself.

Couldn't agree more. Thank you Champ.