tennis elbow or strain from gripping too hard?

[BrotherIron]

You're working your flexors to much and your extensors not enough. Pain in the forearms and elbows is common with PLers. You need to correct the imbalance.

 

[ziplocc]

You're working your flexors to much and your extensors not enough. Pain in the forearms and elbows is common with PLers. You need to correct the imbalance.

Thanks bro. Thats probably right. Definitely lifting for strength over physique. Any recommendations on best ways to balance out?

 

[BrotherIron]

Thanks bro. Thats probably right. Definitely lifting for strength over physique. Any recommendations on best ways to balance out?

A great wat to work it is to take a protein jug, fill it half way with sand or something like that (you could even use water), put your hand in the tub and open your hand with fingers spread apart, and than lift the jug. Pick it up, put it down, repeat.

They also have these gloves with bands on it where it's difficult to open your hand and you work by opening your hand.

 

[ziplocc]

A great wat to work it is to take a protein jug, fill it half way with sand or something like that (you could even use water), put your hand in the tub and open your hand with fingers spread apart, and than lift the jug. Pick it up, put it down, repeat.

They also have these gloves with bands on it where it's difficult to open your hand and you work by opening your hand.

Oh thats a good idea I have a empty protein tub right now. I looked up some other ways and I think its the second thing you mentioned called "expand your hand bands" basically thick rubber bands you put around the finger tips and practice opening your hand. Im gonna try both of these methods thanks man

 

[perryoly]

I went to a physical therapist for this. The exercises she recommended (which have helped big time) are: (1) get a TheraBand flexbar and use it according to instructions, (2) (a) use a 3-8 pound weight (start off small) and workout your smaller forearm muscles holding your wrist 90 degrees to a bench and rotating slowly back and forth at the wrist 30+ times (for each of these moves), (b) hanging the weight off the end of the bench - and the wrist at 90 degrees, lift the weight up holding the forearm flat using the muscles on the inside of the wrist, do the opposite of the previous move, (c) and then with the forearm flat on the bench and the wrist up, curl the weight up with the wrist, then put the inside of the forearm flat on the bench and bend your wrist off the bench. Do this routine several times a week. I do it sitting in my recliner using the arm of the chair like a bench while watching football!

Also, before these exercises and before, between sets, and after any exercise that involves using your elbow or forearm, do a stretch with your arm straight out at the elbow, bend your wrist down pushing on the fingers to stretch the forearm muscles and tendons. Turn your arm over and do the opposite stretch. The feels so good! I find as I get older it works well to even stretch between sets as well as before and after training.

In addition, she found that my rotator cuff and trapezius muscles were relatively weak so she had me do various exercises to strengthen them. There are lots of good tips for all these problems on YouTube. I have even started to engage my rotator cuff muscles more on pushups. I have also learned to use my rotator cuff muscles more doing pullups and chinups.

If you have chronic inflammation I recommend icing the affected body part. NSAIDs are very hard on your body. They stress your liver and kidneys and almost always make your stomach and intestines bleed. Yikes! I also have found that I just had to stop training that irritated my forearms/elbows until the pain went away. That is a good time to focus on legs and core! Hopefully you will be able to get back to full-on training soon with these tips.

I hope that you and your family have a super blessed and prosperous 2014 in the Lord!

Perry

 

[Dirk Diggler]

I had that... Except I also felt pain in my elbow... It heals on its own and can take a while... Take anti inflammatory like Advil... Limit the use and rest it lots. It could take you a few weeks or even a year to heal.

I have been cursed with this injury too Go to a hand thearpist! It is the only thing that keeps my tendonitits in check! They do Active tendon glide teharpy and push the scar tissue out, plus massage and a few other mehtods. I go 2x a month which always keeps it in check. If I miss a session, my lifting suffers and I usually have to work out around this F&$%I*NG injury. I hate it! Go to a hand thearpist, you will be thankful you did so