[Question] Sudden elbow pain during reverse curls w/ E-Z bar . . . what gives?

[acb]

Exactly what the title says. Never had a problem with this before but the last two times I've done this exercise I've experienced pain in the inside of my left elbow.

I watched myself in the mirror today to make sure I wasn't overcompensating on that side but my form looked exactly the same as always. Left elbow wasn't coming out or anything. I tried it with a lighter weight and got the same pain. So I stopped, obviously! Haha. It still kinda hurts now though, and I'm worried that I'm going to injure myself if I don't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Should I get it checked out, or wait and see if it stops? I don't want to injure myself but I'm honestly baffled at why this is suddenly happening. Thanks guys!

 

[dylannn]

@acb My thoughts on this, if you're over say 25 or so, is that you may need to setup some longer rest periods in your program. Some of the stuff that I do is VERY hard on the joints, so there's really a mandatory 1-2 weeks off every 3-6 months to avoid building up injuries. This was important before but more so as I age.

During this time off, I don't do ANYTHING heavy at all, cardio is fine, very light weight very high reps (like 50-100 range) can help as this all increases blood flow (blood flow paucity is the reason tendons and ligaments don't heal quickly) and stretching works for me. And of course, anything that hurts is out the window.

I'd suggest just planning these in to your routine, the connective tissue heals slower than the muscles do, so you can outpace your tendons with your muscles and they need a solid rest period to catch up periodically. I'm not sure if they actually get stronger or if that's just a wive's tale, but that week or two off will allow time for all the small trauma they have that hasn't risen to the level of an injury heal up a bit more. This wasn't very important when I was younger, but it's VERY important now at mid 40.

 

[ibloggospel]

@acb

I'm worried that I'm going to injure myself if I don't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

You're going to injure yourself if you continue doing something that hurts. Your arm is saying "This is your first warning. Cut it the fuck out". You're not necessarily doing anything wrong. Maybe reverse curls are no longer your cup of tea. You can get an equal arm workout with hammer curls and a wrist roller.

Should I get it checked out, or wait and see if it stops?

Wait 2 weeks to see if the pain lessens or disappears. A doctor is going to insist on needlessly x-raying your arm. Then they'll order an MRI. A load of hassle and "hmmm huhs" later and they'll shrug their shoulders and say "rest it". Maybe you'll get a cortisone shot and some 800mg Motrin.

Rest it for the time being. I suggest using a Preacher bench in the future if you suspect your form is off. I really suggest you drop the reverse curls if they constantly cause pain.

 

[acb]

@ibloggospel Yeah, you're probably right about the doctors. Thanks for the advice. Honestly I probably will drop them altogether if this keeps happening -- it's just annoying. I've never experienced any abnormal pain from lifting before and wasn't sure what to make of it.

Hammer curls / wrist roller are a good call. Thanks

 

[pamxxxx]

@ibloggospel Listen to this. Also I find I notice pain in spots that are tight or have knots - are you warming up before workouts and stretching after???

I had elbow and wrist pain from knots in my forearm. Dig a thumb into the top of your forearm just before your elbow starts and see if you hit any sore spots - you might need a massage or other therapy for that before you get injured.

This user is right - some slight pain is your first warning. Stop what you're doing and don't pick it up again until you've found a solution.

 

[acb]

@pamxxxx Ahh I am terrible about stretching afterwards. I hope that doesn't have anything to do with this. I do it maybe 1/3 of the time but often I'm rushing to leave (usually workout in the early morning before work).

The sore spot is right in between the tendons in my left elbow. It doesn't hurt as much as it did this morning but definitely still sore (and not in a good way). Thanks for the advice!

 

[pamxxxx]

@acb Still sore? Noooot good. Workout pain should go away when you stop the exercise. You could already be injured. You must stretch even if you do it later after a hot shower. When things get tight they snap, twist, pinch, scar etc etc.

Another suggestion I've done when my pinkies were going numb was to google some physio exercises you can do on your own. It's possible to rub or pinch a nerve and it may help release it. I just did one with my arm out to the side, palm forward. Make a fist then bend your fist towards you and rotate it up.

 

[acb]

@pamxxxx Oh jeez, I hope I didn't already mess it up. It doesn't hurt hurt, it just feels weird. Like if I moved it in the wrong way, it would start to hurt. I know I need to be better about stretching. Thanks for the tip, I just found a couple of elbow PT stretches that I'm probably going to have to start doing haha

 

[pamxxxx]

@acb Good! Hope it works it out. Injury is one of my nightmares! Wishing the best for your 'bow

 

[wynelle]

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[dawn16]

@acb My husband and I both have tendon/joint pain in our left elbows, and my understanding is that it's a pretty common complaint among lifters because of the repeated movements - think tennis elbow.

On top of the recommended anti-inflammatories and icing, you should definitely check to make sure you're not hyper-extending or locking out your elbow (respectively) during certain lifts. I especially notice that I have a bad habit of doing both of those things during tricep extensions for example. It's bad because it puts the weight on your joints instead of keeping most of the tension in your muscles.

If you did actually injure yourself then definitely see your doctor! If you start feeling the pain again though it could be problems like I described. Glucosamine supplements can help too.

 

[acb]

@dawn16 Yeah you might be spot-on with this. I've had trouble in the past with my elbow and wrist (from tennis actually, haha), but it was on my right arm.

I only do bis/tris 1 or 2x/week though so I don't know if it's from overuse in the same way that I used to get it from tennis (I was training a lot more heavily back then). I will definitely watch my form more carefully from now on to make sure I'm not locking / hyperextending.

Thanks for the advice! If it continues, I'mma head to the doc

 

[dawn16]

@acb It could be other activities that are straining the joints and tendons as well! I notice occasional pain even while doing push-ups and pull-ups. My husband said that sometimes bench press can do it for him as well. Muscle develops faster than joints and tendons - for a while I was having wrist pain when I upped the weight I was curling considerably. Even though I felt like my arms could lift it, the tendons in my wrist couldn't handle it yet. I had to suck it up and curl less weight for a while longer! Maybe that's contributing as well? Either way, seeing a physical therapist might be helpful too.

 

[roger1234]

@acb Rest, ice, anti-inflammatories. If these things don't help, then checking in with your PCP would be worth it - elbow tendinitis is pretty common with curl/press lifts.

 

[acb]

@roger1234 Thanks! Yeah, that's good advice. I'm going to give it about a week before trying again, and if it still hurts, probably take it to the doctor.