Injuries and SL

Hi ladies,

I am in week 3 of the program, and loving it so much. I just passed the 100# mark on deadlifts, and feel like a warrior. :smile:

However, I have a slight issue, and am hoping for some feedback. My last session was Saturday, and it was day 2 (with OHP and deadlifts). It was the first day that I have failed at getting 5 reps each set in the OHP, but I wasn't too discouraged. I did notice that my right arm seemed to be doing more of the work, because my left didn't seem as strong.

On Sunday, I noticed a twinge sensation in my outer lower elbow on my right side. It's not a pain, or an ache, more of a constant awareness of an odd feeling there. I googled and found references to tennis elbow and golf elbow in weightlifters, and am wondering if I have injured myself. If I lift anything at all with that arm (even a glass), the sensation gets stronger and feels uncomfortable. So I'm going to take maybe a week off SL :sad: and see if it helps.

Anyone else had elbow/forearm issues? I read Starting Strength re form before I started, and watched videos of each lift a zillion times. I'm thinking I may reread the chapters about OHP and benches just to be sure on form.

Anyway, thanks for any feedback!!

Replies

  • iorahkwano
    iorahkwano Posts: 709 Member
    I've gotten that same sensation but it wasn't from weightlifting. It was from using a branch cutter (You hold the pole with your left arm & pull on a rope with your right). Anyway, I kept pulling the role instead of the handle & must've aggravated a tendon or ligament in my elbow.

    It hurt for about a week, the fact that I had to play a softball game didn't help (Theowing the ball felt like needles in my elbow!) Maybe if you rest it, it will heal after a week too. I understand tennis elbow is a result of months or years of overuse, I don't think you can get it after 3 weeks.
  • xidia
    xidia Posts: 606 Member
    It sounds like you may have irritated a tendon or ligament, which is the super-early part of tennis elbow. I'd say rest, ice and anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen.
  • It sounds like you may have irritated a tendon or ligament, which is the super-early part of tennis elbow. I'd say rest, ice and anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen.

    Agreed!! And possibly incorporate some gentle stretching of your shoulders and wrist (nothing that aggravates the pain).

    Are you doing a warm up?
  • sittinginthesun
    sittinginthesun Posts: 16 Member
    Thank you for the responses, ladies!

    I am not doing a warm up, because I'm still early in the program and am not lifting very heavy yet. I was under the impression that you were supposed to warm up more as the weights get heavier? For instance, I don't know what I could do to warm up for bench pressing 50 lbs other than bench pressing just the 45 lb bar, which is pretty hard in itself. :laugh:
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    Thank you for the responses, ladies!

    I am not doing a warm up, because I'm still early in the program and am not lifting very heavy yet. I was under the impression that you were supposed to warm up more as the weights get heavier? For instance, I don't know what I could do to warm up for bench pressing 50 lbs other than bench pressing just the 45 lb bar, which is pretty hard in itself. :laugh:

    i always warm up with the bar, to practice form, and to kind of test my muscles to see how heavy just the bar feels.

    warm muscles are happy muscles! less injury when you're warmed up
  • sittinginthesun
    sittinginthesun Posts: 16 Member
    Thank you for the responses, ladies!

    I am not doing a warm up, because I'm still early in the program and am not lifting very heavy yet. I was under the impression that you were supposed to warm up more as the weights get heavier? For instance, I don't know what I could do to warm up for bench pressing 50 lbs other than bench pressing just the 45 lb bar, which is pretty hard in itself. :laugh:
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
    pushups are a pretty good warmup for the bench, actually. But I wouldn't worry TOO much about the later lifts at this point, as by that time you're overall fairly warm and you've done some shoulder stretching to hold the bar. when it gets heavier you can add more warming up.

    Also you can do a bit of warming up just moving the joints a few times and some dynamic stretching.