Anyone else experience this?
jsukhan
Posts: 149 Member
I went back to school tis fall and started working out again. I going easy doing 3 sets of 10 reps.
When I realized I will never get stronger doing this I upped my weight and lowered my reps.
Now that I started lifting heavier I have developed pain in my elbows whenever I work my triceps, Ex tricep pull down or tricep press. This pain lasts for days. I feel pain when I extend my arms, not flex them.
Anyone ever experience this? Any ideas as to the cause? I'm hoping and praying its not arthritis. I'm due for my yearly physical in a couples weeks, but just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.
When I realized I will never get stronger doing this I upped my weight and lowered my reps.
Now that I started lifting heavier I have developed pain in my elbows whenever I work my triceps, Ex tricep pull down or tricep press. This pain lasts for days. I feel pain when I extend my arms, not flex them.
Anyone ever experience this? Any ideas as to the cause? I'm hoping and praying its not arthritis. I'm due for my yearly physical in a couples weeks, but just wondering if anyone else has experienced this.
0
Replies
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I have....it's a sharp pain right?
It'll go away after a while. If it doesn't, you'd have to check with your doctor, but I doubt very much it's due to arthritic changes.
Arthritis is usually something you 'warm' out of if you can get over the hump, at least that's what I've heard.
Anyhow...just wanted to say I've had that pain you're talking about & if it's in both elbows, it's more likely to be due to the increase in weight training load.
ETA: I also felt the pain with extension vs flexion, it didn't last for days though...try NSAID's and see what happens.
Weight training not only works your muscles but your tendons and ligaments as well.
I would try the NSAID's for now but decrease weight a bit, and ease into the increase. It may be more than your connective tissues can handle.0 -
I have....it's a sharp pain right?
It'll go away after a while. If it doesn't, you'd have to check with your doctor, but I doubt very much it's due to arthritic changes.
Arthritis is usually something you 'warm' out of if you can get over the hump, at least that's what I've heard.
Anyhow...just wanted to say I've had that pain you're talking about & if it's in both elbows, it's more likely to be due to the increase in weight training load.
ETA: I also felt the pain with extension vs flexion, it didn't last for days though...try NSAID's and see what happens.
Weight training not only works your muscles but your tendons and ligaments as well.
I would try the NSAID's for now but decrease weight a bit, and ease into the increase. It may be more than your connective tissues can handle.
Yes its sharp and in both elbows. I haven't increased the weight by much. I was doing tricep press at 60lbs plus bar and now I'm at 90. But maybe it is too much of an increase. I would rather avoid medication for now. Thanks for your input.0 -
Yep, I know it well :laugh:
It did eventually go away though, pulleys & lateral pull downs sometimes make it happen too. I experimented a bit with hand position and then just dealt with it till it eventually didn't happen anymore. Good luck & I hope it gets better for ya :drinker:0 -
Take a deload week. When you resume normal lifting, see if doing different tricep exercises aggravate your elbow. Some people find that lying tricep ext cause pain but close grip (hands about 12-15" apart) doesn't cause pain. Also supplement with a glucosamine/chondrotin supplement and/or turmeric0
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I'm going to disagree with folks telling you to push through the pain. Your body is trying to tell you that something is too weak to do the exercise you're attempting, which could result in really screwing up your elbows.
Isolation exercises like that are common causes of that sharp elbow pain. When they started for me, a personal trainer pointed out my poor form. Be sure your elbows aren't flaring out (When doing skull crushers or other tricep exercises). It was recommended to me to hold my elbows as if a rope was attached to them keeping them from going further than shoulder width apart, so it was almost as if I was pinching my head with my upper arms. Does that makes sense?
If that doesn't help, you may just need to find exercises that indirectly hit your triceps, like cable rows and dips. ( FYI, I'm not a certified anything, just someone who enjoys reading and avoiding injuries, lol). Hope this is helpful.0 -
Its only hurts when I do tricep press (or as someone called them skull crushers
) and tricep pull downs with the cable. Overhead extensions does doesn't hurt.
I keep my elbows in, and arms straight when I do tricep press. I've probably working off and on for 20 years and have never had any kind of pain like this.0 -
I'm going to disagree with folks telling you to push through the pain. Your body is trying to tell you that something is too weak to do the exercise you're attempting, which could result in really screwing up your elbows.
Isolation exercises like that are common causes of that sharp elbow pain. When they started for me, a personal trainer pointed out my poor form. Be sure your elbows aren't flaring out (When doing skull crushers or other tricep exercises). It was recommended to me to hold my elbows as if a rope was attached to them keeping them from going further than shoulder width apart, so it was almost as if I was pinching my head with my upper arms. Does that makes sense?
If that doesn't help, you may just need to find exercises that indirectly hit your triceps, like cable rows and dips. ( FYI, I'm not a certified anything, just someone who enjoys reading and avoiding injuries, lol). Hope this is helpful.
I agree, this is what I did too, experimented with positions & yep, elbows flaring can be problematic.
ETA: just re-read responses, no one 'recommended to work through the pain' :blushing:
I honestly don't recall it lasting after the exercises were complete & yes, with skull crushers I had that pain too. I do recall it happened from time to time, as I also have been lifting on and off for about 15ish years...
Good news is, it probably won't last :drinker:0 -
this happens to me too it's like my elbows are going to crack off from the weight. It happens when I use more weight after I get used to that weight it stops. If I do lots of pushups or body weight exercises that target my upper body it happens too because I am overweight and my arms can't hold my fat up0
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Sounds like tennis elbow
Try doing the skullcrushers with dumbbells
j
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D1oAPTsgpE 0 -
Any ideas as to the cause?
Probably from doing too much too soon. Try easing up on the weight, reps, and/or sets for a few weeks to give your body more time to adapt.0 -
I have lifted this heavy before, but it was probably 7-8 years ago. The only way I'm going to get stronger is to up the weight I lift with.
Thank you for all your advice. Hopefully the pain doesn't last much longer.0 -
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I have lifted this heavy before, but it was probably 7-8 years ago. The only way I'm going to get stronger is to up the weight I lift with.
Working through the pain will probably prolong it and keep it from healing. Sometimes we have to take a step back to move forward. Your doctor is probably going to tell you rest it next month.
Also, when it comes to building strength, compound lifts are far more important than isolation exercises like tricep extensions. Do you get elbow pain on the bench press or shoulder press?0 -
I have....it's a sharp pain right?
It'll go away after a while. If it doesn't, you'd have to check with your doctor, but I doubt very much it's due to arthritic changes.
Arthritis is usually something you 'warm' out of if you can get over the hump, at least that's what I've heard.
Anyhow...just wanted to say I've had that pain you're talking about & if it's in both elbows, it's more likely to be due to the increase in weight training load.
ETA: I also felt the pain with extension vs flexion, it didn't last for days though...try NSAID's and see what happens.
Weight training not only works your muscles but your tendons and ligaments as well.
I would try the NSAID's for now but decrease weight a bit, and ease into the increase. It may be more than your connective tissues can handle.
Yes its sharp and in both elbows. I haven't increased the weight by much. I was doing tricep press at 60lbs plus bar and now I'm at 90. But maybe it is too much of an increase. I would rather avoid medication for now. Thanks for your input.
You increased the weight by 33%. Do the bars only go in 30lbs increments? I would have added slower if that option is available.0 -
I have lifted this heavy before, but it was probably 7-8 years ago. The only way I'm going to get stronger is to up the weight I lift with.
Working through the pain will probably prolong it and keep it from healing. Sometimes we have to take a step back to move forward. Your doctor is probably going to tell you rest it next month.
Also, when it comes to building strength, compound lifts are far more important than isolation exercises like tricep extensions. Do you get elbow pain on the bench press or shoulder press?
No I don't really feel any pain with bench press. I did today, but I was probably still sore from last week.0 -
I have....it's a sharp pain right?
It'll go away after a while. If it doesn't, you'd have to check with your doctor, but I doubt very much it's due to arthritic changes.
Arthritis is usually something you 'warm' out of if you can get over the hump, at least that's what I've heard.
Anyhow...just wanted to say I've had that pain you're talking about & if it's in both elbows, it's more likely to be due to the increase in weight training load.
ETA: I also felt the pain with extension vs flexion, it didn't last for days though...try NSAID's and see what happens.
Weight training not only works your muscles but your tendons and ligaments as well.
I would try the NSAID's for now but decrease weight a bit, and ease into the increase. It may be more than your connective tissues can handle.
Yes its sharp and in both elbows. I haven't increased the weight by much. I was doing tricep press at 60lbs plus bar and now I'm at 90. But maybe it is too much of an increase. I would rather avoid medication for now. Thanks for your input.
You increased the weight by 33%. Do the bars only go in 30lbs increments? I would have added slower if that option is available.
Its just a stardard curl bar, with plates. Ever since I started working I've added or subtracted 10 lbs for 2 reps. So if I was was going to from sets of 10 down to sets of 6 that's 20 lbs (or going from 60 lbs up to 80lbs) but that was too easy so I added 10 more lbs. I won't use 2.5 lbs plates so I have to add 5lbs per side minimum0 -
Pain used to last only a couple days, then it was almost a week. Now its constant. I feel pain when I do any type of lifting, not just triceps. Happily I have my yearly physical tomorrow. Hoping I can find out what is wrong with my before I do any major damage.0
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The movement when you experience it is similar for the exercises you say you feel it. The elbows probably don't like the way the force is applied compared to the bench press. Perhaps focus more on benching for a while and to work the triceps more, only do the higher end of the movement as I understand that's when the triceps are required most.0
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I have been having this problem, and I have also been told that it's tennis elbow. It has been bothering me for about a week, but it is easing up now.0
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I have had pain in my right elbow. It's due to tight muscles in my arm. Been working with the chiropractor to release the muscles, by using quick-release massage unit they have there. My joint was feeling sore due to the muscles pulling so hard.....maybe something similar in your case? Try massaging out the muscles there, see if they are tight.0
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Its only hurts when I do tricep press (or as someone called them skull crushers ) and tricep pull downs with the cable. Overhead extensions does doesn't hurt.
I keep my elbows in, and arms straight when I do tricep press. I've probably working off and on for 20 years and have never had any kind of pain like this.
Do you do a warm-up set before you do your workout? My husband was having similar pain when he worked his biceps and has since started doing a light warm-up set of 12-15 reps before and it seemed to work. Also as others have said check your form.0 -
I'm a few years older than you & went down the same road. I've started hitting weights about 30 years ago off & on my whole life. Took off about 5 years after retiring from football at the age of 33.
Then I got diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis which is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own joints and organs. So I really pay attention to what I'm doing in the weight room and my joints as well as my doctors documenting everything.
You probably have tendonitis. if you feel pain on the inside elbow closest to your body, the term is "golfer's elbow". If its on the outside of the elbow, the term is "tennis elbow". The terms were given as kind of a slang because of the athletes of those sports would complain of pain of that particular area when their tendon was flaring. I've had both at one time or another for about a decade.
One thing that isn't working for you is your age. Your relatively young, but the body doesn't recover as quick as when we we're younger. So when you hit the weights the way you are accustomed to a few years back, your body might send you signals that something isn't right.
I have to pay extreme attention to my joints as I am in pain 24 hours a day from the disease. The pain increases even more when my form is lacking or increased weights too fast. One more reason to ease into the heavy side of lifting.
Hopefully you have a good doctor that can diagnose you correctly the first time.
I would strongly suggest that you don't try to work through the pain, rather take the time off from any exercise(s) that causes you pain in the first place. Its no fun taking the time off, but it the long run it certainly won't hurt you more. I'm just started to do OHP & Deads the past month after taking 3 months off on overheads press & dead lifts.
One thing that should help on the pain is a elbow brace, or even tendonitis elbow brace if in fact it is your tendon. You can buy one at any drug store, if your doctor feels is the problem.
Update when you get the news & good luck!0 -
I've battled the same thing in my right elbow. Finally found a really good doc who diagnosed tendinitis from the tendon rubbing over a sharp part of the bone that was messed up in a motorcycle accident. He recommended I wear a neoprene elbow wrap to keep the tendon warm during workouts. It made a huge difference, I was able to increase my weight, and the pain actually decreased.
That was 20 years ago. I'm 46 now, and have to carefully pick which triceps exercises make it bad, and which ones I can get away with. It's trial and error, I recommend checking out the exercises on exrx.net to see which ones will work:
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ArmWt.html#anchor122387
Good luck!0 -
I have....it's a sharp pain right?
It'll go away after a while. If it doesn't, you'd have to check with your doctor, but I doubt very much it's due to arthritic changes.
Arthritis is usually something you 'warm' out of if you can get over the hump, at least that's what I've heard.
Anyhow...just wanted to say I've had that pain you're talking about & if it's in both elbows, it's more likely to be due to the increase in weight training load.
ETA: I also felt the pain with extension vs flexion, it didn't last for days though...try NSAID's and see what happens.
Weight training not only works your muscles but your tendons and ligaments as well.
I would try the NSAID's for now but decrease weight a bit, and ease into the increase. It may be more than your connective tissues can handle.
Yes its sharp and in both elbows. I haven't increased the weight by much. I was doing tricep press at 60lbs plus bar and now I'm at 90. But maybe it is too much of an increase. I would rather avoid medication for now. Thanks for your input.
You increased the weight by 33%. Do the bars only go in 30lbs increments? I would have added slower if that option is available.
Actually, he increased the weight by 50% !!! Let it heal (probably connective tissue if the pain is at the elbow), and then try increasing by smaller amounts.0 -
Its only hurts when I do tricep press (or as someone called them skull crushers ) and tricep pull downs with the cable. Overhead extensions does doesn't hurt.
I keep my elbows in, and arms straight when I do tricep press. I've probably working off and on for 20 years and have never had any kind of pain like this.
Do you do a warm-up set before you do your workout? My husband was having similar pain when he worked his biceps and has since started doing a light warm-up set of 12-15 reps before and it seemed to work. Also as others have said check your form.
Did you mean a warm up set for every exercise I do? No I don't. By time I get to my tri ceps I have already worked my shoulders and bi ceps so I thought my arms would be sufficiently warmed up. But I can doing a warm up set for everything I do.0 -
I'm a few years older than you & went down the same road. I've started hitting weights about 30 years ago off & on my whole life. Took off about 5 years after retiring from football at the age of 33.
Then I got diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis which is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own joints and organs. So I really pay attention to what I'm doing in the weight room and my joints as well as my doctors documenting everything.
You probably have tendonitis. if you feel pain on the inside elbow closest to your body, the term is "golfer's elbow". If its on the outside of the elbow, the term is "tennis elbow". The terms were given as kind of a slang because of the athletes of those sports would complain of pain of that particular area when their tendon was flaring. I've had both at one time or another for about a decade.
One thing that isn't working for you is your age. Your relatively young, but the body doesn't recover as quick as when we we're younger. So when you hit the weights the way you are accustomed to a few years back, your body might send you signals that something isn't right.
I have to pay extreme attention to my joints as I am in pain 24 hours a day from the disease. The pain increases even more when my form is lacking or increased weights too fast. One more reason to ease into the heavy side of lifting.
Hopefully you have a good doctor that can diagnose you correctly the first time.
I would strongly suggest that you don't try to work through the pain, rather take the time off from any exercise(s) that causes you pain in the first place. Its no fun taking the time off, but it the long run it certainly won't hurt you more. I'm just started to do OHP & Deads the past month after taking 3 months off on overheads press & dead lifts.
One thing that should help on the pain is a elbow brace, or even tendonitis elbow brace if in fact it is your tendon. You can buy one at any drug store, if your doctor feels is the problem.
Update when you get the news & good luck!
I'm only 6 years younger than you. So if I'm still young, so are you. The pain is right behind the point of my elbow not any particular side more than the other. 0 -
My doctor thinks it is more of a muscle issue than tendon. But she referred me for physio. Time to find out what how coverage I have from the college health care plan.
Once again thank you all for your information and advice.0 -
Finally found time to go to a sports injury clinic. I have tendonitis. Was prescribed anti inflammatories and physio. Happily both are convered under the college health care plan.0
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I always have something tweaked and twisted and banged up, this is what I use to keep going
http://www.roguefitness.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=voodoo floss&Trigger=ac
With that, for other pain, I have a lacrosse ball and a foam roller.0 -
This happened to me, too. I was doing an intense strength training class in the summer of 2012, and the instructor had us do multiple sets (maybe up to 8 with 12 reps each) of tricep kickbacks. I kept going to these classes and my right elbow hurt so badly that I almost dropped my tray at Panera (that'll teach me to eat there!) I also teach and writing on the blackboard or whiteboard was killing me.
I ended up resting a bit and developing my own routine until it healed. For a while, I was using only 3 lb. weights and I had been doing 8 (I'm little).0
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