Painful swollen biceps? Can't straighten arms. HELP!

graysmom2005
graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I did pullups with my trainer on Monday. I had a springboard type thing under me to help give me a little boost as we did 3 sets of 12. I was fine that day, but It's now day 3 after the workout and I'm in a lot of discomfort. I can't totally straighten my arms, and I noticed today that my biceps are quite swollen and feel rock hard. Is this just extreme DOMS? Have I hurt myself? I have an advanced instructor module this Sunday for Bodypump, so I'm under a time crunch.

Anyone else experience this??
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Replies

  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    the pain to be worried about is sharp pain. sharp stabbing pain is bad. give it another day, drink alot of water. you should be fine.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    Thanks. No sharp pain. Just tight from the swelling and hardness, and extreme DOM feeling. Did I just over do it?
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Thanks. No sharp pain. Just tight from the swelling and hardness, and extreme DOM feeling. Did I just over do it?

    perhaps....but probably not...was it the first time you did that many pull ups?
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    I workout a lot, but pull ups are new to the routine, yes. Haven't done them in YEARS.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    I workout a lot, but pull ups are new to the routine, yes. Haven't done them in YEARS.

    ok then...drink the water...give it a day...if really needed, take an ibuprofen or an aleve
  • bubsyh
    bubsyh Posts: 57 Member
    Sounds strange but have a warm to hot bath. Soak until it gets cold. It helps me when I have martial arts strains (mainly on my thighs)
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Totally experiencing the same thing right now.. I was sore yesterday, still sore today. Also sore from 4 sets of squats. Last night I took a hot bath with Epsom salts and that seemed to help a lot. Also drink lots and lots of water. Ibuprofen will reduce the inflammation. :) Happy training!!!!!!!
  • nikinyx6
    nikinyx6 Posts: 772 Member
    T Rex arms

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTBMX-nZmDP7S1gQUAz56vONfTpX5K5qlkoG2ssBlRtQDHCdWFT9A

    A warm bath and some ibuprofen helps mine :)
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    remember, you are tearing your muscles when you workout out. Being that you haven't done pull up in quite some time they were probably like...WHAT *%&$@* !!! 24 hrs later is about when the pain appears...at least it is for me. Sometimes when I get a real deep burn it can last a few days. I love it when that happens. :huh: LOL
  • steadk
    steadk Posts: 334 Member
    epsom salts do help if you're able to soak your arms in a bath. and then lots of water :)
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    T Rex arms

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTBMX-nZmDP7S1gQUAz56vONfTpX5K5qlkoG2ssBlRtQDHCdWFT9A

    A warm bath and some ibuprofen helps mine :)
    This made me nearly snort coffee out of my nose. Hahahahahaha!!!!!! Thanks guys. I will give them a soak. Advil hasn't helped at all, so I'll keep drinking water and take some more. :-)
  • MrsLVF
    MrsLVF Posts: 787 Member
    It's perfectly normal. I felt the same way when I started doing pullups :smile: It gets better when your body gets used to that exercise.
  • MessyLittlePanda
    MessyLittlePanda Posts: 213 Member
    alternate an ice pack with a heat pack and take some ibuprofen, usually works!
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    alternate an ice pack with a heat pack and take some ibuprofen, usually works!

    That was my thought - take some ice cubes into a hot shower and alternate rubbing them down with ice, then running them under the hot water. I do that with my cranky pissy legs after a good run from time to time and it works wonders.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    I did pullups with my trainer on Monday. I had a springboard type thing under me to help give me a little boost as we did 3 sets of 12. I was fine that day, but It's now day 3 after the workout and I'm in a lot of discomfort. I can't totally straighten my arms, and I noticed today that my biceps are quite swollen and feel rock hard. Is this just extreme DOMS? Have I hurt myself? I have an advanced instructor module this Sunday for Bodypump, so I'm under a time crunch.

    Anyone else experience this??

    This happened to me in January, I could not bend my arm. I think I pulled my tricep, the only thing that worked was a very hot bath with epsom salts for a few nights. It did take awhile though to go back to 100%
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    get some ice on those guns.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    Nothing is helping yet...and it needs to. STAT. I have my Advanced Instructor Module for Bodypump on Sunday and there will be a lot of iron pumping! EEK!
  • DaveRCF
    DaveRCF Posts: 266
    The weird thing is that pullups are really a tricep, not bicep exercise. Are you sure the pain was from pullups or were you maybe doing something else that could have caused it?

    I would just lay off of anything other than cardio and the situation will probably correct itself before Sunday. No biggee.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    The weird thing is that pullups are really a tricep, not bicep exercise.

    what?
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    The weird thing is that pullups are really a tricep, not bicep exercise....
    Huh??? Pull ups primarily work the lats, but the biceps are strongly involved in the movement. I've never heard of pull ups being considered a tricep exercise.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    The weird thing is that pullups are really a tricep, not bicep exercise.

    what?

    :noway: :noway: :huh: :huh:

    Unless you have some crazy alien joints, Triceps are pushing muscles and biceps are pulling or holding muscles.
  • DaveRCF
    DaveRCF Posts: 266
    The weird thing is that pullups are really a tricep, not bicep exercise.

    what?

    :noway: :noway: :huh: :huh:

    Unless you have some crazy alien joints, Triceps are pushing muscles and biceps are pulling or holding muscles.

    Yah, you are right. Brain fart. I was thinking chins were going to work biceps more than pullups but it is wrong for me to say pullups are a tricep exercise.
  • jwoot42
    jwoot42 Posts: 1
    I am in the same boat. Met with trainer on Sat morning. Here i sit with T-Rex arms at 1pm on monday. Ice, hot Epsom salt baths, Aleve, none of its working. I was told to read this ( http://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Lactic-Acid-Build-up-in-Muscles ) and just drink lots and lots of water. I also found this: "Lactic acid isn't the only culprit in DOMS. In fact, lactic acid is removed from muscle anywhere from just a few hours to less than a day after a workout, and so it doesn't explain the soreness experienced days after a workout. What is it then that causes DOMS for days after exercise? The answer is swelling in the muscle compartment that results from an influx of white blood cells, prostaglandins (which are antiinflammatory), and other nutrients and fluids that flow to the muscles to repair the "damage" after a tough workout. The type of muscle damage I am referring to is microscopic (it occurs in small protein contractile units of the muscle called myofibrils) and is part of the normal process of growth in the body called anabolism. It is not the type of damage or injury that you see your doctor about. The swelling and inflammation can build up for days after a workout, and that's why muscle soreness may be worse two, three, or even four days after a workout (it can take up to five days for muscles to heal completely depending on the intensity of the workout). any way T-Rex arms suck and im the laughing stock of the office right now, even been told im walking like C3PO from Star Wars LOL
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I am in the same boat. Met with trainer on Sat morning. Here i sit with T-Rex arms at 1pm on monday. Ice, hot Epsom salt baths, Aleve, none of its working. I was told to read this ( http://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Lactic-Acid-Build-up-in-Muscles ) and just drink lots and lots of water. I also found this: "Lactic acid isn't the only culprit in DOMS. In fact, lactic acid is removed from muscle anywhere from just a few hours to less than a day after a workout, and so it doesn't explain the soreness experienced days after a workout. What is it then that causes DOMS for days after exercise? The answer is swelling in the muscle compartment that results from an influx of white blood cells, prostaglandins (which are antiinflammatory), and other nutrients and fluids that flow to the muscles to repair the "damage" after a tough workout. The type of muscle damage I am referring to is microscopic (it occurs in small protein contractile units of the muscle called myofibrils) and is part of the normal process of growth in the body called anabolism. It is not the type of damage or injury that you see your doctor about. The swelling and inflammation can build up for days after a workout, and that's why muscle soreness may be worse two, three, or even four days after a workout (it can take up to five days for muscles to heal completely depending on the intensity of the workout). any way T-Rex arms suck and im the laughing stock of the office right now, even been told im walking like C3PO from Star Wars LOL

    epic bump, try less synthol
  • thedeadhooker
    thedeadhooker Posts: 1 Member
    I did a search on Google to figure out what was wrong with my arms. I did 100 pull-ups and 100 push-ups on Monday and today, my arms are throbbing, so swollen, and I'm walking around like a robot because my arms can't straighten out. Sleeping is rough!
  • nolatwiggy
    nolatwiggy Posts: 2
    I am exactly the same! I had a really tough first workout back in the gym after only doing yoga and cardio for years. Sleeping is terrible! My arms look twice as big as they normally are. You can even see the swelling by my elbow. I have taken Advil and taken it easy. I HATE this feeling of not being able to use my arms. This workout was Monday morning. It is now Friday morning and it seems barely better. How much longer can this go on?
  • Roseygirl1
    Roseygirl1 Posts: 196 Member
    All you folks who are getting swollen muscles please educate yourself about exercise induced rhabdomyolysis. It is potentially life-threatening.

    I'm not saying any of you have it, but know that high-rep pullups are NOTORIOUS for being the culprit.

    Rosey
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    My go to is a potassium supplement, a boat load of water,an epsom bath soak, and a light "hair of the dog" workout.

    Hope you feel better

    **spelling
  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    a cautionary tale indeed.
    had similar probs on 1st and only arm workout.stopped me swimming for 2 days, which is an unacceptable treade off for me.
    may return to strength training under better guidance when i am fitter!
  • Roseygirl1
    Roseygirl1 Posts: 196 Member
    http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/rhabdomyolysis-symptoms-causes-treatments

    Link to information about rhabdo....

    ....if you do develop it, taking potassium and NSAIDS (like ibuprofen) can make it worse!

    Rosey

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