drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
Elbows pain is one of the most common afflictions in barbell sports. All lifters invariably suffer from elbow pain at some point. But why? <!-- /react-text -->
<!-- react-text: 53 -->If you look at the function of the elbow , it's meant to be a STABILE joint , which should allow for a smooth transfer of movement from the shoulder to the wrist.<!-- /react-text -->
<!-- react-text: 56 -->The problem with Barbell Sports is that the intent of the shoulder can never be fully expressed at the wrist. Think of throwing a football , that internal rotation of the shoulder can fully transfer into pronation at the wrist. But when we bench or overhead press ( where the concentric phase is internal rotation of the shoulder) the wrist is left at a fixed position, causing an upstream stress at the elbow. <!-- /react-text -->
<!-- react-text: 58 -->This explains why dumbbell or unilateral movements often alleviate elbow pain through a seemingly identical movement. <!-- /react-text -->
<!-- react-text: 53 -->If you look at the function of the elbow , it's meant to be a STABILE joint , which should allow for a smooth transfer of movement from the shoulder to the wrist.<!-- /react-text -->
<!-- react-text: 56 -->The problem with Barbell Sports is that the intent of the shoulder can never be fully expressed at the wrist. Think of throwing a football , that internal rotation of the shoulder can fully transfer into pronation at the wrist. But when we bench or overhead press ( where the concentric phase is internal rotation of the shoulder) the wrist is left at a fixed position, causing an upstream stress at the elbow. <!-- /react-text -->
<!-- react-text: 58 -->This explains why dumbbell or unilateral movements often alleviate elbow pain through a seemingly identical movement. <!-- /react-text -->