Benching with injuries and with little experience

Dermighty

Hi all,

I'm back in the gym lifting weights regularly after a few years of periodically going and not going, though I've been keeping fit and active in the meantime.

I hurt my arm in a BJJ competition last year and it's never been right since, I reckon it's some sort of ligament or tendon damage. Anyway I don't want medical advice or any of that stuff, just some advice on benching.

My left elbow completely fails once I go above a certain weight, this happens with the barbell and the dumbbells. Today I tried 32kg dumbbells (I've done 34kg's recently) and did 10 reps. I went up to 36kg and when I lowered the weight on the first rep (I had the weight handed to me) my elbow just died a death and the weight nearly hit the floor. Now I understand that there is a limit as to what you can lift, but on the negative half of the movement with only a 4kg difference in weight I just can't understand how it could happen unless it's because of my elbow.

When benching with the barbell my left arm starts to shake a lot (usual when you're punishing it) like I'm lifting a heavy weight, which is fair enough, but the support also feels non existent, with the dumbbells I feel much more comfortable but with the barbell I feel powerless, which has to be a technique thing. I find it hard to bench the bar from my chest to above my neck/face (which is what I have read is the correct technique and I have also been advised to do this by the people I train with).

The toughest part of the bench for me is getting the bar from my chest up the first few inches, this is also the case with shoulder presses and incline presses. I've tried mixing up my grips, trying different grip widths but it doesn't seem to help. I normally go on or inside the two markers near the middle of the grip (the rough part of the grip, not the smooth part).

My feet are on the floor and I do use them to stabilise, having them out wide but as much under me as I can helps. IT feels like I'm driving the weight straight through my rear delts to my front delts, so entirely vertical, I understand that the bench is meant to me pushed in a not entirely vertical line of motion.


I'm NOT doing this:



This is pretty much what I do:




I'm 6'2" or 6'3" and I'm usually weighing in around 101 or 102kg.

Hanley

Ummm what's the question chief?

The Guvnor

If your elbow is bunched do not bench.

If the weight falls let it fall - IME & IMO your joints are more important than the weight or have the spotter there to take at first sign of an issue.

Other course of action keep the weight lower for now - focus on slow and controlled technique.

Apply deep freeze or icy hot or deep heat liberally to both elbows before entering the weights area.

Neoprene wraps on both elbows and long sleeved top - keep heat in the joint - see how this goes.

In the meantime get good Fish Oils, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Green Lipped Mussel, Cissus etc.

Perhaps get some rehab like ultrasound as well.

Dermighty

Hanley wrote: »

Ummm what's the question chief?

Is it possible to correct the problems with more benching or should I just not bench and focus on something else instead.

ObviouslyJesus

also, the grips makes a big difference on the area exercised. the cartoon pic is a close grip which will work your tricpes, the wide grip is for your chest

Hanley

Dermighty wrote: »

Is it possible to correct the problems with more benching or should I just not bench and focus on something else instead.

How long is a piece of string!! No way of knowing without knowing what the injury is, and for that you'd have to consult with a physio.

I find it hard to believe a loading increase that small could completely take you out of it, so if I was to guess it'd probably be something to do with tekkers/training.

But with a pre-existing injury that kinda goes out the window and becomes guess work.

Dermighty

Hanley wrote: »

I find it hard to believe a loading increase that small could completely take you out of it, so if I was to guess it'd probably be something to do with tekkers/training.

I agree, but I was lucky I had someone spotting me! Are there ways I can strengthen up the elbow joint? I've had knee problems before and I have made them a lot better by doing deadlifts and cycling etc. I'm not sure what I can do for the elbow (directly).

Hanley

Dermighty wrote: »

I agree, but I was lucky I had someone spotting me! Are there ways I can strengthen up the elbow joint? I've had knee problems before and I have made them a lot better by doing deadlifts and cycling etc. I'm not sure what I can do for the elbow (directly).

Tap earlier!!

There's not really a huge amount you'll be able to do tbh. Grip work like roll ups can help elbow pain, as can bicep work (esp if you're already doing a heavy pressing volume). Finger extensions (ie the opposite of closing your hand) with a band wrapped around your fingers can lead to a healthier grip/elbow too.

Most elbow injuries in the weight room seem to be cumulative tho, they build up over time. It's a pretty solid joInt like.

Be interested to hear others thoughts on this...

Dermighty

It was an armbar, I tapped as fast as I could, heard a crack come from my left elbow and it's never been right since. I haven't trained BJJ in month because whenever I try to move people my elbow just seizes up after about half an hour of training, quite painful.

The gym is different, it just doesn't support things above a certain level, but there's no pain.

Doctor_Socks

My advice to you OP would be to go to a physio and try to find the underlying problem, you know it was caused by an armbar but checked whats actually damaged in the joint and have the physio recommend what you can do to fix it. Whatever you do don't try to work through the pain, otherwise your elbow is goin to end up a lot worse than what it was originally!!

I can understand where you're coming from though after fixing your knee problems with leg work, I did the same with my knee and its never felt better!

Brian?

Dermighty wrote: »

It was an armbar, I tapped as fast as I could, heard a crack come from my left elbow and it's never been right since. I haven't trained BJJ in month because whenever I try to move people my elbow just seizes up after about half an hour of training, quite painful.

The gym is different, it just doesn't support things above a certain level, but there's no pain.

Get your elbow fixed. Go to a physio. Thread locked.