There’s nothing worse then letting injuries get in the way of your gains.
It’s an inevitability when it comes to lifting weights. Eventually you’ll have a case of lifter’s elbow, which is pretty much a fancier way of saying elbow pain. It’s a nagging sort of pain, one that can end up making your workout feel like hell. It’s definitely something that can be a real annoyance when you’re trying to make you gains. There’s a solution to ridding yourself of the pain and quite possibly avoiding all together. Take a look at our list of solutions.
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Lighten Up
It may sound like sacrilege, but sometimes you have to put away the heavy weights and just lighten up the load. If you’re on a bulk it may be a bit of an issue because you’re trying to pack on muscle rather than drop the heavy stuff and just maintain, but sometimes you need to lower the amount of stress you put on your joints. Take a few plates off and avoid the extra punishment.
Take Those Omega-3s
No other supplement works better for dealing with elbow pain than omega 3 fatty acids. The supplement helps joint support, offering much needed lubrication. Omega 3 or fish oil can help prevent swelling and inflammation as well as the build up of scar tissue in the joints. It’s definitely a great tool for not only elbow pain, but all joint pain.
Dumbbells Over Barbell
Sometimes the barbell can make your elbows feel like you’ve put them through a meat grinder, a feeling I’m sure most lifters have experienced if they’ve been doing it long enough. The bench press, barbell rows, you name it, after awhile those exercises will murder your elbow joints from the isolation alone. Dumbbells allow for multi joint exercises which can relieve the stress on your elbow joint.
Rest
Sometimes giving your body the chance to rest and recover is the best option for getting rid of your painful elbow woes. Resting is the number one way to ensure that your elbow pain won’t become a lagging issue throughout your life. Besides, while you’re resting up it’ll give your muscle time to rest and grow.
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Do you have nagging pain? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.