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Thread: What in tarnation are my elbows supposed to be doing?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2022
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    Default What in tarnation are my elbows supposed to be doing?

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    Hey Coach/ guys, I’m writing today for help with an acute issue of generalized arm pain which I believe stems from golfers elbow. For approx 2-4 weeks, I’ve had constant pain in my elbows, forearms, bicepts, triceps, and delts bilaterally. The pain is sharp, and contrasts typical soreness from DOMS and at times is “better” but never abates.

    The problem is that the tendons in both of my elbows are rolling back and forth over my synovium during the concentric part of the bench and the press (and it feels horrible). It’s more common during the press, and only occurs with loads of 90% my current workset weights. I’m neck deep in a repeat of the NLP and am adding 2.5lbs each workout (A/B). Last press work was 192.5x3x5 and bench was 275x3x3. I’m 28, 198lbs eating 3500cal and 300g protein daily.

    Additionally: I have zero pain during squats, I’m taking 300mg of test cyp a week, i have not missed any reps due to muscular failure, but am reracking the bar early because of the pain. A possibility i am considered is that my test dose is too high to accommodate tendon recovery which is why I’m not “missing” reps because of muscle failure.


    I don’t have videos of myself benching or pressing at 90% or above but will take some videos of singles. This week I plan to lower the weight on upper body lifts to work on my form and allow the tendons to cool off a little. That being said I’ve read the blue book and watched the instructional videos, I still don’t have a clue what my elbows should be doing. I don’t understand “tuck” your elbows and frankly when I do, it seems to make everything worse.

  2. #2
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    There are a couple of pretty good drawings in the blue book that show you exactly what your elbows should be doing. Are you doing your chin-ups as an assistance exercise?

  3. #3
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    Humor us; show us your squat, too.

  4. #4
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    Good afternoon Mr. Rippetoe,

    No sir. My previous programing for chins was 3x5 for sets of 7 (AMRAP at that time) at body weight. It caused the distress noted in your pin firing method approach, and I removed them because the stress began to interfere with my ability to add weight to the bench.

    I’m noting the cue “tight armpits”for the press and am curious- does this cue retain it’s importance during the concentric part of the movement? My issue with the rolling tendon happens during the last 10% of the movement. Similarly with my bench.

    I’m going to re-read the “elbows” chapter under bench in the blue book. If I have any questions from my reading I will post them on this forum for the board. I appreciate your assistance with this.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Satch12879 View Post
    Humor us; show us your squat, too.
    Nicholas, listen to Satch, the squat is by far the most likely culprit.

  6. #6
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    I seem to remember putting this in a book.

  7. #7
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    Nov 2022
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    Couple updates if anyone cares:

    Satch as requested I will upload a squat check as well- I’m still trying to figure out the upload procedure without putting everything on YouTube.

    I’ve been reading about upper arm anatomy and I think I fall further into the camp of triceps tendinitis than either golfer or tennis elbow. That said, this is internet research and I have no basis of fact of than it reads the most similar to what I feel.

    I PR’ed my squat for 3x3@395 and I had very slight irritation in both my triceps. Again, I still believe this is from the overall issue at hand and not a squat form error but I will let the board decide if I’m full of shit. I also have a video of my bench that I will upload. I had the same issue as described above (tendon feels like it’s rolling over my L elbow) with the empty bar though it wasn’t painful. I completed reps/sets with the empty bar until I found a grip width that allowed for full ROM without the “pop”. As soon as I loaded 135 on the bar everything returned to being painful, no grip alternation I found helped alleviate the problem.

    Wednesday is my press day and I will video the press and upload that as well. Anyone have a suggestion for uploading that’s not through YouTube?

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