forearms hurting immediately after bench press

[Kenso]

Mr. Rippetoe,

background info:
age:22
weight: 210

5RM:
squat - 340
bench - 225
press - 155
DL - 350

everytime that i have ever bench pressed over say 190 lbs, there has always been a somewhat sharp pain that shoots through my forearms AFTER i rack the bar. it is almost like the weight being taken off of my arms causes some sort of pain. however, the pain has never been that bad and never affected me in any way. i figured it was natural for the most part and it was certainly something i could be a man about and just deal with it.

however, tonight i was bench pressing 225. i've recently decided to give the doug hepburn method a try so i did 8 singles. the first 5 or so were fine, but the 6th and 7th singles hurt fairly bad once i racked the bar. the 8th rep was very slow and once i racked the bar my forearms hurt EXTREMELY bad, as in worse pain that i have ever felt in my arms from lifting. the pain seems to be running on the underside or the "face" of my forearms. the pain goes all the way from the wrist down to the elbows, but no other part of my arms hurt at all. the pain went away after about 5 mins, but there is a very wore out feeling. normally the pain lasts like 3 seconds and goes away. after bench press, i didn't know if i should continue on to press or not - but i did any way because i didn't want to be a puss and not even try. i couldn't even come close to getting 155 one time, which is a weight that should be fairly easy to me to get at least once.

i am wondering if you have any idea what this is, and what i should do. i am willing to just continue on and see what happens next bench session if you think that is a good option. if you have any idea what it could be caused by, that would be great too.

- Josh

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have no idea, but probably has something to do with your wrists or your grip position.

[Mark E. Hurling]

When you grab the bar, are the backs of your wrists in line with the tops of your forearms or do they cock backwards so that there is an obtuse angle between the backs of your wrists and tops of your forearms? If so, that might a possible source of your discomfort.

[Regin Smidur]

Sounds like it might be forearm splints.

[Kenso]

When you grab the bar, are the backs of your wrists in line with the tops of your forearms or do they cock backwards so that there is an obtuse angle between the backs of your wrists and tops of your forearms? If so, that might a possible source of your discomfort.

my wrists are perfectly straight when i bench press, and they remain straight through the entire ROM.

Sounds like it might be forearm splints.

i never really thought of this, but it actually sounds dead on. assuming that it IS forearm splints - whats the best thing i can do?

[Regin Smidur]

i never really thought of this, but it actually sounds dead on. assuming that it IS forearm splints - whats the best thing i can do?

I had forearm splints pretty bad, to the point where it hurt to wipe my ass. I stopped doing things that aggravated it and got my forearms stronger and it no longer bothers me, even when I max out on barbell curls. For forearm strengthening, I used the wrist roller for the extensors, and grippers for the flexors.