Restricted Elbow ROM

[Seb95]

Dear Mark,

I have been a regular gym-goer for several years, albeit having used mostly machines rather than any barbell training. I would like to instead, begin doing focused barbell training to increase strength and size, as my progress thus far has been less than ideal.

Aged 7, I fractured and dislocated by left elbow and long story short, now aged 29, my ROM in that elbow is limited to perhaps 155 degrees or so, versus full extension in my right. I very much suspect it is a bony limitation rather than soft tissue, attached is a recent X-Ray. My question relates to how this limitation will impact the barbell exercises, particularly the press, bench press and the deadlift?

I have noticed that I have a larger upper trapezius and pectoral on that left side, plus a weaker shoulder and lat. Do you have any advice, or any considerations that immediately spring to mind?

Just as an example, in a deadlift my left arm cannot fully extend and so the bar is either out-of-parallel to the floor and/or other muscles and joints are compensating to keep it in-parallel. Equally in the press and bench press, would I be better just not locking my right arm fully out, to try and maintain some sort of symmetry in the movements?

Any guidance you could offer would be greatly appreciated. I'm considering seeing if it would be possible to have a surgical arthroscopic release of the capsule to regain full extension, but I haven't gone down that path just yet.

IMG_3151.jpgIMG_3152.jpg

Best wishes,
Seb

[Mark Rippetoe]

Maybe you should try training the exercises first, to see what actually happens over time.

[Seb95]

Maybe you should try training the exercises first, to see what actually happens over time.

Thanks Mark. Okay, I'll give it a go and see what results I get.

Best, Seb

[Will Morris]

Dear Mark,

I have been a regular gym-goer for several years, albeit having used mostly machines rather than any barbell training. I would like to instead, begin doing focused barbell training to increase strength and size, as my progress thus far has been less than ideal.

Aged 7, I fractured and dislocated by left elbow and long story short, now aged 29, my ROM in that elbow is limited to perhaps 155 degrees or so, versus full extension in my right. I very much suspect it is a bony limitation rather than soft tissue, attached is a recent X-Ray. My question relates to how this limitation will impact the barbell exercises, particularly the press, bench press and the deadlift?

I have noticed that I have a larger upper trapezius and pectoral on that left side, plus a weaker shoulder and lat. Do you have any advice, or any considerations that immediately spring to mind?

Just as an example, in a deadlift my left arm cannot fully extend and so the bar is either out-of-parallel to the floor and/or other muscles and joints are compensating to keep it in-parallel. Equally in the press and bench press, would I be better just not locking my right arm fully out, to try and maintain some sort of symmetry in the movements?

Any guidance you could offer would be greatly appreciated. I'm considering seeing if it would be possible to have a surgical arthroscopic release of the capsule to regain full extension, but I haven't gone down that path just yet.

IMG_3151.jpgIMG_3152.jpg

Best wishes,
Seb

I have a -15-20 degree loss of extension in my right arm after having an ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction and osteophyte excision off the olecranon. It hasn’t effected my barbell lifts at all, and in fact, I hit lifetime PRs across the board after the surgery and the resulting loss of ROM. The only thing I have ever had to do with regards to lifting is I have to make the loss of ROM known to judges prior to the lift.