Sound like Golfer's Elbow to you?

[Kiknskreem]

Here's the scoop rip... competitive powerlifter, currently coming back from some impingement problems.

Had not been doing any rowing or bicep work for a significant period of time. Added pullups, 3 sets, once a week 2 and a half months ago.

Last three weeks I've been feeling tenderness right around the medial epicondyle, extending down a few inches on my forearm. A tenderness after getting off the bar. Last two weeks I noticed the same pain on mixed grip deads, but not overhand.

I'm currently under the care of an ART guy for my shoulder and am gonna get this worked on ASAP. Just looking for any feedback you may have.

My plan is to scratch pullups for the immediate future and use straps for my heavy deads. Planning on icing, taking some fish oil, and 400mg Ibuprofen daily.

Advice?

[Mark Rippetoe]

It's golfer's elbow. I've had it intermittently for years. It heals with work. You have to train, so switch to chinups, strap when you need to, up your fish oil, and get the guy to massage it.

[Kiknskreem]

Sounds like a plan.

By the way, when I say "pullups" I am referring to a supinated grip if that has any relevancy to your suggestion to switch.

I believe you use the opposite terminology in the book.

[Umholtz]

I've been injured with mine for 11 months now. If you try and push through the pain, it will get a lot worse in a short period of time. If you cause a significant amount of damage you will not be able to perform ANY exercise without pain. Even holding the bar in place for high bar squats will cause a lot of pain. My advice-go easy and let it heal while it is not that painful.

[Todd Muelheim]

I have the same problem, except its more annoying and I'm not a powerlifter. My PT told me that I have golfers elbow and tennis elbow (golf on both, tennis on right). It hurts when i do pullups and hurts even more when i do chins (and also when I unrack the bar on bench press, but not during the actual bench press itself) . He tells me I should do stretching exercises, take vitamin C and give it rest. I don't mind stretching or drinking more orange juice but if theres something else I can do besides rest I would like to do that thing very much. Thanks Rip.

[Mark Rippetoe]

By "chinups", I mean the supine grip version. It has been my experience that if you get your grip as strong as you can and do lots of other forearm work, elbow flexor/extensor tendinitis goes away. Sledgehammer work, Farmer's walk, wrist rollers, all these things have helped me. But really, it's going to happen occasionally no matter what you do. Sorry. It's hell getting stronger than other people.