# Elbow Pain with skullcrushers!



## james22 (Apr 29, 2008)

Last night i was doing my shoulders/triceps training and whilst doing skull crushers, (4th exercise so nice and warm) i got a searing pain the the backs of both elbows. Not a good rip, more a tendon ache.. But in both at the same time? They're a little sore today too. Wondered if anyone had similar, or an answer as to what the hell i've done?

Cheers!


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## Scan (Feb 18, 2010)

What's the rest of your training like?

I had a similar problem when I trained triceps and chest on separate days as they were not getting long enough to recover. I now train triceps after chest on the same day and that seems to work better.


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## freddee (Mar 2, 2009)

You might of done a bit of a loose rep and extended your tendons a bit, if it is still sore in a day or two take 400mg of ibrufen 3 times a day with food and that might help...


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## james22 (Apr 29, 2008)

I have been a little worried that im over training, because of work commitments my training looks like:

Monday-Shoulders,tris, abs

Tues-Legs, traps

Wed-Back and bi

Thurs-rest

Friday-Chest and tri

Weekend-Work

Its all quite bunched, but i still have a good few days between tricep days.

Popping ibuprofen like skittles!


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## crazycal1 (Sep 21, 2005)

youre not resting enuff bud.


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## splinter1466867924 (Aug 5, 2005)

I've actually noticed something similar.

But I do chest + bi on monday.... back + tri on friday.

I've been plagued with elbow injury mind so put it down to that.


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## franki3 (Oct 11, 2009)

james222 said:


> I have been a little worried that im over training, because of work commitments my training looks like:
> 
> Monday-Shoulders,tris, abs
> 
> ...


why you training tris twice a week that could be your problem!!!


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## Scan (Feb 18, 2010)

james222 said:


> I have been a little worried that im over training, because of work commitments my training looks like:
> 
> Monday-Shoulders,tris, abs
> 
> ...


I wouldn't take the pain killers they are just masking an issue, which as cal says is over training.

Looking at your program the answer is clear your elbos were hurting when you were training triceps and you train them twice a week! Wait until your elbos are better then reduce triceps training to once a week with chest... to benefit even more stick shoulders in with back and bi's and have an extra days rest.


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## james22 (Apr 29, 2008)

As i really struggle to get my triceps to grow. Everything seemed to respond ok-ish to my training other than my tri's. I thought i could punish them twice a week with the 4 day gap i have between sessions and try to provoke some growing.

My 1st tri day (shoulders) is usually lighter, after training shoulders ill do:

4x8 skull crushers

3x8 cable pulldowns

the heavier day comes with chest:

5x6 skull crushers

3x8-10 cable pulldowns

3x8 single arm pulldowns


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## franki3 (Oct 11, 2009)

If you train them hard enough there is no need to do them twice a week train them 4 times a week there still not going to grow any faster bud!


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## freddee (Mar 2, 2009)

Scan said:


> I wouldn't take the pain killers they are just masking an issue, which as cal says is over training.
> 
> Looking at your program the answer is clear your elbos were hurting when you were training triceps and you train them twice a week! Wait until your elbos are better then reduce triceps training to once a week with chest... to benefit even more stick shoulders in with back and bi's and have an extra days rest.


Ibrrufen are anti inflamitaries!!


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## Scan (Feb 18, 2010)

freddee said:


> Ibrrufen are anti inflamitaries!!


Ah ok fair enough.


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## yannyboy (Jun 20, 2009)

I had alot of pain doing skullcrushers a while back and ended up getting ollacraneum birsitis in one of my elbows, having a lump on the back of my elbow the size of a golf ball. It eventually went but I now have arthritis in one elbow, so I don't do them anymore. Be careful, if theres pain, stop immediately.


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## DORIAN (Feb 8, 2011)

Elbow crushers they should be called lol. hurt both mine took six month for the pain to go away.stick to close crip bench presses they just as good mate


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## johnreal (Jan 28, 2011)

You might of done a bit of a loose rep and extended your tendons a bit, if it is still sore in a day or two take 400mg of ibrufen 3 times a day with food and that might help...


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## Big_Idiot1466867997 (Aug 27, 2010)

Overtraining is one reason, but hows your technique. I see a lot of people do skullcrushers with their elbows directly over their mouth/chin area. Try putting your elbows further back, like above your forehead....and even beyond. I find this puts less strain on the elbow


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## Dr Spin (Oct 6, 2011)

After a heavy session of skullcrushers I experienced a lot of pain in both elbows. Looking on the interweb there are dozens of reports of this pain with this exercise. Trouble is skullcrushers really make my tris grow loads more than any other exercise including close grip bench presses.

Watching the pros on Youtube they all warm up well with lat pressdowns starting with a very light weight. I must admit I never did as I assumed they should be well warmed up after back, shoulders or chest. Watching the videos the pros never take their elbows to greater than 90deg flexion. part of this will because of muscle size their biceps hit their forearms so they physically cannot go any further but some that can do on pressdowns still do not go past 90deg on skullcrushers.

I think going further than this must put too much stress on the tendons. At this point the forearm is parallel to the floor so the resistance of the weight is at the maximum. One pro even advised against going lower than 90deg on dips because of elbow problems.

I now warm up with loads of lat pressdowns and never go past 90deg flexion on any triceps exercise. Since then I haven't experienced any elbow pain (touchwood!)


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## justin case (Jul 31, 2012)

i used to get pain untill i realised what i was doing wrong...i was lowering the weight too quickly untill the bar was a few inches from my forhead then using my elbow tendons as a shock absorber....once i started to completely control the movement all the way down i was out of pain...but using too much weight and the force involved to get the weight moving is another killer for me.


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