# Forearm pain working with dumbbells?



## JamesIre (May 31, 2011)

Does anyone else get this?

I like working with dumbbells, especially for chest press (my gym only has smith machine as opposed to regular bench press, and I don't really like that)

The thing is that I have difficulty using heavy dumbbells - anything 20kg plus - because lifting them and setting them down hurts my forearms. At the moment I get them on my knees and knee them up, but it's a bit of a trial.

I feel like I've developed a bit of tendinitis from this. I feel like I could press a lot more than I am at the moment if I could just get the darn things up there.

Can anyone else empathize with this? Sometimes when I put the dumbbells back on the rack my forearms seize up completely which can be excruciating.

Cheers

James


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

Sounds like tendonitis to me. I only really get it in the forearms from upright rows though... sometimes shoulder pressing.

I wouldn't imagine that the pressing was the cause though. Have you gone to heavy on biceps or wrist curls?


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## Justin Cider (Jul 18, 2010)

I get a bit of a shooting pain when releasing the dumbell, I find that releasing it slowly helps rather than fast... Only really get it every now and then, trips me out when it happens at times tho... training partner is the same with it too...


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## JamesIre (May 31, 2011)

I was just using pressing as an example. I guess it's the most challenging because starting position is laying down on a bench. In terms of other stuff, I do flyes, rows, pullovers, curls, hammer curls etc, but use the heaviest ones for press, so they cause the most bother.


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## GolDeNGaTe (Mar 23, 2011)

Its tendonitis mate. You need to knock the exercises that cause it, for me its EZ bar curls, 21s etc. Cut the exercises out until it clears then steadily re intro them.


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## GolDeNGaTe (Mar 23, 2011)

Close grip ez bar and preachers stress your tendons less, as do straight bar exercises. Presses will not effect your tendons IMO.


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## JamesIre (May 31, 2011)

Thanks for the input folks. What I was trying to explain before is that it's not so much the exercises themselves but picking up and setting down the dumbbells. Guess there is no way around this! Will

just have to get stronger forearms


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## GolDeNGaTe (Mar 23, 2011)

Don't grip the weight so tight. You have to actively train yourself not to hang on so tight. The pain comes when you set the weight down, but that is not what is aggravating the injuries.


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## SteamRod (Oct 1, 2007)

get a set of wrist wraps and wrap them up tight.


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## ukcakeman (Aug 16, 2009)

i used to suffer from this aswell at the beginning, taking glucosamine, after a period of time will help the suppleness of the tendon within your forearm, reducing the pain you get when pressing or curling. takes a while to work as tendons have no blood supply so be patient with it, can buy them pretty much anywhere.


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## JamesIre (May 31, 2011)

Thanks for all the help folks. Will def start glucosamine.

Started gripping the bar less tight, made a difference already.


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

I get this ALL the time especially working biceps, i find an ez bar feels much more natural than a straight bar or DB's. Its tendonitis and mine is alot better when i get my fingers in there deep and massage it for ages. I think the tendons sort of clump up making them a lot tighter than they should be so when massaging them deep it releases the tightness on mine, give it a try mate.


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

JamesIre said:


> Thanks for all the help folks. Will def start glucosamine.
> 
> Started gripping the bar less tight, made a difference already.


As goldengate said above. It's unlikely the presses are the cause of the problem (even though they might aggravate it). You should pay attention to form over weight on all exercises you perform and if it hurts mid-set stop... it will only get worse. Once the tendons are damaged past a certain point I don't think there is a cure (well I've not found one yet).


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