Most of you are probably like,
“WTF is Fire Elbow, is this even a real thing?”
Those of you that have it are like,
“F-ing, shite, yeah, that sucks”
Fire Elbow, known to the medical community as Medial Epicondylitis or golfers elbow, is the scourge of nations….
http://boneandspine.com/medial-epicondylitis-or-golfers-elbow/
Not really
But it really f-ing sucks and is difficult as all hell to treat and usually lasts for months.
If you get it or have it you should buy one of these and do what the directions say. It’s like a freaking miracle cure.
How you get it: The Mechanism of Action
From WebMD:
“Golfer’s elbow, also known as medial epicondylitis, is caused by damage to the muscles and tendons that control your wrist and fingers. The damage is typically related to excess or repetitive stress — especially forceful wrist and finger motions. Improper lifting, throwing or hitting, as well as too little warm-up or poor conditioning, also can contribute to Golfer’s elbow.” WebMD
Here’s How it Happens in the Weight Room:
Bent Wrists:
A bent wrist creates a lever arm between the bar (load) and the wrist.
How It Shouldn’t Look. Don’t usually use stock photos, but this one was particularly bad applicable.
This loaded stretch of the forearm flexors (inside of the forearm) is especially troublesome (damaging) for the tendon of the muscles which attach on the boney inner prominence of the elbow.
Load it enough in this stretched position…..
Fire Elbow
Loose Grips:
and any other cue to grip the barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell as hard as possible..
Seriously, (almost) always try to grip the bar so hard, “you leave an impression of your hand IN the bar”
Anything less, and it’s not hard enough.
A loose grip can create a whole host of problems including:
- Wrist pain
- Fire Elbow
- Rotator Cuff Damage
Why?
A loose grip will allow the implement to move in the hand.
That usually results in the implement shifting into the lower part of the palm/ fingers and the wrist bending in response to that.
If you can keep the implement in the hand, with a straight wrist, using a light, barely there, grip will put your rotator cuff at risk because it disrupts the firing sequence of the rotator cuff.
That means the Humerus isn’t centered in the joint.
That means it’s probably going to run into a hard structure. <—-read BONE.
That means you’ll get the dreaded..
Impingement….
How To Grip 101:
The Barbell:
Get the bar IN the heel of your hand,
NOT in your fingers, NEVER in your fingers
In a perfect world you’re going to have your thumb wrapped around the bar <—it helps most people grip the bar harder, but some women, kids and guys with Hobbit hands or past injuries/mobility issues, can’t keep their wrist straight if the thumb is over the bar.
In those cases, I would opt for a thumb under the bar grip. But you still need to crush it.
If I have to choose 2 of the three categories:
- Thumb over/ under the bar
- Having a straight wrist/ bent wrist
- Bar in the hand/ bar in the fingers
I’m opting for Wrist Straight, Bar IN the hands, and the thumb can go under the bar.
Like Meat Loaf said:
*Quick Note: the whole thumb over/under thing. I’ve often seen it described the exact opposite way. And have done so myself especially with squats and deadlifts. Where the thumb being on the same side as the hand is considered thumb “over” the bar and thumb wrapped around the bar on the side opposite the hand as “under” the bar. This really doesn’t matter, what does is, you want to be able to get the bar in your hand and crush that mother f’er.
Once you’re “on” the bar, press it into the heel of the hand at the base of the thumb, wrap the fingers/ palm around it and CRUSH IT, as hard as you can.
This will tighten up the whole body and because injuries do NOT come from lifting “too much weight” but instead from allowing things to move that shouldn’t. Doesn’t it make sense that crushing the bar would be something we should do?
If you don’t believe me…Try it.
Grab anything and try to crush it….you’re whole body will tighten up..
Weird huh?
Crushing the bar also makes you stronger because it sends a message to the brain that we need to create more force so more motor units are activated and fired.
Once you’ve established hand position and crush, “bend the bar”.
Obviously, you can’t literally do this. Unless you’re Bill Kazmaier, then you can bend street light poles.
But for the rest of us…..take the bar in your hands and try to bend it, by this, I mean externally rotate the hands/ arms against the bar.
If you do this correctly you’ll feel the lats fire (just under the armpits) and everything from the hands through the bottom of the shoulder blades tighten up.
After all of this, you’re ready to lift.
Dumbbell:
Same thing goes for dumbbells as the barbell.
Dumbbells are easy, make sure your wrists are straight and the bell is in the heel of the hand where the base of the thumb is with the hand wrapped around the bell.
CRUSH IT AS HARD AS POSSIBLE.
Kettlebell: The One Everyone F’s Up
This is the ONLY implement that occasionally should be lightly gripped lightly or in the fingers at times. Swings and Snatches come to mind.
However, for most movements, the rules are the same….
Put the bell in the heel of your hand, the handle should pass through the palm, and crush it like you’re killing it. The hand placement is called……
Spearing the Bell:
With a straight wrist and fingers extended, thumb out, run the hand under the handle of the bell until the handle of the bell is in the HEEL of the hand,
NOT THE PALM or FINGERS
wrap the fingers around the bell and crush it.
For Comparison:
The bell, in the fingers and palm (like the first picture), NOT the heel of the hand, almost always leads to a BENT WRIST and then FIRE ELBOW.
Plus you wont be as strong and you’ll get less Gainzzz.
Yes, the proper placement might leave you with a bruise on your forearm.
If that’s the case and you do a lot of kettlebell work from the rack position (bell against the forearm) buy a set of forearm guards.
I’ve heard these are good: Onnit Wrist Guards
It’s a vicious cycle.
Truth is This may seem incredibly easy, but check yourself.
I think you’ll be surprised how you’re holding the bar once you actually pay attention to it.
Then look around, I bet 80-90% of the people at the gym have the bars in their fingers and wrists bent.
Don’t be one of them….cut that sh@t out.
Your elbows, wrists and shoulders will thank you.
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