Hello BBM folks, and thanks for providing such great content. I’ve added curls to my training, per the GPP Hypertrophy template i’m using.
After curling, but usually not during the movement, I get pain slightly distal/lateral to the antecubital fossa. Right (dominant) arm only. It feels deep, no point tenderness. Somewhat worse when flexing elbow, but definitely exacerbate by forearm supination.
Seems like distal biceps tendinopathy to me. Assuming this is right, would you recommend:
Reduce volume (currently 3x15 twice weekly), reduce the weight on the bar, do both, or just push through it and expect some adaptation?
I curl with a barbell. I haven’t tried EZ-curl bar to see if makes a difference, but I could do that too. Interestingly, my son curls with the EZ curl, and has the same pain in the opposite arm.
i appreciate you reading thus far, and sharing any thoughts.
thanks
sully
You have the right idea that you can adjust the load, ROM, and exercise selection until you find a lift that works. With curls there are a lot of different exercise options: dumbbells, EZ curl, cable column, machine (Nautilus, Cybex, etc). In addition, since supination is painful you could experiment with hammer curls and other more “neutral” wrist positions.
ive dropped the weight a little bit, and pain is better but not gone. It’s never been bad enough to prevent me from curling, so I’m planning to push through it unless it gets worse.
i don’t have dumbbells at home, so haven’t tried hammer curls. EZ curl bar doesn’t make much difference.
I had the same last Summer. It was pretty severe. Switched to reverse curls and an over grip as opposed to an under grip in the barbel row. Little by little it improved and doesn’t seem to be an issue anymore. Sticking with the reverse curls for the foreseeable future.
Yes, I’d recommend reducing intensity as an initial step and add in a tempo 3.0.3 (3 second lowering the weight to full elbow extension and 3 seconds raising the weight through full elbow flexion).
See if this improves the issue. I’d also typically recommend switching to dumbbells to minimize compensation due to symptoms but if that’s not an option, try the above recommendation and see how things go. Keep us posted.
i have dropped the weight some, and will add the tempo to the movement. It does make good sense: not as much yanking on the unhappy tendon. (Amazing how things can make sense if you stop to think). I will post an update with progress.
Hey man, how’s the bicep doing? Did you manage to sort? Also, the supinated EZ bar curl is a great alternative, less stress on the wrists, but a little bit less activation on the biceps muscles. Could be a good idea if you’re rehabbing? Anyways, this explains the supinated curl for the EZ bar, worth checking out!