I am a beginner (16 years old) when it comes to weight training who is training for a more size and strength. I have a very flexible routine which works quite well for me as I do not always have enough time to work out.
There is just one problem, and that is that I can’t do any tricep work which is too isolated, eg cable pull downs as this movement puts to much pressure on my elbows which results in a sharp pain in and around the funny bone area. Working through the pain hurts like hell so that’s no solution. The one exercise I can do is a close-grip bench as this is slightly more compound, however it doesn’t offer me much of a range in exercises.
I know that I should check this problem up with a speacialist etc. but in the meantime I wonder if anyone could give me any ideas about how i could go about fitting some tricep work into my routine baring in mind that isolated exercises are not an option. I contantly hear that you should work on your weaknesses and my triceps are now lagging behind my biceps cause I can’t give that area a good workout.
I was thinking I could do some close grip sets at the end a shoulder workout as this workout involves the triceps to some extent but I’m not sure this is the way to go.
Thanks in advance for any ideas you guys can come up with.
I have never tried dips before, but skull crushers (like cable pulldowns) put tonnes of pressure on my elbows.
I might try dips although I’m not sure im strong enough for them to be effective. By dips do you mean with your body completely suspended in the air throughout the workout?
[quote]rabidshrimp wrote:
I have never tried dips before, but skull crushers (like cable pulldowns) put tonnes of pressure on my elbows.
I might try dips although I’m not sure im strong enough for them to be effective. By dips do you mean with your body completely suspended in the air throughout the workout?[/quote]
These are the dips I’m talking about.
You can start bodyweight which is pretty easy, and then move onto adding weights (I rest plates on my thighs).
If you experience pain from these, I would go see a specialist as soon as.
I had the same problem for a while. I’m not a doctor, but it sounds like tendonitis (tennis elbow). I had to stop doing direct tricep work years ago because of it. However, compound movements (bench, military press, est.) have never hurt, so I stick with them. I also now take glucosamine and chondroitin (sp?), and that seems to have worked helped a lot.
I think I will give the dips you showed me a try as Im guessing it won’t hurt my elbows due to the fact that it is compound exercise and it’ll give me a bit of variation.
I do not think the problem is that I am not letting it heal up cause I have had the problem even after 3 weeks of rest while on holiday.
Do incline, decline and flat close grip benching differ from each other in the way that they effect the tris/offer variation in this area or do they all do roughly the same.
I think the main problem is that i don’t have a decent range of exercises… I doubt tonnes of sets of the same exercise is the best thing i could do.
I had a similar problem. Check out the soft tissue work articles here at T-Nation. A lot of people use foam rollers for their legs and back mostly … but its also very effective for the arms. Using this on my triceps for the first 2 days was murderous.
Soon after, it become a routinely good sort of feeling, and the pain in my elbow diminished. I did close-grip pushups for tricep work and it used to kill my left elbow … but no longer.
So, in a nutshell, you might want to investigate some deep tissue work. It might be something easily resolved.
Get some ART, and avoid any excercise that annoy your elbows until your 100% confident in your elbow health- from personal experiece elbow injuries/ twinges can stick with you for a long, long time.
Look into Tate presses and rope and band pressdowns when you’re healed.
Regardless, as a beginner you should focus on eventually getting a 300lb bench and 200lb military which will give you all the tris you need.
