Hi all,
So are the only two exercises that shift emphasis onto the long head of the triceps PJR pullovers and overhead extensions?
The reason I ask is I find both exercises really hard on the elbows.
try doing decline or flat skull crushers, bring your elbows farther back right above the head or so, then go down towards the skull and push up away from the skull, i dont usually fully lock these out, they give me an epic pump in the long head.
Also try overhead ext with a rope on a cable, doesnt hurt my elbows which i get pain from regular overheads.
cool, I’ll give decline PJRs a try. I’ve been too scared to try the overhead rope extensions but I will.
Now I think of it, I remember a description of an exercise Larry Scott used which was a sort of kneeling overhead extension with your elbows on a bench. Supposed to be a bit easier on the elbows.
that works too, i also like to raise the attachment on the cable so that it doesnt pull straight down, kinda pulls back, idk just kinda mess around with the setup.
I feel you on elbows man. But honestly these exercises I can do without issue. French Presses rip them to bits REAL quick. Pushdowns and Skullcrushers I can over do. But PJRs, Overhead Cable Rope Ext, Scott Extentions I can do without problems for long periods.
Try the Scott Extentions if you havent. These are the easiest on the elbows of the lot imo. But Im still unsure of how PJRs can hurt your elbows. Maybe you are just going too heavy too quick, going too low in reps or your form is a bit off. See if you can find a video of how you perform them, as there are a few different ways.
How are you warming up for these? Try a light set or two for 20 reps and then hit work sets…reduce the weight on those work sets too
on the PJRs, I keep the reps high to try and keep the load down to make it easier on my elbows but it still hurts a bit. If I do a few sets of pushdowns before PJRs it does hurt a bit less. Maybe that means I need to warm up more. I always just figured by the time I’d finished benching or whatever they’d be alright.
Also, I do find the movement itself on PJRs a bit awkward, but I don’t really see how I could be doing it wrong…
I’m definitely going to try those Scott Extensions now.
that warmup is key.
yeah I guess. I do 5/3/1 with the BBB template and figured that’d have my tri’s fully warmed up but I think I may have been wrong about that
Lying Tricep Extensions - look them up, no elbow pain as experienced doing things like Skull Crushers, etc.
parallel dips with a strap . hit the three heads . behind the neck french press incline . is good too
I have the same problem with my elbows. x2 on rope overhead extensions.
quasi and winston - thanks for the advice fellas but any of those exercises’d shred my elbows in seconds
Brett, how’s your upper back mobility? Apparently that can cause elbow problems and I have to say mine really sucks
This sounds like excuses man. At some point, there will be a slight discomfort until your body adapts. Even before benching, i like to hit 2-3 sets of 30-50 reps on cable extensions, overhand underhand w/e rope ect… just put alot of blood in the fuckers. Secondly, are you ramping sets? If you have pain even with very minimal weight, i think its your form or some mechanic that needs to be adressed not exercise selection. Hell, the only way skull crushers hurt me is if i go straight down to head and put an uneccessary stretch on the elbow end.
Do you foam roll lats? Upper Back? Stretch your shoulders/bi’s/tri’s? Pecs? Something is off, or your form is wrong. Just saying, not every movement should hurt, even ones that should or do, shouldnt hurt on warmup sets even if it feels weird. Idk man, at some point youre gonna have to trouble shoot this yourself, no one can fix you over the internetszzzzz