Bodybuilding requires you to put tremendous stress on your muscles in order for them to grow bigger. Sometimes a bodybuilding routine can cause injuries to joints and muscles even if you do your best to lift with proper form. The main causes for pain in the joints --- such as elbow and knee joints --- due to bodybuilding is a combination of weight being too heavy and lifting with improper form, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
Types of Elbow Pain
One common type of elbow pain is tendinitis. Tendinitis occurs as a result of repetitive movement or sudden injury, according to MayoClinic.com. Because bodybuilding requires repetitive movement during exercise, tendinitis is a common cause for elbow pain. Another cause can be strains or sprains in the muscle or tendons in the elbow and surrounding areas. Bursitis --- which is an inflammation of the bursae --- is also caused by repetitive motion and can affect the elbow area.
Too Much Weight
Bodybuilding requires you to progressively add more weight to your existing program in order to help stimulate further muscle growth. Sometimes too much weight can cause added stress on your joints and tendons. Little tears in the joints can develop over time and become more serious as you add more weight. Exercises like the shoulder press, bench press and overhead triceps press can all put extreme pressure on your elbow joints. Try to cut back on using the heaviest weight possible so that your elbow joint has time to heal.
Improper Form
Improper form during an exercise is another cause of elbow pain. The risk of injury to the elbow increases when you exercise with improper form and with heavier weights. Sometimes in order to push out the last few reps, bodybuilders will sacrifice good form in order to complete their sets. This bad habit can lead to improper execution of an exercise. An example would be bending your elbows and arms awkwardly in order to finish an overhead triceps press. Doing so can cause strains or sprains in the elbow area, leading to elbow pain.
When to Seek Medical Advice
Typically cutting back on the activity that is causing elbow pain is enough to reverse the pain in your elbow. This is true for both tendinitis and bursitis. If you begin to feel pain in your elbow during a bodybuilding program you should stop until the pain goes away. If you have continued pain in your elbow or the pain gets worse even after stopping your bodybuilding program, you should contact your physician to prevent further injury or long term damage to your elbows.
References
- "American Council on Exercise Personal Trainers Manual"; Cedric X. Bryant; 2003
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Tendinitis
