Barbell Curl Hurting Forearms

[ArcBound]

So lately barbell curls have been killing my forearms. Specifically when my palms are facing towards me, the insides are hurting all the way up to the wrist. I don't think it's fatigue or soreness. It still hurt the next day and my bench was affected, so I just stopped the workout and waited 3 days for it to go away, but when I barbell curl the same amount of weight the pain will come back.

Anybody experience this? Also I never do forearm workouts, would they help with this issue?

 

[PDubb75]

So lately barbell curls have been killing my forearms. Specifically when my palms are facing towards me, the insides are hurting all the way up to the wrist. I don't think it's fatigue or soreness. It still hurt the next day and my bench was affected, so I just stopped the workout and waited 3 days for it to go away, but when I barbell curl the same amount of weight the pain will come back.

Anybody experience this? Also I never do forearm workouts, would they help with this issue?

Yup. I've experienced this two different times. My trainer told me it is kinda like a tendinitis. He told me that it's actually from overuse of the muscle. This can be caused by your biceps being able to handle a heavier load than your forearms, causing your forearms to get overworked over time.

His suggestion was to do whatever I normally do that causes no pain, and then replace any bicep exercise with forearm exercises. He said this will help bring them up to speed to handle the heavier weights you are using for bicep.

He also said that the little things can really make a difference. I work in an office, and he suggested I switch my computer mouse to the other side, as using that all day can fatigue the muscle more than you thinking, making them tire and overwork quicker.

Not sure how much I agree with that one, and my productivity dropped like crazy trying to use my mouse with my left hand. So, I didn't do that.

The first time I experienced this, it took a good 3-4 weeks for that pain to go away. And then it was just tolerable, not even completely gone. So, I worked to find bicep exercises that didn't bother it.

Hammer curls never gave me and issue. Also, standing cable curls didn't bother me as much. Reverse barbell curls are a good one that work your forearms. Also wrist curls and reverse wrist curls.

But, the best thing you can do is rest it. I wasn't happy with that answer, so I found alternatives. Hopefully this helps... I know how annoying and painful that feeling is.

 

[Kidquick]

Barbell curls used to be one of favorite exercised for biceps, but after several years of heavy training I developed some serious pain in my right elbow and forearm. It was bad for awhile, sometimes keeping me up at night. I saw some nice gains but in the end it wasn't worth it. I switched to strictly dumbells three years ago and I've been pain-free.

 

[ArcBound]

Yup. I've experienced this two different times. My trainer told me it is kinda like a tendinitis. He told me that it's actually from overuse of the muscle. This can be caused by your biceps being able to handle a heavier load than your forearms, causing your forearms to get overworked over time.

His suggestion was to do whatever I normally do that causes no pain, and then replace any bicep exercise with forearm exercises. He said this will help bring them up to speed to handle the heavier weights you are using for bicep.

He also said that the little things can really make a difference. I work in an office, and he suggested I switch my computer mouse to the other side, as using that all day can fatigue the muscle more than you thinking, making them tire and overwork quicker.

Not sure how much I agree with that one, and my productivity dropped like crazy trying to use my mouse with my left hand. So, I didn't do that.

The first time I experienced this, it took a good 3-4 weeks for that pain to go away. And then it was just tolerable, not even completely gone. So, I worked to find bicep exercises that didn't bother it.

Hammer curls never gave me and issue. Also, standing cable curls didn't bother me as much. Reverse barbell curls are a good one that work your forearms. Also wrist curls and reverse wrist curls.

But, the best thing you can do is rest it. I wasn't happy with that answer, so I found alternatives. Hopefully this helps... I know how annoying and painful that feeling is.

I'll try hammer curls, they have never hurt me.

Are you using a straight bar? The curl bar is more forgiving on my wrists and forearms."

I've heard the same thing, By curl bar do you mean the EZ bar? My gym has 1 and everyone hogs it lol, but I guess I need to use that.

 

[DanZy]

Weighted chins, best bicep excercise in my opinion.
Only time I've ever felt such a thing was when I switched from the EZ bar to a straight bar, it hurt like a *****. Though now I haven't done a set of curls in months yet my biceps are bigger than ever.
Don't even bother with forearm work, I reckon it's a total waste of time.

 

[Buddha_Mind]

Tendonitis man, lay off the curl bar and work your biceps another way if you can. Else take a week and do some other stuff -- ibuprofin or any NSAID will help bring down inflammation and help heal faster...


Give it some rest, it's an over-use injury. Sometimes we need 1-2 weeks for all the fibers to heal up nice.

Are you getting proper nutrition and enough protein?

 

[Krueg]

Are you starting off with a wrist curl?

One mistake is starting off with a Curl movement - bending the wrist back, then curling it up just before engaging the biceps. All this does is take away the stress from the biceps by using forearm strength...

Barbells should lock your wrists. As Espi said, try dumbbells too.

 

[ArcBound]

Tendonitis man, lay off the curl bar and work your biceps another way if you can. Else take a week and do some other stuff -- ibuprofin or any NSAID will help bring down inflammation and help heal faster...


Give it some rest, it's an over-use injury. Sometimes we need 1-2 weeks for all the fibers to heal up nice.

Are you getting proper nutrition and enough protein?

Yeah guess I'm going to try hammer curls or something.

I'm getting proper nutrition and protein as I am seeing gains, however since summer started I've been going to the gym 7 days a week..I think I'm going to cut it down lol.

 

[ArcBound]

Are you starting off with a wrist curl?

One mistake is starting off with a Curl movement - bending the wrist back, then curling it up just before engaging the biceps. All this does is take away the stress from the biceps by using forearm strength...

Barbells should lock your wrists. As Espi said, try dumbbells too.

Turned out this was the biggest factor. I locked my wrists tight and focused on keeping them completely rigid throughout the whole motion and most of the wrist pain was gone (not all, but most). Thanks man.

 

[marmel75]

I had something similar to this. Happened in winter when I was carrying a heavy couch off a truck with a coworker and he slipped on the ice, suddenly dropping his end of the couch leaving me holding all the weight. Obviously I wasn't ready for this and it caused my arms to jerk downard quickly, straining my left forearm right beneath the bicep.

It really sucked because I could hardly do any bicep exercises at all aside from preacher curls, which for some reason didn't bother it. Took about 7-8 months for it to go away completely, but part of it was because I still lifted and just trained through it.

Haven't bothered me again, so it seems to have healed OK. My advice would be to just train around it and avoid any exercises that aggrevate it.

 

[speed dawg]

It's a simple formula. If it hurts, don't do it. Other posters have given good advice too.

If anything starts hurting on me, I don't press it. I rest it completely. Pain is your body letting you know something is wrong.

With forearms specifically, and shoulders as well, you have to strengthen them as well if you want your other muscles to grow. If your grip is giving before your back on deadlifts, concentrate of growing your grip before you add more weight for your back.