How would I prevent tendonitis??

[Kibble]

In about 3 more days I will begin a 2 week jujitsu, and grappling class. We will be sparring for submission for at least 2 hours per day. It will be from 430pm until 930pm. Anyway, I did a similiar class that only lasted 1 week. Halfway through the class my elbows went to hell. The pain was unbearable. I lost all strength because as soon as I tried to support my bodyweight all pain broke loose. I could not use my arms for anything. I believe it was tendonitis. I just remember holding tightly onto my elbows and feeling a painful heartbeat through my elbows. Some of it was probally due to the countless straight-arm-bars that we had to execute... which we will be doing more this time around.

I know that it will happen to me again. So I am here asking how you guys go about preventing it. The worse part is, I was supposed to begin my cycle this week. I will most likely be out of the gym for two weeks because I will lose all function of my elbow joints. So with recovery time, I am looking at 3-4 weeks out of the gym.... and then I would have to lift for about a month or two just to get back to where I was. Help please

[elpropiotorvic]

I dontthink it was tendinitis usually it builds up... If u get it lower on the intensity and sleep more

I have done mma and weights...If there is a fight coming up I would workout weights and mma a total of about 8 or 10 sessions a week usually for me it's the forearms that dictated how much could I do.... But if u lower on the weights a lil and rest more I think u should be fine

I take traumeel by heel labs and really helps me u should try it it's very cheap

[terraj]

I did get it a lot from always lifting heavy. I have found that mixing up heavy days and high rep days has helped.

[KD735]

try this...take some Motrin 600mg the first day of the competition and then go ahead and take it a couple times a day as long as your stomach can handle it. If there are no problems with your stomach, then take it throughout the course.

Just as importantly, have ice bags on hand, and ice down your elbows in between each set. These two things combined are really the most reliable ways to decrease inflammation, which ultimately is the root cause of tendonitis.

Just out of curiosity, do your elbows/tri's ever hurt while lifting in the gym, or have they hurt in the last year or so? Sometimes people can develop chronic partial undersurface tears of their triceps insertion which are very reluctant to heal (and largely asymptomatic unless you push the envelope past the point that triggers the pain); this would also predispose to painful flare ups and swelling. Just throwing it out there.

[Kibble]

Thanks for all of the input guys. I will take the advice.

KD735, my elbows never hurt in the gym when I am lifting. Only when I grapple. Usually it will start to hurt after the first day or two