Stright bar curl pain

**higherdesire** · 03-02-2009, 05:26 PM

I love to do straight bar curls becasue I have had such good success in the way past. For the last couple of years though I haven't been able to do them effectively becuse of the pain in my forearms. It is on the bottom of the arm about 6 inches form the elbow. It is serious pain after a set. I have laid off of them for months at a time and come back and without fail it is painful.

I have treid varying the grip to accomadate my wrists moving but it doesn;t help enough. BTW we are talking wide grip.

Is there a solution? Is this common?

Thanks.

**mcx** · 03-02-2009, 05:55 PM

Anatomicly/biomechanicly straight bar curls really arent that great for our wrists and elbows. Just stick to the e-z curl bar and dumbells. Or if you HAVE to use the straight bar then use lighter weights and see how that works out for you. I still say skip it, sounds like you keep reinjuring the area/tendonitis, and never let it fully heal.

**Nooomoto** · 03-02-2009, 06:49 PM

I had forearm pain with straight bar curls, too. It'll get better if you use lighter weight and just keep doing it. But as mentioned above...the ez-curl bar isn't a bad option.

**higherdesire** · 03-02-2009, 07:10 PM

Good idea on lightening it up to maybe build up. Maybe I can do several warm ups to try to build up to being able to throw something on there. THanks for the advice. I have been using the easy curl bar but just really liked the results so much when I have been able to utilize the tool correctly.

THanks for the advice guys.

**M302_Imola** · 03-03-2009, 12:03 PM

I had the same issue awhile back and I found that wrists wraps did help a little. Ultimately I took about 2 months off from straight bar curls and my problem cured itself. Now I can do them with no pain but I no longer go super wide with the grip, I like to keep it about shoulder width to take the strain off my wrists.

**StritationOrBust** · 03-03-2009, 04:07 PM

Higherdesire, like these guys said i would just go with the e-z bar. Thats what I do. Its easy on your arms and shoulder as a whole and you can do more weight if mass building is what your after. It will develop you inner biceps more than your outer so you might want to throw in some concentration curls in your bicep workout periodicaly, thats what i do.

Concentration curls will give you outer bicep development and the high peak. Concentration curls should be very strict and with low weight with a full flex at peak contration. This type of exercise is a lot less stressful on joints.

I had problems with straight bar bothering my shoulders and I'm getting good results and no more pain from this type of training.

**Nooomoto** · 03-03-2009, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by M302_Imola

I had the same issue awhile back and I found that wrists wraps did help a little. Ultimately I took about 2 months off from straight bar curls and my problem cured itself. Now I can do them with no pain but I no longer go super wide with the grip, I like to keep it about shoulder width to take the strain off my wrists.

x2 exactly.

**higherdesire** · 03-03-2009, 08:42 PM

I do sets closer as well I just get a nice outer work out and developement from the wider grip. I will keep up the ez bar in the arsenal too. Thanks guys!

**xnotoriousx** · 03-03-2009, 08:59 PM

I would just take a month or maybe 2 weeks or so completely off from curling. Just work extra hard on back day. Give that area time to fully heal up and then go light back into it. I had a pain right there once, and had to do this. Full speed now.

**j4ever41** · 03-04-2009, 12:12 AM

as mentioned above straight bar can be hard on arms and elbows.take a little time off then go back to ez curl and dumbbells,do you do forearm work?where is the pain exactly?on edge of bone? maybe splints,thats what it sounds like.

**SilverTest** · 03-04-2009, 02:17 AM

it happened with me , BECAUSE i was overtraining my arms .

you might want to ease up on the arms bro and the pain will subside and go away , and your arms will feel stronger.

**StritationOrBust** · 03-04-2009, 12:24 PM

I think one reason this is such a problem is that biceps recover so fast that they other parts of the body use in training them can get over worked.

**xnotoriousx** · 03-04-2009, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by StritationOrBust

I think one reason this is such a problem is that biceps recover so fast that they other parts of the body use in training them can get over worked.

i'll buy that.

**spywizard** · 03-04-2009, 05:27 PM

welcome to the geriatric workout section...

as we get older yada yada.... go with the e-z curl bar... there's a reason they make them..

**GT2** · 03-04-2009, 07:06 PM

If you do wide-grip on the EZ-bar curls (i.e. not holding your hands close to together, but rather on the diagonal bars), you are actually working your brachiallis more than your actual bicep.

Go heavy with dumbbells, lighter with the straight bar, and maybe incorporate some close-grip ez-bar curls to hit the outer area of the bicep

**higherdesire** · 03-05-2009, 03:50 AM

Good stuff here guys thanks. As for the forearms, religously. Hamish thans fo rthe tip with the inner ex bar grip. I haven't done those because I assumed it worked the inner. Today is biceps and back so I will try a few sets to see how I react.

As for over training, I am not for sure. The pain will come into play no matter where I insert the excercise, the first, middle , or last of the routine. The ides of it being a splint rings true. I will do some research on that.

thanks again men.