Forearm Tendinitis

[grams]

Sorry, Citroen-only my husband and children are allowed to call me a useless moron or say I look like one.

I put 'helping my body out' ahead of good looks. Alternating underhanded and overhanded keeps away my tendonitis.

grams

[Alissa]

I'm really focusing on using my forearms very little in the pulling. Using them too much was a big mistake of mine early on and got me into trouble in the first place. I'm being careful to lighten my grip and use my fingers as hooks and nothing more. I'm trying to let my forearms just go along for the ride until the very end of the stroke.

Hi Kevin,

I was with you until the last sentence above. What are you using your forearms to do at the "very end of the stroke"? Generally speaking, from the straight arm position, your elbows move back until the flat forearm/back of hand can't go any further back. Then you let the arms move back out to the straight position. You shouldn't be bending your wrist either up or down. Not sure what you're using your forearms for...

Just wondering...

Alissa

[onekgguy]

Not sure what you're using your forearms for...

Just wondering...

Alissa

Hi Alissa,

At the point where I've opened my back and my arms are still outstretched I then bring the bar to my chest with my forearms...maybe the last 15-20% of travel. I actually hope you'll tell me I'm doing this wrong because there may be hope for me yet to do this right and no longer strain my forearms.

Thanks,

Kevin g

[Bob S.]

Not sure what you're using your forearms for...

Just wondering...

Alissa

Hi Alissa,

At the point where I've opened my back and my arms are still outstretched I then bring the bar to my chest with my forearms...maybe the last 15-20% of travel. I actually hope you'll tell me I'm doing this wrong because there may be hope for me yet to do this right and no longer strain my forearms.

Thanks,

Kevin g

Sorry for butting in here, but, like Alissa, I don't understand what you mean by using your forearms. The muscles in your forearms control the movements of the fingers and the flexing of the wrist, neither of which are involved in the stroke on an erg. The movement of the handle to the chest is done mostly by the lats, which draw the elbows back, and some by the biceps, closing the angle of the elbow. I am assuming that the lats do the most based on the muscle development that I have observed on successful oarsmen — wide lats and only moderate development of their biceps. A major item, of course, is that they have well developed quads, the main driving force of the stroke for most oarsmen.

In a boat, the forearms do the work of feathering the oar. Some do that by rolling the oar with their fingers and others do it by flexing the wrist. Either way, it uses forearm muscles, but there is no work for the forearms on an erg that hasn't been altered to simulate feathering. There shouldn't be any strain on the forearms.

I have seen some people pulling the handle in with bent wrists and I often wonder if it gives them trouble. I have never said anything, because I know that unasked for advice is usually unwanted advice.

Bob S.

[mccartjt]

Hi All

Do yourself a favor and check out Platelet Rich Plasma and Tendonitis on Google. If you look for a local "Physiatrist " he should be able to help you. I have become a big believer in PRP after getting an injection of platelet Lysate into my L5S1 joint 5 days ago. My back 's pain has up and disappeared! PRP will be the big story in the next 5 years for helping people with joint and tendon injuries..

JM

[Alissa]

Not sure what you're using your forearms for...

Just wondering...

Alissa

Hi Alissa,

At the point where I've opened my back and my arms are still outstretched I then bring the bar to my chest with my forearms...maybe the last 15-20% of travel. I actually hope you'll tell me I'm doing this wrong because there may be hope for me yet to do this right and no longer strain my forearms.

Thanks,

Kevin g

Sorry for butting in here, but, like Alissa, I don't understand what you mean by using your forearms. The muscles in your forearms control the movements of the fingers and the flexing of the wrist, neither of which are involved in the stroke on an erg. The movement of the handle to the chest is done mostly by the lats, which draw the elbows back, and some by the biceps, closing the angle of the elbow. I am assuming that the lats do the most based on the muscle development that I have observed on successful oarsmen — wide lats and only moderate development of their biceps. A major item, of course, is that they have well developed quads, the main driving force of the stroke for most oarsmen.

In a boat, the forearms do the work of feathering the oar. Some do that by rolling the oar with their fingers and others do it by flexing the wrist. Either way, it uses forearm muscles, but there is no work for the forearms on an erg that hasn't been altered to simulate feathering. There shouldn't be any strain on the forearms.

I have seen some people pulling the handle in with bent wrists and I often wonder if it gives them trouble. I have never said anything, because I know that unasked for advice is usually unwanted advice.

Bob S.

Hi Kevin,

I'm with Bob on this one (and Bob, I don't think of your post as "butting in". I'm more than delighted to hear from someone with the experience I lack.).

I'm going to refer you back to the post I made to you on the "80% legs thread" earlier this year. It discusses your arms/hands in the paragraphs numbered 5 & 6 based on the stills I pulled from your video earlier this year. (I don't want to repost those images in this thread because it sounds as if you've made lots of changes. But it also sounds as if your wrists may still be breaking (not flat) and your elbows may still be winging out. (My apologies if these are among the things you've already changed.)

Take another look at "Xeno Muller's stroke cycle." Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to see the annimation in motion, and the arrow buttons below the screen image to see the images that make up the annimation separately--both will be useful, but they'll show you different things. See how fluid the stroke is, and how flat and level he keeps his forearms and wrists. Compare that to the break in your wrist in the video stills (and consider Bob's cogent thoughts).

Don't think of it as drawing the handle to your chest. Instead think of it as moving your elbows back. Assuming you're sitting tall and are letting your shoulders hang from your collarbone, your arms will swing freely form your shoulders. Your forearms will simply follow your elbows in a straight line--and are relatively passive. You use your back (lats and shoulder blades) to draw the elbows back (almost grazing your ribs). When the handle touches your sternum, you've moved as far back as you can with your arms. (It's not worth trying to add a tiny bit more length to your stroke by curling your wrist down.)

HTH,

Alissa

[onekgguy]

Bob and Alissa,

Thank you so much for your input. I've been definitely using my forearms in the final pull to my chest and not at all bringing my lats into play. I feel a bit stupid in that it likely seems obvious to many of you that the lats do this work but it never dawned on me to approach it that way. I'm at work now but I'll get on my C2 later today and see how this new piece of the puzzle fits. I'll let you know.

Thank you again.

Kevin g

[cvelupillai]

Hey Kevin did you ever find your fix?

New Erg rower here.. just noticed my recurring forearm, wrist and hand issue seems to flare up the day after my rowing workout..

Read through this thread and im seeing technique, stretch and strengthen as all being items I certainly can improve on but curious whether Kevin saw results here.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

I have tendonitis too after rowing 7.3m metres this year.

I use percussive massage to ease it. I have an electric jigsaw and have put a massage tip on it. Cheap and effective.