New to rowing & bicep tendonitis

[girlinabox]

Hello! I am new here and would really love your help with my current situation. Apologies if this is long but just wanted to give context.

So I purchased my C2 rower at the start of this year. I was previously of reasonably good fitness but had had some time not doing much at all, and cartilage damage in both my knees meant I can no longer run - I was recommend rowing, so I bought the machine, and spent some time asking questions on a rowing subreddit, watching videos etc.

I started rowing along to 'Row Along Workouts' videos on YT which have been absolutely brilliant, and I think that my form isn't too bad. Right at the start I was getting blisters on the pads of my hands which I know was likely from holding the handle too hard. I think that I now do not do this - and my fingers are only lightly 'hooked' over the edge of the handle - I no longer get blisters.

So as well as rowing 2-3 x per week (doing either intervals or WOTD) I also started a strength training programme aimed at women (Stronger By The Day) which is all about progressive overload.

A few months ago I noticed a sort of popping sound coming from my right elbow when I was doing certain strength moves (but not with rowing) - it was mostly things like curls, rows, overhead press etc. There has never been any pain. I went to a physio recently, and he said that I have thickening of both biceps tendons (biceps brachii I think and not sure what the other is called!) - he said the noise I am hearing is the thickened tendon snapping over the back of the bone. Anyhow - he is unable to say exactly what caused it - rowing or strength - he is working it, using ultrasound, and now acupuncture. I am also stretching and icing daily.

The popping is still there, and in fact is more prominant - it now happens when I lift say a cup of tea up to my mouth etc. It's really annoying, because now physio has told me to lay off upper body work full stop for now.

So I guess, what I'm posting for is to see if this sort of injury sounds like something that could have been caused by rowing, and if so, what would be the bad form culprit? I also am wondering if I could still do a little bit of gentle rowing, if the popping is not reproduced by rowing at all?

I am just really not wanting to stop with the exercise - I have been loving the gains in strength, cardio and overall energy the last few months. I'd also love to know if there is a way of finding out how to establish causation! (I also have recently started noticing a similar popping sound in my left arm but actually at the shoulder, not elbow as with my right arm )

Thank you for listening. Any help & advice most gratefully received. Thank you.

For reference I am female and 40.

[Joebasscat]

Well … nobody is going to tell you to ignore your doctor’s advice on this forum. Since they said “full stop” then that’s probably best. As for what rowing form may have caused it, I’m sure you know from the videos you have been watching that you shouldn’t be yanking with your upper body and only using the arms to finish your stroke after your hips rock over. Takes time to master for many. Possibly not engaging your lats at the catch.

That said, I’m going with the issue may more likely be from the weight training. I have tendinitis in my right elbow (golfers elbow) and some lingering soreness in my left forearm and bicep that is no doubt the result of over aggressive activity with weights. Rowing doesn’t seem to bother either of these much, but it’s there. The “golfers elbow” was present long before rowing and the other is a recent addition after beginning some new weight training awhile back. 65 yr old male here.

I know how frustrating it would be to be told full stop on any upper body work, but I certainly would advise you to heed his advice. You’re going to want to enjoy your tea for a long time going forward. Best to try not to do any permanent damage. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[Dangerscouse]

I'd love to be able to offer words of confidence that you'll be alright with rowing, but it does sound like you need to stop and get it resolved before you start again.

If it is rowing, then as Joe says, you've probably been not using your legs enough and your arms too much.

[jamesg]

could have been caused by rowing, and if so, what would be the bad form culprit?

Rowing is done with the legs and hips, being a Power sport.

Don't try to use arms, wrists, elbows or fingers to produce power, they're not strong enough for the thousands of strokes we pull.

Have a close look at your posture at the finish. To avoid injury, your wrists must be low, flat and straight, with the forearms in line with the chain, shoulders low, elbows near your sides with angle >90°.

Also posture at the catch, recovery and pull sequences, foot height, strap position, drag can all be critical: details here: https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/ ... que-videos

[Dutch]

Have a look at the subject I posted about 3 below this one in the health and fitness section called "elbow pain". It is something similar to what you have had recently. A lot of elbow pain can be related to grip, especially if you have been doing strength work. Its is the forearms tightening up, just like the lower back does from over use. After about a week or 2 most muscles go from being stiff where they are rigid and sore to the fibers loosening and the cracking is just the muscle fibers becoming independent and not clumped together. Also where you can have a muscle stiff, sometimes if you massage the muscle next to it the pain will go as the seized muscle has been compensating for the weaker muscle. hence why the back is so complex. Same for most muscles in the body, unless we pay attention we all have weaker muscles if over looked.

The weak link in our arms tends to be our grip strength, I train grip regular, row and strength train and at anytime I can make a fist with both hands then flare my fingers out and everything from the fingers to my elbows cracks, all the forearms muscles elbow joints, the lot. This is just where the forearms are getting battered all the time. When I make them crack they are just being stretched by flaring out my fingers and turning my wrists, keeping my arms flexed. But this did not work at first, but when i combined it with the fix I found that worked for me, which was 1 arm hangs as is explained in the elbow pain link, Any stretching I do on arms and elbows and shoulders now has a relieving effect.
Most people are told to give up and rest until its gone, normally 6 weeks to 3 months.
Things like physio, acupuncture, icing and others are only a temp fix If you want to keep training then a more permanent solutions needs to be found.
The solutions for me come in stretching, they can vary from yoga, pilates even ballet stretches, each person has there own version of what they like and you tube is your friend for this. I have tailor made a small routine that just keeps me supple enough and helps the joints and i dont have to do it often.

Your shoulder clicking and popping is just the tendons flicking over the side delt muscle, nothing to worry on.
If you want to do weights try hands in neutral grip for all upper body work kept within the shoulder range as it does not aggravate the elbows from turning the forearms or flaring the elbows on presses.
So hammer curls, dumbell presses with palms facing, single arm rows. Dumbbells are friendly to the body and more controllable.
Do read the elbow pain link on the hanging. I now only do static hangs and pull ups for grip work with some hand grippers. The forearms will soon strengthen from hanging and supporting your bodyweight, as many on here who do them will contest to.
Grip strength is also linked to aging in a positive way and many a person who i have met over the yrs lifting weighted well into there 80s have had a strong grip.
I hope this helps and I would encourage you to find a work around and I personally would not give up unless I had tried all possibilities first.
Lastly by strengthening the body through exercise, anything that hurts and if not an injury is probably weak and thus needs work as well. This is why many people give up as they think they kept getting injured when in fact its just incomplete training. But one has to find how their own body works.