New to rowing & bicep tendonitis
Posted: October 30th, 2024, 11:52 am
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.