Sore Elbows

[sillbeer]

Last year when I was rowing I kept getting sore elbows and I completely stopped for a year. I recently started rowing again and I started getting sore elbows again. Not minor sore either, they were really bothering me. I took a few days off and decided to start rowing with my legs more. Since then my strokes per minute have dropped a little and my average 500 meter time has dropped as well. I'm not winded anymore like I use to be but my legs are spent after a shorter amount of time. I assume this is normal? I've always had clicking in my elbows when I do push ups and tricep exercises. Not sure if it's related or not. I can only assume my form is getting better? I've never had any formal training and I don't anticipate that I will. My first experience rowing was a cross-fit gym but that was very short lived.

- Destin

[Carl Watts]

Yes I have the same problem from time to time in both elbows, right in the joint area.

What has helped me is to just increase the rating these days to 20spm instead of trying to row at 18spm and also rubbing in some Percutane Sports version into the joint right before the row. This stuff is water activated and when you begin to sweat under it after a few minutes into the row it really begins to burn.......the burn hurts so bad you cannot feel the joint pain but seriously it works just don't do anything stupid like rub your elbow across your face during the row to remove the sweat. What's kind of strange is the problem can just come and go and move from the left to the right elbow but not both at the same time so its probably technique related. A slight soreness in one probably starts me subconsciously compensating so it then moves to the other.

The higher rating dramatically reduces the loading on the arms so now my UT1 row at 2:01.5 pace is 20spm, trying to row it at 17-18spm at anything close to that pace for 35Km a week was hurting and threatening the continued training.