Forearms hurt when doing barbell curls

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Feels like a bruise over/on the ulna half way between wrist and elbow. Worse in right arm but pain in both. No discoloration and it started a few days ago after going up about 10 more pounds. Hurts like a motherfucker when I set the bar down after a set. Work through, take time off, or go to the doc?

 

[Iron Woode]

maybe back off the weight a little?

it seems you may have over did it. You are straining the muscle and injuring it.

 

[polarmystery]

I have this same problem. A lot of people do. It is the equivalent of shin splints for your forearms. It means your forearm strenth is not strong enough to keep up with your biceps (yeah I know they are both biceps but still). I've had that pain for years.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

It actually has nothing to do with your strength. It's one of the least healthy movements in the gym due to anatomical limitations. It really can bust up your arms and it would be better to use a curl bar for both supinated and pronated curls. It was actually made because people realized the limitations. Some people can do them fine. I can't do them without intense pain and my forearm strength is sufficient to say the least.

Also, polarmystery... I'm not quite sure what you mean when you talk about the "(yeah I know they are both biceps but still)." I'm currently taking my anatomy class and can explain any questions you have about upper limb anatomy It'll help me study.

 

[TallBill]

I can't do straight bar work anymore either, and my forearms are large.

 

[polarmystery]

It actually has nothing to do with your strength. It's one of the least healthy movements in the gym due to anatomical limitations. It really can bust up your arms and it would be better to use a curl bar for both supinated and pronated curls. It was actually made because people realized the limitations. Some people can do them fine. I can't do them without intense pain and my forearm strength is sufficient to say the least.

Also, polarmystery... I'm not quite sure what you mean when you talk about the "(yeah I know they are both biceps but still)." I'm currently taking my anatomy class and can explain any questions you have about upper limb anatomy It'll help me study.

I don't know either actually... I think I was thinking about something else. Typing before thinking! (upon further analyze...yeah I was retarded)

About the wrist thing, you could be right. The doc that I saw last week told me otherwise though so I don't know. He said it was an unnatural movement like you said, and my wrists were not strong enough.

 

[Atty]

When I first started weight lifting about two years ago I had the same pain throughout my forearms but after just pushing through it for a while it went away. Everyone in the gym I talked to said they experienced something similar and just had to get their forearms used to the stress they were under and now their perfectly fine.

 

[spamsk8r]

If you're going to bother doing curls, stick to dumbbells if it hurts. You most likely don't get any added benefit from doing the barbell versus dumbbells. That being said, if you can't already do 10+ strict pull-ups you probably don't have any need to do curls, you need to do pull-ups.

 

[Whisper]

As others have said, the vast majority of people I've spoken with at the gym (myself included) experience the same pain when doing any sort of straight-bar curl. I personally stopped doing them years ago, as I generally notice the same benefit when substituting dumbbells and/or a curl bar. I may attempt them every so often just for variety, but it doesn't happen all that much.

In the end, if something hurts, don't do it. Stop, re-evaluate your form to be sure it's correct, and if so (and it still hurts), find something else to do. Everyone's physiological mechanics are a bit different, so some exercises will hurt you when others can do them without pain, and vice-versa. Ultimately, it's not worth risking potential injury, as there are generally always substitutes that you can plug in instead.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

OK, I think I'll stop with the bar curls. I do weighted pull-ups, and the pain in my right arm has somewhat carried over to that. Hopefully it will go away since I hadn't had the problem before. I can live without the curls, really just added them to change up my workout.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

curls are lame to begin with . Ditch them for a more effective lift.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

curls are lame to begin with . Ditch them for a more effective lift.

Winner.

 

[Koing]

Winner.

My forearms are burning also...but it's about the only pure arm workout I've ever done in 9.5yrs of training...

Koing