Muscle cramps

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Hi all

I have started a new program recently. It has been created by a personal trainer and I enjoy it.

When I do DB shoulder press, I get slight cramp in forearm. Even without weights there is a slight pain. I of course have stopped the exercise until I figure out what is up.

Basicly it is on the forward facing part of my forearm, it hurts when I contract from the exercise.

Can anybody here help me?

 

[NBS 4life]

Are you squeezing the dumbells too tight causing a big isometric contraction in your forearm and getting cramp?

 

[Valentine817]

Your flexor carpi radialis? thats a big muscle in the forearm. Anyways, you need to warm up more effectively even when weight training. When you warm up you want to do exercises that mimic how you will be weight training but running is just fine to get the HR up and the blood circulating more to the muscles and this is going to make the muscle more elastic to prevent any cramp or injury. you arent going to need to static stretch, although it wont hurt unless you over stretch that can cause the tendons to become unstable and they are primarily made of collagen a structural tough tissue that allows for movement but more stability. So, static stretching can make those more elastic and susceptible to injury.

So, what I think you need to do is get a deep tissue massage or myofascial release. you might have even worked your forarm without directly isolating it. When you work a muscle you are not only working that muscle but the muscles stabilizing and assisting it. So, your forearm is taking on more energy than it is able to handle for example while you are doing curls. Your body is going to find an eas way for the energy to escape and that is through a weak or underactive muscle, your forearm.

Do some myofascial release and a little static stretching and warm up real well. If you are still in pain then I suggest you take off a couple of days and get into working out the forearms so they will be able to withstand the energy and weight passing through your muscles.

Note: the problem could also lie in the radius and or ulna. But that getting into a whole other lesson.

I hope this helped.

 

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Hi

I have identified a stretch that makes that muscle hurt, FYI. Should I keep this one up, along with deep massage?

Shoulder and Triceps Stretch

Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent
Place both hands above your head and then slide both of your hands down the middle of your spine
You will feel the stretch in the shoulders and the triceps (and indecently my forearm!)


Thank you, I am fixing a computer for a friend who is going to repay me with some serious deep massage sessions. I will let him know about my issue. He is an expert so it should be great!

My forearms are pretty skinny, you may be onto something regarding lack of strength for the arms. Trouble is I don’t want to stop my program!

Can I eliminate the DB shoulder press and try replacing with a forearm exercise? I have a student personal trainer I am working with and he gave me a different exercise to work with.

He said there are hundreds of muscles in the forearm. I will give myself some massages in the mean time and put more time into my warm ups.

 

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Are you squeezing the dumbells too tight causing a big isometric contraction in your forearm and getting cramp?

Hi

That’s was the first thing my PT said to me, and something I will look into. Thank you for reminding me.

However, I get the pain even when moving my arm in that motion with no weights. I understand I may have already damaged it by squeezing to hard.

 

[olgappetra]

something you might want to consider

There is some good stuff here about the cramps you said you were getting, but I thought I'd share a little about the cramps I used to get. I got cramps from just about anything I did, even walking. I tried the warming up & stretching & continue to do it for everything, but beyond that, they still kept happening. I even woke up at night w/ charlie horses so bad I couldn't loosen them until I was awake enough to mentally do it!

I tried everything I could read about or get from my doctor--we tried a LOT of different drugs that didn't work. Finally, a nurse I happened to know suggested I drink tonic water--yup--that simple stuff from the supermarket people use to make drinks, only no, I do not add the gin 'cuz I stopped drinking at all a quite while back for health reasons. Apparently, it has trace amounts of quinine in it. My doctor said he wouldn't prescribe me quinine because of the possible adverse side effects that can occur from prescriptions, but he told me tonic water was just fine to drink. Well, imagine my disbelief when IT WORKED!!! Now, whenever I start cramping I drink tonic water, (I like it w/ a slice of lime in it) & the cramps I get have decreased significantly. :beer2: :jump1:

olga p-Keep on keeping on