Force Training
By Jim Wendler and Elite Fitness Systems


Question: For the past couple months, my elbows and shoulders seem to hurt so much that I can barely lift without taking a tub full of ibuprofen. I know this is unhealthy so I can't do this forever. I have scheduled an appointment with an ART specialist but is there anything else I can do, especially with my training that can help cure this problem? Please help because the pain is really limiting my training and my progress.

Answer: Having sore elbows and/or shoulders seems to be a recurring theme among all strength athletes. Besides the usual therapy of going to a chiropractor, ice, traction, an ART specialist, ibuprofen, etc. there are a number of things that you can do in your training that can help alleviate elbow and shoulder pain.

The first thing is to monitor your form on your lifts. This goes for everything; your dynamic, max effort and accessory/supplementary training. I hear from many people that their elbows bother them when doing dynamic bench training. There are several ways to combat the pain. One easy way is to make sure you are not using bands every week. Cycling them is the best way to avoid the pain; do not use them for more than 3 weeks at a time. Also, when performing your benches on this day, make sure to separate the reps. What I mean by this is concentrate on performing each rep perfectly. Don't rush through the set just to do it. Pause at the top for a second or more and do another perfect rep. I have found that when I do this, my elbow pain has gone away and my bench form has gotten better. Too many times people are so concerned with trying to get their set done in 3 seconds that their form is awful. This does not mean that the set is done slowly. It means the set is done explosively and with good form.

The same concept can be used when doing your accessory and supplemental lifts. I've watched many people perform their triceps extensions and rows with sloppy, fast form. These lifts, especially the extensions, seem to give people the worst elbow pain. But if you watch them lift, they rarely perform them with strict form and use momentum and body-english to move the bar/dumbbells. When using better form, you will initially use less weight, but you will build up to your former weights in time. Also, because you will be using less weight, it should give your body a chance to heal. Having said that, use common sense. If a certain exercise does give you pain, stop doing it and find an alternative. Remember that there are countless exercises that you can do and it is up to you to find out which ones work. Obviously if what you are doing is causing you pain, it probably isn't working for you.

I've also found that using the Safety Squat Bar and the Cambered Bar for my max effort squat/deadlift workouts have done wonders for my shoulder health. By using these bars, you are not putting your shoulders into a position of a static external rotation. This is what happens when you are squatting or doing good mornings with a straight bar. I have not done any max effort work squatting or good mornings with a straight bar for almost a year and my shoulders and elbows have thanked me. If you have any questions on what exercises that these bars are used for, visit the Exercise Index at EliteFTS.com. 

For dynamic squat work, I've found that the 8 foot squat bar is the best solution. Because of the extra foot of the bar, one is able to take a wider grip on the bar. This is great for the larger lifter and someone that has very poor shoulder flexibility. Also, by taking a wider grip, this will eliminate biceps tendonitis which plagues many lifters. If this does not work for you, you can always perform several weeks of dynamic squat work with the Safety Squat Bar and/or the Cambered Squat Bar to help take your shoulders out of the lift entirely. I don't know if you can do this throughout an entire squat cycle. The jury is still out on that. But if you are not able to squat with a straight bar, at least you will be able to train effectively and optimally on this day. This is much better than doing nothing and going backwards. Both of these bars can be purchased at EliteFTS.com.

I would also like to point out that I believe that having proper sleep and a (somewhat) nutritional diet can help your pain. I have found that using essential fatty acids and getting enough rest has helped my body recover.

I hope I have given you some ideas on how to improve your training and speed up your recovery process. I have used the above ideas for some time and have found that my elbow and shoulder pain has almost completely gone away. When I do begin to hurt, I reexamine my lifting and it's easy to see what needs to be altered. Remember that if you are always hurt or injured, there is no way that you will be able to perform at your best on the platform.

For more information on equipment, books, apparel, training accessories, articles, Force Training seminars and over 10,000 archived questions/answers visit www.EliteFTS.com.