Pain when doing arm curls

[RockWallaby]

I came to do my usual arm routine today, which starts with bicep curls (using a barbell) and I felt an intense pain in my forearms (both arms, the part of the arm that's facing inward when in curl position). I haven't experienced this before, and perhaps strangely it was at its most painful when I lowered the bar and then released it from my grasp. The same thing happened when trying a dumbbell curl.

I was able to complete the rest of the routine, including reverse curls, without any problems.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

[mslman71]

I came to do my usual arm routine today, which starts with bicep curls (using a barbell) and I felt an intense pain in my forearms (both arms, the part of the arm that's facing inward when in curl position). I haven't experienced this before, and perhaps strangely it was at its most painful when I lowered the bar and then released it from my grasp. The same thing happened when trying a dumbbell curl.

I was able to complete the rest of the routine, including reverse curls, without any problems.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Sounds suspiciously like tendonitis. Try wrapping your wrists and avoid any wrist flexion off of the neutron position while doing curls. I'd avoid doing heavy weight. For me, preacher curls have been especially problematic w.r.t. tendonitis. NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen) @ (3x400-600 mg)/day for no more than a week have helped me. Massage and PASSIVE gentle extension/flexion of the wrist (stretching) will likely help as well. Give it some time and go easy. If it doesn't get better after going light and trying anti-inflammatories go see a Dr.

[RockWallaby]

Thanks for your help, that does sound like it's the cause.

So, say I give the exercise a break for a few sessions and then next time I try it's okay, what's to stop it coming back again?

Sounds suspiciously like tendonitis. Try wrapping your wrists and avoid any wrist flexion off of the neutron position while doing curls. I'd avoid doing heavy weight. For me, preacher curls have been especially problematic w.r.t. tendonitis. NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen) @ (3x400-600 mg)/day for no more than a week have helped me. Massage and PASSIVE gentle extension/flexion of the wrist (stretching) will likely help as well. Give it some time and go easy. If it doesn't get better after going light and trying anti-inflammatories go see a Dr.

[mslman71]

Thanks for your help, that does sound like it's the cause.

So, say I give the exercise a break for a few sessions and then next time I try it's okay, what's to stop it coming back again?

Don't forget to try some ice and/or NSAIDs and wrist wraps.

As to it coming back? Well, if you can figure out if one or more exercises or behaviors in particular causes it, then you can go easier on them. Better stretching, better bracing, etc. might help mitigate it. Without knowing exactly why it's impossible to say it won't come back. I've had bouts of tendonitis off and on for 20 years, but they are much milder than they were in my early days for the reasons mentioned above.