Need Help Please, Tennis Elbow When Benching Heavy.

[The Ogre]

Hi guys,

I am a 27 yr old 6’4 340 lb male with ridiculously long arms. I have been training now for about 4 years steady. During this time my bench press has been nothing but trouble for me.

I started benching much the same as everyone else, with my elbows flared out at 90 degrees to my body. I learned to correct this and started to bench like a power lifter. I made significant gains benching like this but whenever I tried to go for a 1RM I always seemed to separate a shoulder. There always seemed to be no doubt in my mind that I could have made the lift easily if not for a failure in my bone structure.

I got frustrated with the painful power-lifting form and returned to a flat bench but kept my elbows tucked. To my surprise I could bench a lot more in this position and it didn’t hurt as bad. Go figure. However as the gains continued and the weight got heavier I started to develop tennis elbow. This happens at around the 315lb rep range for me.

My heavy days I start out with a little triceps/shoulder stretch/warm-up and then I start benching.

5x95, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 5x275 (this is where I can sometimes start to feel it a little bit) and then 5x315 (my elbows are completely wrecked)

Realistically I think I could smash 5 reps at 365 but my elbows won’t allow it no matter how much I rest them. The pain is generally gone within an hour of ending my workout. My muscles seem to be much stronger than my tendons/bones.

I have probably suffered half a dozen minor shoulder separations thus far, and have had to call 10-12 workouts early due to painful tennis elbow.

Can anyone offer me advice with how to handle this problem?

I’m worried my dreams of having a monster bench might no longer be obtainable.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.

 

[The Ogre]

Hi guys,

I am a 27 yr old 6’4 340 lb male with ridiculously long arms. I have been training now for about 4 years steady. During this time my bench press has been nothing but trouble for me.

I started benching much the same as everyone else, with my elbows flared out at 90 degrees to my body. I learned to correct this and started to bench like a power lifter. I made significant gains benching like this but whenever I tried to go for a 1RM I always seemed to separate a shoulder. There always seemed to be no doubt in my mind that I could have made the lift easily if not for a failure in my bone structure.

I got frustrated with the painful power-lifting form and returned to a flat bench but kept my elbows tucked. To my surprise I could bench a lot more in this position and it didn’t hurt as bad. Go figure. However as the gains continued and the weight got heavier I started to develop tennis elbow. This happens at around the 315lb rep range for me.

My heavy days I start out with a little triceps/shoulder stretch/warm-up and then I start benching.

5x95, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 5x275 (this is where I can sometimes start to feel it a little bit) and then 5x315 (my elbows are completely wrecked)

Realistically I think I could smash 5 reps at 365 but my elbows won’t allow it no matter how much I rest them. The pain is generally gone within an hour of ending my workout. My muscles seem to be much stronger than my tendons/bones.

I have probably suffered half a dozen minor shoulder separations thus far, and have had to call 10-12 workouts early due to painful tennis elbow.

Can anyone offer me advice with how to handle this problem?

I’m worried my dreams of having a monster bench might no longer be obtainable.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.

 

[00298244]

The solution is to stop the heavy weights. Strength will sometimes surpass all else, that's how muscle tears happen, bones break, ligaments tear.

From my experience, your pain will not go away, unless you stop doing heavy bench. You can either lose your dream of lifting heavy and suffer injury, or you can make adjustments.

Switch to dumbell presses, fly's, slower movements. That's what I had to do. Flat bench will kill the shoulders and elbows. And if you're injured, you can't workout at all. So weigh that in.

I used to bench 315 for 10reps, 2 reps short of failure. I did that for a few months until my shoulder took a killing, I almost tore my peck, and my elbows took a killing. I had no choice but to do nothing but fly's for 6 months. And it worked out just fine. At least I COULD STILL workout.

 

[The Ogre]

Thanks Francis that helps

 

[Zero V]

To be honest if its causing this kind of pain and frustration, it just might not be for you man.

You already have a great bench there, but developing tendinitis/making it worse in your elbows is not something you should risk. Also you having suffered half a dozen shoulder separations I would be careful... Our joints are not meant for that, to be honest our joints are not meant to rep 300 something odd pounds.

what kind of lengthy rest periods have you given your body, and what kind of joint support supplements do you take? If any?

Such things could help alleviate some of the pain and maybe add a few LBs to your lift, but I must warn that when your body is doing what yours is, ITS A WARNING ATTEMPT. You are reaching its maximum load and are trying to surpass it...Not on a recruited muscle fibers that need worked over concept, but on a structural integrity and risking lifetime injury concept...

My opinion would be to drop your benching weight into the upper 200's topping out at 300 and focus on other aspects to increase bench such as slow negatives, etc.

Many of us walk around with a large sum of injuries from our love of fitness, but no reason to do something we know will have a set outcome. Your shoulder comes out during a 350lb bench, and it sheers just right it will destroy your nerves, connective tissue, etc...then you will never bench again.

 

[Flexy Flexerson]

Leave ego at home. I had to learn that the hard way after 12 years of lifting HEAVY EVERY TIME I WENT TO THE GYM. Now I'm a 39 yr old dude that aches like a senior citizen.

Lay off the bench, bro. There are other ways to work your chest.

 

[nerdalert]

Amen Flexy, I am 39 too sitting here icing my elbow down as I type this.

 

[gs_980]

You'll have to take a break, short one. Knock out the inflamation/damage (ibuprofen, naprossin, Celebrx) then slowly work back into it. I'm dealing with similar probably not from heavy weights just an injury at work. I used celebrex for a couple weeks and just started takin cissus. I'm debating on taking alflutop. I'm planning on getting some ART (active release) done as this has helped me in the past.

 

[Bullseye Forever]

The solution is to stop the heavy weights. Strength will sometimes surpass all else, that's how muscle tears happen, bones break, ligaments tear.

From my experience, your pain will not go away, unless you stop doing heavy bench. You can either lose your dream of lifting heavy and suffer injury, or you can make adjustments.

Switch to dumbell presses, fly's, slower movements. That's what I had to do. Flat bench will kill the shoulders and elbows. And if you're injured, you can't workout at all. So weigh that in.

I used to bench 315 for 10reps, 2 reps short of failure. I did that for a few months until my shoulder took a killing, I almost tore my peck, and my elbows took a killing. I had no choice but to do nothing but fly's for 6 months. And it worked out just fine. At least I COULD STILL workout.

Really good point,its better to be able to workout in moderation,than to mess up your joints and not be able to workout at all,if you want to lift heavy,do it in moderation and change things up,like lift heavy 2 weeks,then back off for 2 weeks,or do a heavy set,rep range in your chest workout and then the rest lighter weight etc..

 

[glubgawd]

Get some knee/elbow bands like that. You'd be amazed at how effective they are. Wear them on BOTH elbows even if only 1 hurts.

 

[Bullseye Forever]

OP i have the same problem to,except mine is with skullcrushers,i laid off them for 2 years and recently started them back,using an elbow sleeve,helps some,but i started taking glucosomine,msm,chondrotin and it helps,the older you get the harder it is to lift heavy,i learned the hard way,i had shoulder surgery back i jan with bone spurs and a labrum tear,cause.....heavy benching