Starting strength isn’t really a 45 minute workout. Especially if you have a few injuries.
You don’t need to overthink this stuff. Just put together a workout that you can do in 45 minutes that has you lifting heavy, working hard, and progressing.
In 45 minutes. You could maybe try something like
10 to 15 minutes warm up.
15 to 20 minutes pick a big lift and go heavy at 3 sets
15 to 20 minutes circuit.
The circuit is all your other movements but done with minimal rest. Maybe 3 sets of 4 exercises. Done on the minute, with a minutes rest between.
After you’ve stuck with it for 3 or 4 months, then start tweaking and refining.
Has anyone had good luck with elbow braces or compression sleeves for tendonitis?
It seems like anything that involves pulling and bending elbows at the same time is a potential exacerbater. It doesn’t hurt at the time. But then in a day or two when I go to do something that involves pushing, it will hurt.
This time it’s not on either side of the elbow, but feels like a sharp pain in the base of the forearm where it attaches to the elbow. If I back off for a few days I can usually do one session of something like bench, but then it starts to hurt again a day or two later - like I can’t even pick up light objects while also bending my elbow w/o pain.
From experience taking a few weeks off is the only thing that fully works, which sucks.
I am going to try to rearrange my workout so I don’t push on the day after pulling. I also like to try to mix in different things for variety and hit slightly different muscles. But I think I need to stop doing that. Just can’t throw new moves at your body at 50 like that, even if it feels fine at the time.
There is a bursa at the back of the elbow there, I wonder if you have standard bursitis? That would fit the pattern of aggravation while working out and recovery from rest (basically the bursa is inflamed be exercise and “unswells” with rest).
Have you tried icing it after a workout? Could reduce the swelling enough to head off the pain.
I will check next time but I’ve never noticed a squishy lump. Also this feels more like a stabbing pain the base of my forearm than at the back of the elbow.
Sometimes my elbow gets creaky, especially on cold mornings, and I can push through it to where it’s not hurting by the end of the workout.
But this pain I can’t push through - it’s obvious something is wrong. Like 15 lb weights hurt. But then if I wait two days I can lift again. But if I don’t wait a few weeks it just keeps coming back.
I will try ice after the workout next time. Ibuprofen definitely helps so I think it’s some kind of inflammation.
Its a tough one. There’s a lot of stuff back there. The ulnar nerve runs right through there as well, a pinched nerve would bring pain. Also possibly helped by icing (I think - I am not a doctor so I’m guessing based on personal experiences).
Have you tried rolling with a lacrosse ball on your forearms (and whatever the part of your lower arm directly opposite the forearm muscle is called)?
I keep a lacrosse ball on my desk and roll my lower arms right on the desk a few times a week during meetings and most of my elbow issues have resolved. It probably depends on the cause of your issues, but it’s cheap and can’t hurt to try it imo.
How is your form? Squats should theoretically feel more like work in the hips. Knee issues might arise from form issues (usually from trying to stand too upright during squatting).
Hmm. Hard to say. I was not doing them with any weight. Just what we used to call “deep knee-bends”. Was just trying to gain a little leg strength, but noticed a kind of burning pain in one knee after doing it for a few weeks. Have stopped doing them and the pain is gone, but my legs are weak.
Sorry I didn’t respond to this. Lifts are all ~3 months ago. Good guess.
I appreciate the info. I think you’re probably correct that I just need to start choking down more protein shakes (and keeping workouts intense/consistent, obviously).
Go to the doctor, get a referral/prescription for PT. I did this when I got golfer’s elbow from doing power cleans. I think he did some electrical thing, maybe to stimulate blood flow, and an SMR-like activity with a metal rod. It healed over whatever the PT duration was, maybe 8 weeks. Compared to the year plus that it took on its own when I injured it moving furniture, that’s a win.
Also, as you already know, protect those particular joints in the future by not doing those jerking movements.
I would add that I think it’s a common mistake to “choke down protein shakes” to try to add weight. I mean, it’s not the worst idea. You certainly need a calorie surplus and protein to gain muscle mass. But in my experience I think just making sure you’re getting enough calories overall and that it’s a properly balanced macro mix derived from healthy foods is more important. You’ll feel better if you just bump up you overall food intake with nutrient dense foods, and also it’s more sustainable.
I got one of these and wore it to the gym. Did bench and incline - first time doing anything using my arms for 2 weeks. It felt good. I feel fine now. But the real test will be in a couple days when I try to do something else.
I checked around and saw a few guys wearing much smaller ones that go right over the elbow, but aren’t a sleeve like this. No idea if those are better. Some guys also had compression things on their forearms and some had wrist braces. I feel like I need all of those as each of those areas has been a trouble spot at times.
No idea if I should always be wearing the elbow sleeve on both arms for balance or something.
Also no idea if I should take it off right away when not lifting. I wore it for my 2 mile walk home. I figure the compression might help with inflammation while swinging my arms.
I wore booty socks on a long walk one time and got tendon issues in my shins. I let it heal for a week, and now always wear decent athletic socks. I think just that little bit of compression around my ankle and on the lower shin makes a difference. Maybe it’s the same concept with elbow.
