Questions & Answers: 1-19-09

Question:

I have been lifting weights for a long time and recently my wrists just started hurting. I have been doing more weight on my bench press and was wondering if this may be increasing the tension on my wrists. The thing is I don't really feel pain when I am benching, it is more when I am doing barbell curls. I was wondering if adding wrist curls into my workout would benefit me in any way. If you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. I don't wanna have to take time off. Thanks in advance.

Brian G.

Wrist and Forearm Inspiration

Answer:

Brian,
Send in some video of you Benching and performing Barbell Curls so I can actually see what is going on. Seeing you in action can tell me a lot. Make sure you angle the camera so we can see what the upper body and wrists are doing. Until then, I will take a swing at what could be going on just from my own personal experiences.
Remember that increased weight on any given lift is more load and stress placed on the body. It's only a good thing if the body is ready for it. It doesn't matter if it is a Bench Press or a Barbell Curl. It has been in my experience that pain can stem from these four things in no specific order:

1. Lack of Strength
2. Poor Technique
3. Overuse
4. Poor Programming

Lack of Strength is simple. You may be using a load or a certain amount of weight that is too much for you. The weight is just too heavy even if you can lift it. If you have your training structured around a main lift like the Bench Press (if it is your main lift then it should be the first lift performed on that training day) by the time you get to the end of your workout, you are going to be a lot weaker so you may need to kick back on the amount of weight you use for the Barbell Curls. You can still make progress with the Curls at lighter loads and you shouldn't be going to failure on an accessory lift such as that. Remember, "Slow and Steady Wins the Race".

Poor Technique could be the reason why you are feeling pain. A lot of guys I come across never keep a 'neutral' or 'close to neutral' wrist when performing Bicep Curls or Tricep Extensions. While performing lifts like these, it is important to maintain the wrist's integrity so you can keep any type of compensation down to a minimum. Simply put, next time you try to perform Curls, keep your wrists straight and squeeze the hell out of the bar. If you can't, then the weight is too heavy or you may not be squeezing the bar enough. If the grip is loose, then tighten it up so the wrists remain tight and flexed. This will lead to less unwanted movement in the wrist joint which can possibly decrease any pain you may be feeling.

Overuse symptoms such as pain, inflammation, mental staleness during training, physically becoming weaker in lifts and degressing opposed to progressing in training, weakened immune system which can lead to increased colds. These are all symptoms of overuse or overtraining. You may need to Deload and take a day, few days, or even a week off of training. Give the wrists a break. This is important so the body can rest and recover. Recovery is a huge role in progress and production in your training. Listen to your body. Your wrists may be at the point that nothing will help them other then some recovery time, time off.

Poor Programming is the case most of the time. Even in my own training because the Ego can sometimes be your worst enemy. More often then not, we want to train how we want to train despite the fact that it may not be good for us. Where a lot of people fail with putting together a good training program is their inability to include movements and exercises that will address the weak areas of their body. "You are Only as Strong as your Weakest Link". How many times have you heard this? I can not stand to repeat this phrase, but it's important! If your wrists are not strong enough to perform certain lifts correctly, then you need to attack this weakness and make it a strength, otherwise it will spill over into other areas of your training and hold you back. "Isolate to Integrate". Train the shit out of the grip and wrists with various weighted timed holds, holding barbells, dumbbells, barbell plate weight. Work on your crushing grip with Captains of Crush hand grippers. Keep your wrists straight while you perform this type of training. Work on wrist flexion! Wrist flexion as in Dumbbell, Barbell, Cable Wrist Curls. Incorporate Fat Bars for added grip work. 99% of the time, I see people's wrists hyperextended during bench pressing and bicep curls. Bring balance to the wrist and work on flexing the hell out of them! Take a look at the video below:


These are Standing Dumbbell Wrist curls. 3 sets of max reps with a weight heavy enough to complete at least 20 or more reps total. This is a great hand/wrist/forearm strengthener for athletes who may be experiencing a weak grip. Many indicators for a lack of hand/wrist strength can be pin pointed in training when you are unable to maintain a stable wrist during bench pressing, overhead pressing, bicep curls, etc. This is also a great counter exercise for those experiencing soreness in the elbows due from too much wrist and forearm extension. Increasing your strength in this exercise will have a positive effect on bat/racket speed, ball control (gripping a baseball, football, and basketball), punching, and anything else you can think of that involves the hand and forearm musculature. Try it out and let me know what you think.

A Side Note:

Certain lifts just never seem to work, but that does not mean you have to give up. That's why EZ Curl Bars were invented. Switch to an EZ Curl Bar to keep the Barbell Curls in your training. The bend in the bar will change the angle of the wrists a bit which may solve any type of wrist/elbow dilemma. Either that or stick with Dumbbells.

Another Side Note:

Some times it is really as simple as "If It Hurts, Then Don't Do It!"



If it moves, then it can be trained!

Joe Rossi

The YESS GYM Part: I

My e-mail address has recently been flooded with inquiries about our location, training program, and other training related questions. It's a great thing and I'm very happy. I hope this write-up answers some of your questions. YESS Training isn't going anywhere and I believe we have proven that we are here to help anyone who wants it. The word is starting to get out that we are a serious training gym dedicated toward training fighters and we gets results.

We have a couple of huge announcements about YESS Training, one of them being about our new training gym that will continue to cater to fighters/warriors and it will be open to the masses! It will be the next step in our forever growing pursuit to prepare gladiator athletes in a superior way. Until we unveil the rest of the details about our new gym, I wanted to talk about where a lot of our training has been taking place in the meantime. Bare with me for a minute while I share with you a few of the details. This is the honest truth.

Like many of the top training coaches who started their careers out of a storage closet, truck, studio, or basement, I started out of the Police Athletic League Boxing Gym and three other gyms. Out of these four places, I would have to personally pay money to each gym for every athlete that I would train, in return for the usage of their gym. This made it extremely difficult because I would have to work 3x as hard to establish a proper training environment (there is only so much I can control in a gym I do not own) and make enough money to financially grow to the next level (a fee to pay for every athlete that I train adds up to a lot of money lost, including travel expenses going from gym to gym). This created a stale mate scenario where I was over worked and underpaid. Although I couldn't move ahead I was still happy because I was doing what I loved to do (training fighters), but my goal of opening my Rocky Balboa Gym was still a ways off.

Notice the Chuck Taylors and Heavy Dumbbells?

There had to have been a better way. I did not want to partner up and open a gym with someone who did not truly share my vision (it's like being married to someone with money, but you don't love each other) and I was not going to sell out and work for a gym where I would make great money and benefits, but never live the dream I envisioned for myself (I would never truly be living the life I wanted). Not to mention that this was all happening at a time where I was getting married to a women I do love. Then it hit me and it hit me hard. I made the greatest decision of my life. Ready for this??

Kind Of Felt Like This

I completely moved 109 miles away, out of the area where I was building my reputation for training fighters. How is that one for ya! Surprised? This is like business suicide. I was well aware of this, but I said screw it. I know my shit enough that if you were to drop me off on an island with only tribes inhabiting it, I would have them training before I sought out shelter!

That Is Not Me In This Photo

I was now ready to work 4x as hard and make even less money. Do you think I am nuts? I am, but that's besides the point. I was going to do what ever it takes to get what I want. Even if it meant changing the rules of the game and taking a few steps backward.

They Would Be Squatting Though

When I moved into my current house, it wasn't about how big the master bedroom was, if it had granite counter tops for our kitchen, or if there were two bathrooms. It was about finding a detached garage that would become the YESS Training Gym, the best damn training gym in the area! It was about the fighters that were to eventually come and provide them with everything they needed in their training to be great. And it was about me not giving in to something I don't want.

Although I moved away almost four years ago, The YESS Training Garage Gym has officially been up and running for the last year or so. Past athletes who have the means to travel actually take the 109 mile drive to train with me (this speaks volumes about their character), while new athletes (new area) have joined up to gain the competitive edge over their competition! There is a new record board with a lot of records to be set (new gym, new board, new records-that's the way it is), but more importantly a place for personal challenges, personal growth.

Besides the fighters that I train, One of our athletes who is a high school sophomore baseball player is about to hit a 410 lb. Trap Bar Dead Lift for reps. We also have a high school junior female softball athlete training at the YESS Garage who is going to hit a 135 lb. Barbell Box Squat (parallel) for a 5 rep max. Not impressed? Mind you that both of these kids never trained in a weight room before prior to training with us. Still not impressed?? This has all been accomplished with a little over a year of serious training under both of these kids belts. All while taking completely off from their training during the baseball and softball season!!! Preparedness does not go away completely!

What's crazy about all this is that we have done so well in such a short time, that we are about to move out of the garage and into that Rocky Balboa Gym I mentioned. Funny how things happen when you go with your instincts.

Sacrifice For Reward

Not bad for a converted 500 Sq. Ft. detached garage off of my residence. It's now the best training gym for athletes in our area!!!! Wait to you see the new gym and what's to come. Trust Me. Just stay tuned for the YESS Gym Part: II.!.!