Core Work

Jerry said:

I was doing full-body workouts for a couple of years until this past
August when my elbows started bothering me. I went to the doc and he
said I have compressed ulnar nerves in both elbows. I took a break from
the weights to give them a rest (along with other treatments) but to
this day they still bug me. I go in for a motor nerve conduction test
(my doc refers to this as the torture test) in January to determine if
surgery is needed.

So, I'm sick of not working out and want to at least do some core work
while I wait for my elbows to be fixed. Would DLs and crunches be
sufficient or should I add to these? Any suggestions would be
appreciated. I workout at home with a cage and freeweights.

Deadlifts are excellent compound exercises, but they don't develop
everything, and deadlifts might exacerbate your condition, too.

What hurts? What doesn't? These are pretty essential questions to
answer before anyone (who has a clue) is willing to offer suggestions.

It's right where you'd feel your 'funny bone' if you were to hit it.
Unusual stress irritates it (like bench pressing, dips). The condition
can affect my grip strength but gripping doesn't irritate it. I start
to feel it when my elbows are bent past 90 degrees.

Jerry said:

It's right where you'd feel your 'funny bone' if you were to hit it.
Unusual stress irritates it (like bench pressing, dips). The condition
can affect my grip strength but gripping doesn't irritate it. I start
to feel it when my elbows are bent past 90 degrees.

If you can perform deadlifts and squats without pain, that will
probably cover a lot of ground. If you want to maintain your pectoral
strength, dumbbell flyes might accomplish that without aggravating the
elbows. Any type of tricep extension will almost certainly aggravate
the problem, so you may have to do without that for a while.

Jerry said:

I was doing full-body workouts for a couple of years until this past
August

Dude,
Take a rest.

"JMW" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1135034404.385857.78700
@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

Jerry said:

It's right where you'd feel your 'funny bone' if you were to hit it.
Unusual stress irritates it (like bench pressing, dips). The condition
can affect my grip strength but gripping doesn't irritate it. I start
to feel it when my elbows are bent past 90 degrees.

If you can perform deadlifts and squats without pain, that will
probably cover a lot of ground. If you want to maintain your pectoral
strength, dumbbell flyes might accomplish that without aggravating the
elbows. Any type of tricep extension will almost certainly aggravate
the problem, so you may have to do without that for a while.

Seems like this is a good place for machines, too. Pec deck.

Hugh

--
Exercise is a dirty word. Whenever I hear it, I wash my mouth out with
chocolate. ("Ladi"😉

Hugh Beyer said:

JMW said:

Jerry said:

It's right where you'd feel your 'funny bone' if you were to hit it.
Unusual stress irritates it (like bench pressing, dips). The condition
can affect my grip strength but gripping doesn't irritate it. I start
to feel it when my elbows are bent past 90 degrees.

If you can perform deadlifts and squats without pain, that will
probably cover a lot of ground. If you want to maintain your pectoral
strength, dumbbell flyes might accomplish that without aggravating the
elbows. Any type of tricep extension will almost certainly aggravate
the problem, so you may have to do without that for a while.

Seems like this is a good place for machines, too. Pec deck.

I agree. But I think he said he worked out at home with a power cage
and weights, so I didn't include that as an option.

"Jerry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's right where you'd feel your 'funny bone' if you were to hit it.
Unusual stress irritates it (like bench pressing, dips). The condition
can affect my grip strength but gripping doesn't irritate it. I start
to feel it when my elbows are bent past 90 degrees.

You might find you can do overhead squats - if you can, those are a
fantastic exercise. Put the hooks on the outside of the rack - I don't
think I'd [censored] or c&j it if your elbows are bothering you. I find
light to moderate overhead squats done before my deadlifts make a great
combination - the OHS seems to put my back into a good place. (I cannot
say the same thing for barbell back squats.) The idea to DL or SQ
sounds right to me but be careful squatting - I find it can bother my
elbows - all depends on how you hold the bar, of course.

Lots of good suggestions in this thread, IMHO.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

Jerry said:

I was doing full-body workouts for a couple of years until

this past

Quoted message said:

August when my elbows started bothering me. I went to the doc

and he

Quoted message said:

said I have compressed ulnar nerves in both elbows. I took a

break

Quoted message said:

from the weights to give them a rest (along with other

treatments)

Quoted message said:

but to this day they still bug me. I go in for a motor nerve
conduction test (my doc refers to this as the torture test) in
January to determine if surgery is needed.

So, I'm sick of not working out and want to at least do some

core

Quoted message said:

work while I wait for my elbows to be fixed. Would DLs and

crunches

Quoted message said:

be sufficient or should I add to these? Any suggestions would

be

Quoted message said:

appreciated. I workout at home with a cage and freeweights.

Deadlifts pull on your arms so I would do Squats instead. Good
Mornings, Crunches, Sit-ups, Leg Raises, Lunges, DB or plate
raises for the shoulders. You might try a flat db fly or a
pullover for the chest.

If you continue to push and pull on your elbow, it will never
heal. If the pain is minor but annoying, get an elbow sleeve and
see if you can do some light exercises that flex you arm.

Elbow sleeves:
http://tinyurl.com/byau9

locker

I was considering the DB flies. I usually alternate squat and DL days.
Should I continue doing that or should I do them on the same day but
with lighter weights?

Thanks Steve,

Unfortunatly the room I work out in is an empty bedroom in the
basement.

Cheaper and more convenient than a gym, but with limitations :-)

--
Jerry