Muscle-up hard on elbows

Today I got my first muscle-up ever on rings (started on floor in an L position and lowered my legs as I pulled and pushed up). I got excited and did 3 or so more over the next 20 minutes and now my elbows kind of hurt. It seemed to place a lot of stress on my elbows, did I do too many too fast?

My elbows only feel like this when they are resting, like as I am typing this. When I move them I do not feel anything. I really don't know how to describe this feeling, other than it hurts a little and it is right in the joint.

Can someone please explain this to me? I am hoping to include muscle-ups now into my SSC that is beginning this week but I don't want to destroy my elbows.

Update:

It's been about an hour, and the pain and weird feeling is mostly gone, but I would still like an answer to my previous questions. Thanks!

When I was learning muscle ups, they would kill my elbows.

this was because when I did them, I flared my elbows out. Once I fixed my form I no longer had this problem

of course, now I sometimes do with with the elbows out for more a challenge, but that is a different story.

post up a video of your MU and myself and many others I'm sure can give you tips. Chances are your form is off somewhere

yep, whenever I would fail during a MU attempt to try doing them with my elbows out, they would hurt.

Start working some close grip push up holds into your warm up, with your chest just barely not touching your hands. Your index fingers and thumbs of both hands should make a diamond-like shape right in the middle of your chest.

This will help you accustom your joints to the strain of the muscle up. In the meantime, keep working false grip pull ups and Russian dips to continue to strengthen the movement.

As you have learned, just because your muscles can do something does not mean that your connective tissues are ready for the strain. Take your time, and muscle ups won't be a problem.

Thanks guys! That's definitely my problem. I'll keep working on my strength and transition technique and keep working toward a muscle-up with completely parallel arms and close elbows.

I've been experiencing the same thing the last days.

On friday I did my first full back lever negative. I to got really exited, because I did it with ease. So I did a couple more. That

all came after a good session of 360 pulls (advanced tuck).

I felt some kind of fatiuge in my elbows the following days. But isn't there suppose to be some fatigue sensation when you're in the process of getting stronger joints. The reason I'm askin is the contrast bath's. It just seemed like such a thing would spring out of some kind of physical sensation...

Should've elaborated, but I'm in the final stage of writing my master thesis and I've got my back to the wall, so this is all I've got time for.

Just want to say Hi to everybody before I go. I read this forum so often so your kinda of friends of mine

Nice to hear from you Viking! A very slight tiredness or weakness isn't a problem, but feeling that aching pain, even if it is very slight and it goes away in a day or an hour, is not ok. That means that you're working beyond what your body is ready for.

What you want to feel for is whether it is the muscles or the tendons. You'll know because the muscle will be sore through the whole muscle belly, where as the pain or fatigued feeling will be more focused at where the tendon attaches to the muscle if the connective tissue is more of a problem.

That's something you kind of have to figure out on your own, because it's hard to really understand your own body without direct experience! Just be cautious and make sure you are over-prepared!

Damn, I always thought just a hint of pain was to be expected. Been working out like that for quite a while now.. Given your expertise Slizzardman, and what happened the same day I posted on this subject, I now see I was wrong.

In norwegian we have this saying for when you've just talked about something and it happens shortly thereafter. Translated to english it goes something like this; There were trolls in those words..... :shock: or something in that fashion hehe

There were some mean trolls in the words written in this subject. let me tell you what happened

When I came to workout at the gym, a buddy of mine from my hockey team were there. He was working out with a friend of his. A huuuge african guy. When I started to do my Pull-up L sits the african guy came over to me and wanted to try it out. He said he dabbled with parkour and wanted to try.

So guess what happened. He couldn't even get in to the l-sit hang. He tried kipping it, but he didn't get anywere with that.

I guess he got embarrassed, because straight away he showed me a kind of swing dip thing, where he was just using momentum, and said I had to try. I said I probably couldn't do it, but he insisted that I try. I tried and failed. With a look of relief the african said he was happy with a 1 - 1 score. Although I doubted it from looking at him..

The rest of that session I was the KING of scrawny people in the weight room. There were these really untrained scrawny guys that just kept looking at me for the rest of the day .

Ok but here is where the trolls came in. I let my ego get the best of me after that whole seance. I guess my elbows hadn't recovered from the back lever stuff I mentioned above. So when I started with kipping russian dips, they hurt. The problem was I just didn' wan't to stop, my ego being pretty big at that point and the two scrawny guys looking at me like I was superman. So I did three sets..

Let's just say I haven't been working out since monday. And I probably won't any time soon. Something as tiny as brushing my teeth gives me elbow pain...

I learned my lesson though.. Don't let your ego talk you into anything. Not even if you tacitly get elected king of scrawny people... :?

viking said:

I was the KING of scrawny people

Made me laugh

viking, your post made my day! Sorry about the pain though.

Yea, that's more or less how I got into trouble with my elbows and straddle planche lol! At least you've got a much better story to tell!

You felt the need to show off to Slizzardman??

Have you seen the Guy Richie movie "Revolver? I swear, it's just like that. Your ego is constantly out to get you...

Glad you guys got a laugh out of my post, that was the desired effect. Nice to know I get lucky sometimes.

I've seen you mention your elbows in a couple of places Slizzardman, but how long did it take you to recover? Or are you

still not healed??

I'll remember your words; just because it doesn't hurt doesn't mean it's healed (or words to that effect). But when do you know when you can start again then???

Viking

HAHAHA dude showing off is like #1 reason for injuries. No bull. Once we had a jumping contest in the mini trampoline in my gym and being the only guy I decided to jump over 3-4meters of cubes when the girls where doing 2.. I forgot the pit was only 1meter deep with a concrete floor under it.. let's just say i left the gym 5cm smaller that day think my spine is still compressed Oh well gotta learn..

Razz said:

HAHAHA dude showing off is like #1 reason for injuries. No bull. Once we had a jumping contest in the mini trampoline in my gym and being the only guy I decided to jump over 3-4meters of cubes when the girls where doing 2.. I forgot the pit was only 1meter deep with a concrete floor under it.. let's just say i left the gym 5cm smaller that day think my spine is still compressed Oh well gotta learn..

NO WAY!!! HAHAHA! Man, I'm glad you're not crippled!

viking said:

You felt the need to show off to Slizzardman??

Have you seen the Guy Richie movie "Revolver? I swear, it's just like that. Your ego is constantly out to get you...

Glad you guys got a laugh out of my post, that was the desired effect. Nice to know I get lucky sometimes.

I've seen you mention your elbows in a couple of places Slizzardman, but how long did it take you to recover? Or are you

still not healed??

I'll remember your words; just because it doesn't hurt doesn't mean it's healed (or words to that effect). But when do you know when you can start again then???

Viking

I lived with two close friends and we were all getting into the GB program, and I just made progress so fast that it was fun to play around. I did way too much too early goofing off, and before I knew it WHAM! I was screwed for 6 months or so.

Total recovery time was 6 months off and now 6 months of rehab. I can hold tuck planches easily again with straight arms, but I'm not training it until I've got a perfect 60s on ADV frog.

To know when to train again, first wait until all the pain is gone. Then start with the very first progression: frog stand. Once you get up to 30s frogstand holds and are doing them easily you should slowly start straightening out. Do not just go straight to advanced frog. A little bit at a time straighten your arms, making sure you stay at the same position for at least a few weeks. This is the easiest way to get the elbows used to the strain.

You should also do 1 set of biceps curls every training day. This is my own personal experience, and is probably not NECESSARY. I am quite positive that it enhances recovery and biceps tendon conditioning. You want to be 20-30 lbs below your 3RM and do 3 reps at a 212 tempo or 111 tempo, something around there. You're not moving terribly slow or terribly fast. I prefer 212.

12 months ??? :shock:

Wow, I guess I'll just have to pace myself.

I guess your right Razz. And with that in mind I'll never start drinken somewhere where there's rings nearby. That would be a new definition of elbow pain, going for the iron cross without even having a proper muscle up. :shock:

It looks like shortcuts in gymnastics are hard to find. Even if you take stereoids or similar things, wouldn't you still have to wait for your tendons to follow suit, leaving the roids a bit useless???

This seemed like the right place to put this...sorry slizz.

Heh, quite fun, Erik. Maybe I will have to see about distracting every one and seeing how many star wars quotes I can say and get others to chime in before I'm sacked at the next seminar.

I wouldn't but it sounds fun to my puckish side.

HAHAHA! I love star wars. Excellent!