How to Do Biceps Curls with Golfer’s Elbow
Learn how to do biceps curls even if you must avoid gripping due to golfer’s elbow.
You need not give up biceps-targeted exercises just because you can’t grip due to golfer’s elbow.
There are two ways to perform biceps curls while sparing the medial epicondyle tendon that’s at the center of golfer’s elbow.
The first way is with a dual cable cross machine that has a width adjustment.
I’m a former personal trainer who had golfer’s elbow, and I have figured out the best way to do biceps curls without antagonizing this tendonitis.
You will not be gripping the handles.
Instead you’ll be pulling or tugging at them with your wrists.
So if you have golfer’s elbow only in one arm, both hands must take on identical positioning to ensure equality on both sides of the body/arm/hands.
The biceps can still get plenty of stimulation if you curl with a “wrist grip” rather than a hand grip.
The so-called resistance arm is shortened by placing the force application on the wrist rather than in the palm (as would be the case with a hand grip).
You will thus need to use more weight than you normally would with a hand grip on this particular machine.
The plastic part of the machine’s handle does NOT make contact with your wrist.
You must slide the handle to the side so that only the strap part of the handle comes in contact with your wrist.
Wrists must be protected with a wrapping; otherwise the tugging of the strap against the skin will be very uncomfortable.
I wrapped a full length Ace bandage around my wrists, making sure that the wrapping was evenly over the underside crease in my wrists.
Set the weight a bit heavier than what you normally would (or think you would) for this equipment.
Insert hands into the loop handles, setting the strap portion against the underside of both wrists.
Of course, make sure the machine’s arm bars are low enough so that when you’re standing straight, arms straight, there is tension on your arms. Set the arm bar width accordingly.
Now begin curling, the strap against the underside of your wrist, the bandage between strap and wrist.
Do NOT let the fingers of the golfer’s elbow side bend in or curl (that is, start forming a gripping motion).
You want to avoid a gripping motion at all costs, as gripping stimulates the medial epicondyle tendon.
To leave this tendon completely out of the picture, keep that hand in a palm print position: fingers extended as much as you can throughout the biceps curls.
In fact, try not to let the wrist flex (i.e., palm come towards you as you lift the weight). Keep the palm aligned with forearm.
It’s best to keep the other hand (non-golfer’s elbow side) matched in position, for equality.
You won’t be able to raise hands up as high biceps curling this way, but they’ll go high enough to adequately stimulate the biceps.
TIP: Splint the index finger; this will prevent accidentally gripping with it.The second way to do biceps curls with golfer’s elbow is with a preacher weight stack machine. No bandages are necessary.
Rather than grip the handles, place palms against them, fingers extended, and lift the bar towards you, keeping fingers extended at all times. Do NOT even grip with the thumb.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
How to Do a Bench Press with Golfer’s Elbow
If golfer’s elbow interferes with your bench press, here’s a way to help get around this problem.
If your golfer’s elbow is bad enough, bench pressing will aggravate it.
I’m a former personal trainer who had golfer’s elbow, and it had started hurting with my bench press.
However, you may be thinking, How can that be, since golfer’s elbow affects pulling motions and not pressing motions?
The lift-off of the barbell in a bench press involves a grip. Next, efficiently pressing and lowering a heavy bar requires a sturdy grip.
Here is where golfer’s elbow comes in, because the inflamed tendon (medial epicondyle) controls the gripping action of the hand.
“The muscles which originate from the medial epicondyle common flexor tendon control wrist flexion (bringing the palm of the hand toward the forearm), finger flexion (curling fingers) and wrist pronation (turning the palm of the hand down),” explains D’Wan Carpenter, DO, a board certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician with SIMEDHealth in FLA.
“The best bench press is going to be achieved after completing a rehabilitation program for golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis),” continues Dr. Carpenter.
“If that is not an option, one can bench press with a neutral wrist (i.e., not bent back or forward on the bar).
“Altering the finger grip while still maintaining control and stability of the bar may also alleviate some pain — given the muscle which helps to bend the fingers around the bar also originate from the flexor tendon on the inside of the elbow.”
To avoid aggravating the tendon when doing the lift-off, loosen or even eliminate the grip of only the index finger and see if that makes a noticeable difference. Without the index finger you can still maintain a stable grip.
As for handling the barbell after that point, here are options.
#1. Keep the index finger splinted if you’re unable to keep it from grasping the bar.
If the index finger is dropped from the equation, and the remaining fingers take over the grip, this may be enough to prevent pain.
The index finger must be splinted to prevent you from accidentally including it in a grip — unless you’re pretty disciplined about that.
You’ll need to play around with positioning your four-finger hold to find the “groove” where there is no forearm pain.
#2. If the four-fingered grip isn’t sufficient at calming golfer’s elbow during a bench press, then slightly loosen the grip of the middle and fourth fingers, but keep the thumb still tightly wrapped around the bar.
Nevertheless, there may still be inner forearm discomfort.
Whichever method you use to keep golfer’s elbow from interfering with a bench press, use a spotter for heavier lifts until you get confident with these adjustments.
Dr. Carpenter is one of the nation’s top board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, a national speaker, medical legal expert and independent medical examiner. She is founder and Chief Medical Officer of DJC Physical Medicine Consultants. Follow Dr. D’Wan on Twitter.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: Shutterstock/KDdesignphoto
Golfer’s Elbow: Inverted Row with TRX Suspension Device
If you have golfer’s elbow, here’s how to do inverted rows without any gripping by using a TRX suspension device.
Whether or not you have golfer’s elbow, the TRX setup is the same:
Make sure that the loop-straps are suspended high enough off the floor so that when you’re in the down position of an inverted row, your arms are straight or almost straight.
Golfer’s elbow doesn’t have to keep you from doing inverted rows.
If your gym has a TRX suspension device, you can use this instead of what you normally use for inverted rows.
In fact, some people, even without golfer’s elbow, use suspension straps for inverted rows.
Foot Position
And of course, make sure that feet can be properly positioned; if you normally elevate the feet, hopefully your gym will have a workout stool to use.
The only difference between TRX suspension inverted rows with a non-inflamed tendon and those with golfer’s elbow is just exactly where the hands are at relative to the loop-straps.
Do NOT Grip the Straps
Instead BOTH hands (even if you have golfer’s elbow only on one side) will be inserted through the loops, and the strap will be tugging against the underside of your wrists.
I recommend you NOT face palms away (pronated grip), as this can aggravate golfer’s elbow.
Instead face palms forward. This will also recruit more biceps fibers. A neutral grip may be doable if your golfer’s elbow isn’t that bad.
The last thing you must do, however, is put a protective wrap on your wrists, because the strap against your bare skin will not be tolerable.
TIP: Splint index finger to prevent accidentally gripping with it. The thumb is also barred from gripping.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
Can Chronic Anxiety Cause Fast Resting Heart Rate?
A fast resting pulse is not good for the heart, and unfortunately, a stressful life can cause this.
Stress is bad for the heart, and one way this is so is because chronic stress or anxiety can cause a fast resting pulse.
“As a busy clinical cardiologist, it is not uncommon to see a patient who has resting tachycardia, that is, a sustained heart rate above 100 beats per minute,” says Donna P. Denier, MD, of The Cardiology Center with the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.
We can almost always feel our heart “racing” when faced with acute anxiety or fear.
However, a persistently fast pulse can’t always be “felt” by the patient unless they take their pulse.
The best time to take it is first thing upon awakening, or, at least, when you’ve been relaxed for awhile.
But you should also take it randomly, since being relaxed might not be a frequent occurrence for a highly stressed person.
Dr. Denier explains, “Often the patient notices a feeling of palpitations or a sensation of their heart racing, but other people may have no symptoms at all.
“They may be referred by a primary physician who noticed this finding.”
Medical causes of a fast resting pulse include an overactive thyroid, anemia, infection and pain, says Dr. Denier. Caffeine and side effects of medications can also cause tachycardia.
“Anxiety can cause tachycardia, but should always be a diagnosis of exclusion after carefully ruling out any significant organic disease that may require treatment,” says Dr. Denier.
“Increased heart rate is the normal response to anxiety and it can be seen in short intervals or sustained.
“Under conditions of anxiety, worry or fear, the body secretes catecholamines into the blood resulting in increased heart rate and blood pressure.
Fight or flight response kicking into gear. Shutterstock/oneinchpunch
“This is part of the body’s normal fight or flight response, and it is considered a normal compensatory mechanism.”
Primitive man’s chief source of anxiety was an encounter with a wild boar or a struggle to capture dinner for his family.
The physical exertion of fight or flight neutralizes stress hormones.
Modern man doesn’t fight or flee; he sits and seethes. So while the short-term stress response is valuable and necessary to prepare for the fight or escape, “sustained stress is never good for the heart,” continues Dr. Denier.
“Sustained tachycardia over long periods of time can even cause the heart muscle to weaken, leading to a condition we call cardiomyopathy.
“Sudden severe stress can even cause acute injury to the heart that mimics a heart attack without any coronary artery disease.
“When anxiety is sustained, causing persistent tachycardia, it should always be evaluated by a specially trained professional and treated appropriately.”
Does a fast pulse from stress require medical treatment?
“It does not usually require treatment to suppress the heart rate except in certain conditions such as hyperthyroidism,” says Dr. Denier.
“It should always be recognized as an important warning sign and may indicate that a person’s stress level has moved into the unhealthy zone.”
Chronic anxiety can result in poor sleep, bad eating habits, dehydration and too much indulgence in vices like smoking, which can all increase heart rate.
“This is the reason that a good medical exam is so important,” says Dr. Denier.
“Treatment should be focused on recognizing the underlying contributing factors and finding more effective coping mechanisms.”
As mentioned, modern peoples can’t fight or flee, and instead, often hold their stress inside.
Men and women need to develop coping skills to subdue stress’s negative effects.
“Exercise is a perfect healthy release of stress and is always good for the heart,” says Dr. Denier.
Dr. Denier has been practicing medicine for over 20 years and is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine – Cardiovascular Disease.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
How Long Can Chest Pain from a Heart Problem Last?
Heart problems, namely severely clogged arteries, cause chest pain — even at rest if the disease is severe enough.
But how short is too short for chest pain to be heart related?
“Anginal chest pain is by definition, chest pain that is located in the substernal region, brought on by exertion and relieved by rest,” says Donna P. Denier, MD, of The Cardiology Center with the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.
But how long, or how short, can angina chest pain actually last?
Dr. Denier says, “There is no specific limit to the time that it may last. It may last only a few minutes or persist for a more extended period, but is most often from one to 15 minutes.
“Typically, it would be expected that the pain would subside shortly after stopping the activity that brought it on.
“Chest pain of cardiac etiology does not always follow an anginal pattern, particularly in women. There are many atypical presentations which also need to be carefully evaluated.”
When angina chest pain is brought on by physical activity (or high-charged emotions), and dissipates with cessation of the activity, this is called stable angina.
However, this symptom may also occur without any precipitating event. In this case, the condition is known as unstable angina, and it’s far more serious than the stable type.
My mother awoke one morning at 5 a.m. with chest pain that was extremely localized, about the size of a quarter or smaller—she could point to the specific area of her chest where this tiny area of pain was occurring. That morning it persisted till 7 a.m.
I took her to the ER anyways. She was admitted to the cardiac unit and next day, a catheter angiogram revealed “significant disease” in five main arteries.
She was immediately prepped for quintuple bypass surgery and mitral valve replacement.
I would later learn that for a few months preceding the surgery, she had been having the chest pain on and off, sometimes brought on by housework and sometimes for no apparent reason.
Regardless of how long you have chest pain for, get it checked out by a cardiologist rather than assume that it’s a digestive problem.
Dr. Denier has been practicing medicine for over 20 years and is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine – Cardiovascular Disease.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock, SewCream
Low Ejection Fraction without Congestive Heart Failure?
Can a person have a low ejection fraction, even like 35 percent, yet not have congestive heart failure?
Ejection fraction means how much blood the heart pumps out with each beat.
For this article I consulted with Donna P. Denier, MD, of The Cardiology Center with the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.
My mother’s ejection fraction is low, coming in at 35 percent, yet she has not been diagnosed with congestive heart failure even though she’s had EKGs and echocardiograms, part of ongoing follow-up care since her quintuple bypass surgery more than two years ago.
So this got me thinking, because her doctor wanted to put her on a drug to raise the ejection fraction, even though he did not actually tell her, “You have congestive heart failure.”
His nurse called her a few weeks later after a blood test came back deeming her suitable to take the drug, and the nurse asked if my mother was experiencing shortness of breath (one symptom of congestive heart failure) or swollen ankles/lower legs (another symptom of congestive heart failure).
Congestive heart failure is when the heart does not pump out an adequate supply of blood with each beat.
Ejection fraction measures how much blood is pumped with each beat.
Dr. Denier explains, “It is possible to have an ejection fraction of 35 percent or less without clinical signs of heart failure.
“With good medical management, some of these patients will never suffer an episode of overt heart failure.
“On the contrary, patients can have clinical heart failure even with a normal ejection fraction.
“For patients with low ejection fractions, development of symptoms is influenced in part by other co-morbid conditions such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease.
“Other significant factors are age, diet, presence of arrhythmias and structural abnormalities of the heart.
“Heart rate, blood pressure and the amount of demand placed on the heart are also influential.
“Although elderly patients are more likely to have more contributing factors to develop heart failure, they may actually tolerate symptoms better.
“A typical 40-year-old may put more demand on the heart with strenuous activities, where an 80-year-old may be more sedentary.
“This of course is very individual and not always predictive of who will develop clinical signs of heart failure.”
Dr. Denier has been practicing medicine for over 20 years and is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine – Cardiovascular Disease.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Africa Studio
Costochondritis vs. Heart Attack, Angina: Symptom Comparison
People with costochondritis may say it “feels like a heart attack,” that the pain can be severe, but is there a way to tell the difference?
Is there a way for a layperson to tell the difference between costochondritis chest pain and that of angina or a heart attack?
“Chest pain caused by costochondritis is a common mimic of cardiac chest pain,” says Donna P. Denier, MD, of The Cardiology Center with the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System.
“It comes from the chest wall and usually involves the joints between the ribs and the sternum in the anterior chest.” Anterior means front.
“In contrast to cardiac chest pain, this pain is more likely to be sharp in quality and worsened by movement, respiration or coughing,” says Dr. Denier.
“This pain is musculoskeletal in etiology and is similar to other types of arthritis pain.”
The medical prefix of “chond” refers to cartilage, and the suffix of “itis” means inflammation. “Costo” refers to location in this case.
Dr. Denier continues, “It is aggravated by use of the pectoral muscles of the chest, may flare up after strenuous upper body exercise or with changes in weather.”
Weightlifters with costochondritis have reported that pectoral exercises can bring on a lot of discomfort.
“On physical exam, there is often reproducible soreness to palpation directly over the joints in this area,” says Dr. Denier about costochondritis.
“This finding is helpful in establishing the diagnosis, but it is important to remember that its presence does not rule out chest pain of cardiac origin.”
In other words, if your chest area is sore to the touch, this doesn’t mean it’s costochondritis and not a cardiac problem.
In fact, by coincidence, you can have both costochondritis and a heart problem, but remember, though the symptoms can be very similar, these two conditions are unrelated.
“Relief of costochondritis pain is best achieved with anti-inflammatory drugs,” says Dr. Denier.
“In contrast to cardiac chest pain, costochondritis does not usually worsen with generalized exertion such as walking uphill.
“Costochondritis will persist throughout the day, where cardiac chest pain tends to come and go in limited episodes.
“Cardiac chest pain can radiate to the arms, jaw, neck or upper back and is often associated with other symptoms such as shortness of breath, diaphoresis and nausea.”
Dr. Denier has been practicing medicine for over 20 years and is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine – Cardiovascular Disease.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/OBprod
Pain After Total Knee Replacement: Your Course of Action
Learn exactly what you should do, tests to have, etc., if you have knee pain and swelling long after TKR.
If you have knee pain despite having “recovered” from total knee replacement surgery, and especially if there’s swelling and warmth about the joint, then you should immediately suspect loosened implants so you don’t waste time on a wild goose chase.
My father was led astray by a litany of doctors, when all along, a simple test could have nailed why he was having pain in both knees after having TKR in both.
Knee pain right after, and for a few weeks following, the surgery is normal.
After a few months you should be feeling great, and my father was, but then he began noticing pain in the surgical knee.
He also had a TKR on the other knee, and that joint never felt good at any point afterwards, and ultimately, that joint developed the most pain.
He didn’t receive follow-up treatment with his original orthopedic surgeon about this, because by the time he realized there was a knee problem, he had switched medical plans.
Following is a faulty time line that YOU should not have to endure.
January 2010: Knee pain begins, despite having TKR.
June 2010. Sees Dr. “Wardell,” the PCP; X-rays show TKR okay. Doctor suspects spinal issues causing knee pain and recommends consult with neurosurgeon, especially since pain escalates in leg and back.
MISTAKES: My father waited six months to see a doctor; though the primary physician suspected an implant problem, he did not order two tests that could have revealed this: a bone scan and a Marcaine injection.
Making the issue trickier was that my father had spinal stenosis, which played a role in various diagnoses.
September 2010: Spine surgery recommended.
MISTAKE: Waiting another three months without aggressively pursuing possibility of a failed TKR.
October 2010: Non-invasive back surgery. This corrects the leg (quad) pain (which by then had developed in both legs) but the knee and low back problems remain.
February 2011: MRI.
MISTAKE: Letting another large chunk of time (four months) go by, during which the quad discomfort returned and bilateral knee pain continued.
The neurosurgeon who did the spine operation reviews MRI and sees no further reason for back surgery.
Recommends nerve pain block and visit to a physiatrist (MD who treats pain in nerves, muscles and bones).
March 2011: Physiatrist Dr. “Mueller” diagnoses nerve irritation and recommends continuation of exercises (all along my father had been doing various gentle leg exercises).
Later that month: A different orthopedic surgeon, Dr. “Switzer,” examines knees and hips via X-ray, revealing good TKRs but also hip osteoarthritis. Sharp hip pain had, indeed, developed over past few months. A pain block suppresses it.
June 2011: A Dr. “Seibold” says knee and quad pains could mean spinal problem.
MISTAKE: Letting three months go by without aggressively pursuing possibility of failed TKR. Remember, an X-ray is NOT the gold standard for diagnosing loosened implants!
Later that month: Hip replacement by Dr. Switzer.
September 2011: Visit with a Dr. “Martin” who sees no cause for leg/knee pain; sees no spine problem.
MISTAKE: Letting another three months lapse.
Later that month: Had EMG (nerve conduction study) by Dr. Mueller, showing some nerve damage, and MRI of low back.
MISTAKE: Waiting this long for an EMG; this test should have been recommended early on, even though ultimately, in my father’s case, it did not reveal the root problem.
October 2011: Dr. Martin sees no cause for knee pain and does NOT recommend further investigation!
WARNING: Beware of doctors who do not make referrals for further investigation of an unresolved problem.
November 2011: A clinic specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery performs endoscopic surgery; cost is out of pocket. Quad pains alleviated but knee problem persists.
PAIN UPDATE at this point: My father’s bilateral knee pain is worse, swelling continues; walking is more difficult despite pain blocks, NSAIDs, excessive rest, therapy exercises and ice packs.
February 2012: Dr. Switzer takes X-ray of hip implant; okay, thinks knee pain is related to hip bursitis.
March 2012: Returns to original TKR surgeon, Dr. “LaPiens,” who takes X-rays and orders blood test to rule out infection. Dr. LaPiens says implants might be loose.
MISTAKE: It should not have taken 26 months to finally hear this from a doctor!
April 2012: Bone scan.
MISTAKE: It should not have taken 27 months to finally get a bone scan!
Later that month, Dr. LaPiens confirms loosened TKR. Draws synovial fluid for infection check.
New primary care doctor recommends appointment with a new orthopedic surgeon, Dr. “Ganzelli.”
May 2012: Dr. Ganzelli disagrees with Dr. LaPiens’ diagnosis of loosened knee implant, and tells my father to see him again in three months, with no further recommendation for investigation!
MISTAKE: What does Dr. Ganzelli think might happen in the next 90 days, being that for nearly two and a half years, my father has been suffering from progressive knee pain?
June 2012: Acupuncture, which didn’t work. Dr. Switzer takes hip X-ray; okay; evaluates knees, blood test for infection and inflammation are negative.
PAIN UPDATE to this point: Every three months there’s been pain blocks (not always in same lumbar region) but they haven’t done much good.
August 2012: Primary doctor and Dr. Ganzelli say new X-rays of knees are okay; suspect allergy to metal part of implants; test for this is negative.
September 2012: Consult with neurosurgeon Dr. “Chung.” Diagnosis: lateral recess stenosis, recommends traditional back surgery (screws and bolts), 75 percent sure it will resolve knee pain.
October 2012: Another ortho doctor, “Lichtenstein,” disagrees with Dr. Chung, saying he’s never seen knee pain result from spinal stenosis.
Later that month: Dr. Switzer gives Marcaine injection and more X-rays. An immediate relief of pain, following Marcaine injection, strongly points to failed TKR.
My father had instant pain relief and his walking was significantly improved. This effect wore off several hours later.
MISTAKE: Why didn’t any of the doctors (especially Dr. Switzer and Dr. LaPiens), recommend the Marcaine injection sooner?!
I asked this question to knee replacement surgeon whom I consulted specifically for this site; read his response.
PATIENT BEWARE: If you have persistent knee pain after TKR, you should suspect a failed implant and DEMAND a Marcaine injection! Also insist upon a bone scan. This is NOT the same as an X-ray.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/sasirin pamai
How to Do a Deadlift if You Have Golfer’s Elbow
Believe it or not, there IS a version of the deadlift that can be done if you have golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis).
I’ve had golfer’s elbow. Until the tendon healed, I couldn’t do deadlifts or anything that required a full-fledged grip. Or at least I thought.
If you have golfer’s elbow, you can perform the deadlift motion on a “dual cable cross” machine.
Lower the handles all the way to the floor, and set them close together (the machine must have this option) to duplicate the distance your hands would be on a barbell during a regular deadlift.
Even though you may have golfer’s elbow in only one arm, BOTH hands must be used identically in this exercise.
The medial epicondyle tendon is responsible for a gripping motion. Thus, golfer’s elbow interferes with gripping.
So instead of gripping the handles on the dual cable cross machine, you insert your entire hands through the loops of the handles, such that the strap portion of the handle (not the actual plastic handle) tugs against your wrists.
Again, BOTH hands must be positioned this way even if only one elbow is affected.
So if only one elbow is affected, you can’t grip one handle and “loop” the other; this will cause the looping side to be much shorter than the gripping side.
Palms may face towards you, towards each other or away from you (underhand loop).
Chances are, a neutral or overhand loop will cause pain, since the medial epicondyle is also responsible for wrist pronation. So use an underhand loop.
The strap portion will dig into your wrist. You might figure that gloves will solve this problem by creating a barrier, but depending on how much weight you’re pulling, the thickness of the gloves won’t be effective.
Instead, take a full-length Ace bandage and wrap securely around the wrist, then clasp it with a bandage clasp.
Place the band so that half is below the wrist crease and half is above (on the meaty portion of the palm).
Rotate the band so that the clasp is on the top portion of the wrist so that the cable strap does not accidentally knock it off.
You will need to stand on some kind of perch. In my case, an 18-inch workout stool serves to mimic the range of motion that I’m used to with a barbell.
Get on the stool, squat to reach a handle, pull it towards you and insert your hand through the loop; repeat with other hand.
Position yourself as you would when setting up for a barbell deadlift, then straighten.
My deadlift stance fits perfectly on the standard 18-inch exercise stool. If your stance is wide, use a step-class stepper, adjusting the height with “risers.”
Unfortunately, this will be a hassle, as it will require quite a few risers, especially for six-footers.
The dual cross cable wrist deadlift will feel awkward at first, but it’s the next best thing if you have golfer’s elbow.
Believe me, I have experimented with everything possible. As long as you don’t feel discomfort, you will not aggravate your golfer’s elbow.
Initially use very light resistance to get used to this; do not make a dramatic jump in weight load.
You’ll need to experiment to figure out which weight load most duplicates your regular deadlift.
Don’t try the “grip by the wrist” maneuver on a Smith machine; I’ve tried it and it’s a no-go.
Alternative Modification for Deadlifts
Deadlifts with the barbell can be done if only one elbow is affected by golfer’s.
The good side grips normally, while the affected side grips the bar with a very tight middle, fourth and pinky finger — while the index finger is completely removed from contact.
The thumb grips as much as it can to keep the bar from slipping, but not as tightly as you normally would, as this may provoke the tendonitis and may also encourage the index finger to reflexively grip the bar.
For obvious reasons, you will need to work with a lower weight. Never lift a load that elicits elbow discomfort, no matter how light.
Put your ego aside and lift whatever light weight is required to avoid causing any discomfort.
This light load may actually be light enough to eliminate the thumb as well, so that you’re gripping with only the middle, fourth and pinky fingers.
Very gradually, work up from this baseline light load as the tendon heals. This may take many months.
At some point, you’ll need to reintroduce your thumb on the golfer’s elbow side due to the increasing load as the tendon heals.
Do this ONLY if there is no elbow discomfort.
This alternative technique works — I speak from experience. But it requires patience!
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov
Should You Avoid Flip Flops? Yes, They Can Hurt Your Feet
There’s a very unsuspecting explanation for why sometimes feet hurt even though you haven’t sprained or twisted anything or worn high heels.
Next time you think of showing your bare feet in public with flip-flops, heed the warning from a doctor that this kind of footwear can hurt your feet.
The more socialized form of health care in the UK makes it easier to track the source of hairline fractures and sprains in feet:
The National Health Service there estimates that $62 million are spent every year on the treatment of 200,000 flip-flop related injuries! That’s a LOT of foot pain.
“There are limited statistics about injuries related to flip-flops because people aren’t always certain an injury is directly related to wearing the sandals,” says podiatrist (foot specialist) Dr. Alan Berman, DPM, of Somers Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine in New York.
Many people who wear flip-flops don’t care that their feet and toenails are unsightly, but maybe what Dr. Berman has to say about foot pain will make them think twice about wearing flip-flops in restaurants, at work, gyms, church, classes and while shopping.
If you still think your feet are nice to look at, or if you don’t care what people think, and thus you still intend on wearing flip-flops, at least take mind of Dr. Berman’s tips to help prevent foot pain relating to “tongs.”
Wear flip-flops only for short periods.
They offer no arch support, shock absorption or heel cushioning (says the American Podiatric Medical Association), and thus are beneficial only for basic protection from hot surfaces and in helping prevent athlete’s foot in public showers.
If your feet have been hurting you lately but you don’t recall tripping or twisting a foot during sport, consider it’s because of wearing flip-flops for extended periods.
Furthermore, it’s obvious that this type of footwear can make it easy to turn an ankle or stumble.
And you certainly can’t run very hard if you find you have to make a mad dash (e.g., running across a parking lot in the rain).
Avoid sport in flip-flops.
Dr. Berman says, “People who ran or jumped in flip-flops and suffered sprained ankles, fractures, and severe ligament injuries have required surgery.”
I see people wearing these things on hiking trails and while using cardio equipment!
Don’t wear flip-flops to cut the grass.
For obvious reasons, avoid wearing them when doing yard work.
Flip-flops can cause a litany of foot problems.
The following foot ailments can result: plantar fasciitis (painful heels), hammer toe, shin splints and metatarsalgia (causes pain in the ball of the foot).
In order to prevent tongs from slipping off your feet, you must scrunch your toes with every step to keep a grip on the tong.
This disrupts the natural gait pattern of the foot, and has a ripple effect up the lower body:
Natural stride is shortened, preventing natural “locking” of the foot, forcing the leg and hip muscles to work harder (no, this is NOT the same as exercise!), resulting in suppression of other muscles.
This chain reaction then leads to the aforementioned ailments.
Keep the rubber off the metal.
Flip-flops can actually lead to car accidents because they impair a driver’s control if they come off the foot and lodge under the brake or gas pedal, according to the American Automobile Association.
Make sure your driving footwear is not so loose that it pops off and interferes with the pedals.
Dr. Berman
