If you’re serious about weight training and building muscle, chances are at some point you’re going to suffer from tendonitis pain. Tendonitis is a dangerous condition, what starts off as a small annoying pain in your tendons can quickly develop into a permanent problem that needs to be treated with steroidal injections or even surgery.
So how can you prevent developing the condition? Although there is no way you can completely safeguard yourself from tendonitis, there are several things you can do in your workout routine to help lower the chances that you’ll develop tendonitis. These are:
Preventing tendonitis:
- Warm up and stretch. This is common sense really, you should be warming up and stretching regardless. Always warm up before you stretch, never stretch a cold muscle.
- Know your limits. Remember why you’re in the gym, to build muscle. You’re not there to swing heavy weights around. The leading cause of tendonitis excessive strain.
- Leading on from point #2, use strict technique. Poor form results in injuries, not just tendonitis.
Common types of tendonitis for weight lifters:
- Forearm tendonitis
- Shoulder tendonitis
- Elbow tendonitis
- Bicep Tendonitis
- Knee tendonitis
What to do if you feel a pain:
If you feel pain, stop training the muscle group immediately. “Working through” the pain the worst thing you can possible to. If you still feel the pain when the tendon is not under strain, apply ice to the area for up to 1 hour after your workout.
If pain persists?
If you feel the same pain the next week, it’s time to cut your losses and go to the doctor. Tendonitis can quickly turn into a permanent condition so although you probably hate going to the doctor, this time it’s the best idea.