Motion Plus Clinic

View Original

Forearm Conundrum

Do you do CrossFit? Are your forearms always jacked? They could be jacked possibly because of all those years of bicep curls at the gym, or is it coming from somewhere else? Whatever it is, your jacked forearms are not going to go away with a management plan of "it will be right". You probably should go get them addressed.  

Why do your forearms get jacked in CrossFit? As mentioned above it could be from your days of bicep curls at the gym. Where you consistently allocated extra time your biceps', so that you had the ability to give a cheeky flex to any females that catch your eye.
Whats the relationship of the biceps and the forearms? The bicep muscles have an important role with forearm function, as they attach down at the elbow and into the forearm. So if your forearms are jacked it could be your bicep causing a lot of the issue. 

Could it be your shoulder causing the issue? This could be through the bio mechanical changes which can alter the mechanics in which the elbow and forearm work. This could also hinder your performance, therefore wrecking your forearms' ability and once again your forearms are jacked.

Could it just because you grip that bar so rigid, that when you lift you are holding on for dear life? This gripping requires most of the 20 muscles in the forearm, plus the contraction from muscles in the hands and arm. This could be a probable cause as to why your forearms are jacked. 

Could it because there is a tear, tendinopathy or something that should not be there? This also would increase your chances of jacked forearms.   

Needless to say, there are multiple ways in which your forearms can be jacked. The important factor is how are you going to unwind the tissues in question to become a BETTER VERSION OF YOURSELF?

Plan of attack.

Firstly assess how your move. If you don't know what you are looking for either ask your trainer/coach, or pay someone to critique. There is no point in making yourself a better version of yourself if you are moving atrociously! Besides if you move poorly, most of that mobility work will go to waste. 
Next if you want to mobilise yourself.
Get your barbell out and roll out your forearms, back and forth. Additionally, show some love to your bicep and tricep muscles, because more than likely these will be holding onto some of that tightness that you feel in your forearm. Better yet, if you want to see faster results, pin the bicep or tricep muscle down with that barbell and incorporate movements such as, moving your arm back and forth (flexion and extension). Furthermore, don't forget to add in some rotational movements from your forearm by turning your hand in and out (like if you are waving like a queen). These movement can be tender, however, this will decrease that feeling of tightness. 
Furthermore, use your lacrosse ball. Apply some pressure into the tight/sore spots of your forearm muscles. To get a better and faster results add some circular movements from your wrist will be of benefit. 

Take home message, 
Move well to improve your odds of success