Left Elbow Hyper-extends Lowering Into Iron Cross

[gcoe]

Hi Castleclimber

Sorry you haven't had any replies to your query. Unfortunately this takes me way beyond my area of practice. However I thought I would say a few general points, however.

I think you should get advice from a physio who is expert in your sport. Can you find someone who is used to dealing with male gymnasts? They may have seen this problem before and may have a helpful contribution to make. I imagine it can't be that uncommon on the iron cross - but as I said it isn't my area of expertise

Just with building up the biceps, before you get to that I think a biomechanical opinion of what you actually do in your performance would help. The problem may be somewhere else in the kinetic chain - that is the you are getting an excessive elbow extension moment due to the movement and the alignment of another joint complex or complexes (eg the shoulder girdle during your performance. You need someone to do a video analysis of what is happening while you do it and then do a really thorough examination of your upper arm and body muscles/joints. If the problem lies elsewhere simply building up the elbow flexors may be unrealistic and could effect your symmetry and performance.

If however you have measurable weakness on that arm in the biceps that is a different matter. However even then the weakness may be a result and not a cause - that is the pain and inflammation to the elbow is affecting the function of the muscle.

All the best with getting help and with your sport.

[castleclimber]

Hi gcoe,

Thank you for your response to my thread. I've been looking around for a specialist in London but have not been successful so far. I've contacted a gymnast friend of mine who may know of one.

I'll take your advice and get a recent film together of my cross attempt and show it to a coach. If it's technique that's steering me wrong, that would be brilliant. I had considered it but am untrained for making such observations and could have missed something easily.

Thanks again for your advice, I will post again when I make progress with this.

Richard