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Wakeboarding Lead Arm Fatigue (Do you get this?)


wakeboarder3780

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Hey guys, been experiencing this ever since i learned a tantrum. I noticed near the end of the season my lead arm ends up getting really fatigued and the tendons start to hurt and I end on a regimen of ice and ibuprofen for the remainder of the season. I'm in good shape and a very active fellow.

This year I started learning 360s to give my arm a break was the idea. Boy is that a joke. Your lead arm gets absolutely worked on that too because if you land with some slack you get a nice yank trying to pull out the landing (again on your lead arm).

Wondering if other people experience this and maybe some trick suggestions that would put the strain on the rear arm. I know 180's would and I air out for some big 1's once in a while but I can't spin 540's yet as I'm still learning 3's so I'm not sure what else to work on. (T2B scares the crap out of me but I am really comfortable with tantrums so maybe it wouldn't be that hard to progress to?)

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on a tantrum bend your front knee. this keeps your lower body (now above you) from falling back to far and having to pull yourself back with one arm to land.

I cant help you on the 360.

or you can buy a slolom ski.

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Sounds like you have "tantrum elbow." I get it as well as everyone else I ride with if we do too many tantrums. No other trick does it to me. But once its there it takes a while to go away.

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I had to change the way i threw tantrums and now i dont have the problem anymore. Keep you elbow in tight and dont let your arm go out on the tantrum. make sure you are squaring up at the wake right and not throwing the trick out the back. Once i did this i havent had a problem since.

  • Like 1
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I used to throw one handed back flips (essentially like a tantrum) all the time. But after a few years developed tendonitis from it.... and doing the ice & ibuprofen all the time. So any more I only throw 2 handed tricks. Haven't had any problems in a couple of years.

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I have gotten this last 2 seasons, I call it tantrum elbow also. This year I went to the orthopedic doc, and he gave me an injection in my elbow that he called "1 and 1". I've gotten these before in my shoulder, I believe it is cortisone and a steroid. Hurts pretty good for 2-3 days, then it's completely gone. I got this a month ago and have been throwing pain free tantrums ever since. Highly recommended.

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Good advice here guys. To clarify I do ride switch, I just can't throw more than a 180 doing so. I guess it's time to undo that. I think a scarecrow is within my ability as well. Good advice folks and glad to know I'm not alone. I know what you're saying about form on the tantrum too. When I do them right they feel effortless. But throughout the year I inevitably throw bad ones (probably more often than perfect ones) and it just seems to add up by end of season.

Thanks again for the advice crew! :werule:

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I had this really bad at the end of last season and early this season (before the water got warm). Stretch really well before and after you ride, that has helped quite a bit. Also, just like others are saying, for your tantrums, scarecrows and any spins, pull into the wake with your elbows tucked close to your body (we call it T-rex arms). This will alleviate that hard pull at the end of your tricks, but it will also make your arms tired quicker, but you'll get used to it as you do it more often. There are certain tricks you DON'T want to pull in with the T-rex arms like your toeside backrolls/reverts and toeside frontrolls so maybe try some of those as well to take the pressure off a bit.

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ride more often and you'll get stronger! then...you can go longer :whistle:

Ha!

We use a Comptech quick release when we ride. They have a strain gauge in them & indicate what pressure is being exerted when it releases. We regularly exceed 600 lbs.

Last night I went for a big wake back roll & came in a little nose heavy. I didn't let go till..... well, apparently till too late. The non-stretch rope flipped up into the boat & flicked one of the guy's sunglasses right off his face & into the water. :Doh:

Strength isn't the problem. Age might be. :rofl:

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ditch the damn boards and get your self a barefoot suit,,,,that way your WHOLE body can hurt,,,,instead of just your lead arm...

Just kidding, but I couldn't resist

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You know wakeboarder, i looked at your picture and it looks like you are throwing a tantrum in it. This appears to be how I used to throw mine when I had all my elbow problems. def out the back. Going out the back causes the handle to come really high and then to land it you have to pull the handle way down to your hip. Soooo much strain on your elbow.

I would get some tips on how to properly throw a tantrum. It took me quite awhile to get out of the habit of opening up too much and throwing out the back thinking i was "squaring up" to the wake. The way i fixed it is i had to stop throwing my upper body and start believing that I was going to be able to trip and find my landing. Now when I cut in for a tantrum i do two things. First as i come up off my edge i look between my feet and not over my head. And second i dont think of throwing my shoulders or head to flip but with my feet by toeing up at the top of the wake. Do it right and you will come down right on your feet and it will feel like you never left the water. Less is more in wakeboarding, when you do a trick right its always feels easy because you did way less to make it work!

hopefully this helps more, i was one step away from going to get shot up in my elbow.

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The tendon problem you describe can happen from a number of things, but the tantrum can certainly cause it. I've had it above my elbow, both from tantrums and from slack in the rope coming out on landing other tricks. I had it happen when I was riding at a pro's house once and when he saw me massaging my arm in the boat he showed me how to relieve the pressure points. I was surprised a pro wakeboarder would know such a thing at first and amazed that it actually worked. I would think a good masseuse or physical therapist could show you how to relieve the pressure points. The pain can still come back after releasing that pressure, but it definitely helps. Two other things that should help: learning to do your tantrums with less line tension and weightlifting can actually help too. Backrolls and roll to reverts would be something to start considering too if you don't have them already. Make sure your 180s are dialed before the roll to revert. Hope this helps.

Edited by sp0tts
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ditch the damn boards and get your self a barefoot suit,,,,that way your WHOLE body can hurt,,,,instead of just your lead arm...

Just kidding, but I couldn't resist

Nope, barefooting is painless compared to wakeboarding. I've fallen into or off of just about everything imagineable. So far nothing exceeds the pain, bellringing or stingers that wakeboarding can provide. So far that is!

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we are hijacking the thread...sorry...

however, I agree....because I will glady take a 41 mph fall while doing a 1 foot front toe hold anyday over a 20 mph fall catching a heelside edge on a wakeboard.....OUCH...

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Thanks for the tips on the tantrum guys and I self admittedly know I throw them inappropriately more often that I throw them correctly, but that's all part of learning. My profile picture is one of the first 4 i threw in my entire life so that one is especially ugly looking =P

As far the comments about lifting, as I mentioned in the first post I'm in good shape. My max bench is somewhere over 405 (I'll actually be maxing again today for the first time in about 2 months so we'll figure out exactly where) and I regularly deadlift around 500 for working sets. Strength and being in good shape is not the issue here - it's a tendon issue. You can be as strong as you want but if you do things incorrectly your tendons are going to take a beating.

Spotts and a few others have mentioned stretching and relieving pressure points. I have tried different movements to stretch this tendon, has someone found one that works? I would *love* to have a stretch that actually feels like it loosens up this tendon but of the ones I found when google search they don't seem to help. It's typically bending your hand straight up and extending your arm in some fashion or another. Does anyone have any good stretches they can provide? I'd be more than happy to find one that works!

Currently icing and ibuprofen and riding switch, hoping this helps. It hasn't helped lately when i keep getting new friends visiting that haven't seen me ride and everyone wants to see the tantrum. *facepalm*

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This guy is plenty strong. I think he can bench 3 of you. :biggrin:

imo this is part of the problem. The only people we've ever had just not get up on a board have been stronger guys. They tend to use their muscle rather than pretending the boat is going to rip their arm off (which is what you should be doing). Granted if you get slack it's going to hurt, but try not to use your muscles and they won't get tired. :D)

ditch the damn boards and get your self a barefoot suit,,,,that way your WHOLE body can hurt,,,,instead of just your lead arm...

Just kidding, but I couldn't resist

Ditch the damn wakeboard and learn to surf. My lead arm doesn't get tired after 1.5 hours. :P

(also couldn't resist)

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Again.. this problem absolutely is not related to strength. I'm not having a problem because I'm not strong enough. I'm not having a problem because I'm "too strong". I'm having a problem because of improper form and not stretching. This effects everyone big and small. Please focus the remaining responses on this portion of my last response (at least if you want your responses to be useful to the OP):

Spotts and a few others have mentioned stretching and relieving pressure points. I have tried different movements to stretch this tendon, has someone found one that works? I would *love* to have a stretch that actually feels like it loosens up this tendon but of the ones I found when google search they don't seem to help. It's typically bending your hand straight up and extending your arm in some fashion or another. Does anyone have any good stretches they can provide? I'd be more than happy to find one that works!

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Again.. this problem absolutely is not related to strength. I'm not having a problem because I'm not strong enough. I'm not having a problem because I'm "too strong". I'm having a problem because of improper form and not stretching. This effects everyone big and small. Please focus the remaining responses on this portion of my last response (at least if you want your responses to be useful to the OP):

Actually, it's improper form WITH being too strong. I was in a similar situation this spring with foiling. I'm pretty good sized (that's where the nickname Gorilla came from) and I was using my arms to muscle tricks around. I was using ok form and using my strength to make up for the rest. My biceps would HURT for days, right along the tendons where they connect to my forearms. I had a very good teacher make fun of me and helped me realize what I was doing wrong. In the mean time, I was using anti-inflammatory gel on my arms so they would heal. I also now do biceps stretches before riding, the one that works the best is when you extend your wrist backwards, straighten out your arm and pull those fingers with your other hand (u know that stretch?) Simple and seems to be effective. Sometimes strength works against you. My arms feel ok now and I can ride WAY more without fatigue and pain.

As for form, watch video of the proper technique and then watch film of how u do it. You will easily see where u need to change things. It works well for me anyway.

Edited by gorilla
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Tried t-rex arms last night, that helped a lot and gave a nicer feel to the trick. I was too chicken sh** to try looking between my bindings at the board and still used my head to throw it around but maybe some day I can transition into that. I think t-rexing and focusing on squaring up so the trip does all the work for me I'll be in good shape.

I also tried your stretch gorilla, it was one that i had tried before but since you said it worked for you I thought i'd give it another shot. I tried it in different variations and discovered as long as I make sure I'm pulling all my fingers back (especially the index finger) it does work. I've found it best to just put the hand flat against the wall and go from there (i find it awkward to try to pull my own hand back for some reason)

Edit: Thanks for the suggestions!

Edited by wakeboarder3780
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Tried t-rex arms last night, that helped a lot and gave a nicer feel to the trick. I was too chicken sh** to try looking between my bindings at the board and still used my head to throw it around but maybe some day I can transition into that. I think t-rexing and focusing on squaring up so the trip does all the work for me I'll be in good shape.

I also tried your stretch gorilla, it was one that i had tried before but since you said it worked for you I thought i'd give it another shot. I tried it in different variations and discovered as long as I make sure I'm pulling all my fingers back (especially the index finger) it does work. I've found it best to just put the hand flat against the wall and go from there (i find it awkward to try to pull my own hand back for some reason)

Edit: Thanks for the suggestions!

The T-Rex arms are awesome! Almost every trick I have in my bag is pulled into with T-Rex arms, takes a ton of strain off when passing the handle or on the tantrum to rotate with the handle tucked more into your body. Will also help you grab the tantrum and take it to blind.

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