Arm pump will not go away

mxrider28
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60
Joined
7/5/2012
Location
AZ US
2/10/2014 7:53pm Edited Date/Time 2/12/2014 10:49pm
First of all I have done a lot of research on this, I just want to see if I am missing anything. I race mx and my arm pump is not getting any better and I feel like it is really limiting what I can do. My pump gets way worse as the day goes on. It is always much worse on race day but I still get it pretty bad on practice days. It is getting so bad my arms feel like they are going to burst and my forearms will be sore for several days after a race. Even when Im not riding my forearms sometimes get pumped up and they are always big and veiny.
Things I have tried
I ride consistently 2 times a week mx
grip with knees
soak arms in ice water
moto 911 spray
bananas
thin/thick grips
not holding on tight(or at least I dont think I do)
relaxing/breathing
warm up before riding
My cardio is excellent
I run RC high bars because I am 6ft 2in but am going to try switching back to oem bend

Thanks for any help. I just feel out of control with arm pump and could be doing much better if I can get rid of it or at least reduce it.
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coastie44
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1/19/2013
Location
NorCal, CA US
2/10/2014 7:59pm
The only thing you haven't mentioned is suspension setup. Too stiff will give me arm pump...
BobPA
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PA US
2/10/2014 8:08pm
Sounds like you need to relax bro
2/10/2014 8:10pm
Try not to pull back on the bars too much, When I am not riding well, or riding to aggressively, I tend to pull up or back on the bars in an attempt to "manual" the bike a lot more than I need to. This gets my arm pump going big time.

sit back on the bike and lightly twist the throttle in an attempt to use the power to keep the front end light, rather than pulling the front end up with your arms. When in long GP's this works wonders for me.

The Shop

2/10/2014 8:12pm
Consult your doctor if you experience arm pump lasting longer than four hours.
mxrider28
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Location
AZ US
2/10/2014 8:14pm
coastie44 wrote:
The only thing you haven't mentioned is suspension setup. Too stiff will give me arm pump...
Yes forgot to mention suspension is set up for my weight/level.
TwoTwo150
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columbus, OH US
2/10/2014 8:20pm Edited Date/Time 2/10/2014 8:21pm
Try riding at 50-75% for the first few laps then once warmed up try to not move on the bike too much if that makes sense. Thats what I do but everyones bodys different. Best of luck!
Grizz
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7/2/2012
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Los Angeles, CA US
2/10/2014 8:26pm
coastie44 wrote:
The only thing you haven't mentioned is suspension setup. Too stiff will give me arm pump...
mxrider28 wrote:
Yes forgot to mention suspension is set up for my weight/level.
Mess with it. But I agree with BobPA, you're probably just too tense and over thinking it. This sport is so much mental
2/10/2014 8:50pm
I used to have nasty arm pump too, I still have some but it is alot better now.
I am 6'2" too, and I was helped alot by moving my pegs down and back, and with an adjustable top clamp to move the bars forward. the different riding position helps me not having to hold such a tight grip on the bike. btw, try raising your clutch and brake levers
2/10/2014 8:56pm
After all the steps you mentioned above, I'm sure you are taking measures to stay hydrated, you probably just forgot to mention it or I accidentally overlooked it..
By the way, do you mostly ride the same tracks?
40Plus_922mx
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Location
High Desert, CA US
2/10/2014 8:59pm
Just do what all us old guys do. Slow down.
GuyB
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Aliso Viejo, CA US
Fantasy
1274th
2/10/2014 9:00pm
Consult your doctor if you experience arm pump lasting longer than four hours.
Beat me to it.
Big Lenny
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14387
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8/15/2006
Location
Compton, CA US
2/10/2014 9:09pm
When I feel it comin' on I tell myself to relax and breathe, you might wanna mess around with your controls too, I also have bar weights for the AL frame Honda...
nornevrder
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649
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3/20/2011
Location
Reno, NV US
2/10/2014 9:13pm
Good things stated above and I see you mentioned cardio was good. There is more to it then just cardio. Work on high intensity workouts kind of like circuit training. Core is huge too. A tight core helps the body under acceleration as well as through the rough stuff. Cardio is part of the equation but there are other things that needs to be done to be all around fit for mx.
EddieC
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2/26/2012
Location
Temecula, CA US
2/10/2014 10:51pm
Barring compartment syndrome of the forearms, which can only be ACCURATELY diagnosed by an MD, I am thinking you have some biomechanical issues. Any injury that you do not fully recover from can lead to problems. Most riders professional, amateur and vitards follow the "if I can throw a leg over the seat and kickstart my bike" test to determine return to riding. This mentality always ends poorly in the long run because you give up short term fun for long term dysfunction. My recommendation would be to start by looking for an Athletic Trainer or Physical Therapist educated in Selected Functional Movement Assessment and Functional Movement Assessment. Accept nothing less. A thorough evaluation will show you where you are having deficiencies in movement that are contributing to your arm pump. This will not be a short term fix, but a rather long term re-education of sorts to change movement pattern deficiencies. At the low end 6-8 weeks perhaps 6 months. Anyone that tells you otherwise is full of B.S. AKA Chiropractors. YOUR BODY WILL SACRIFICE MOBILITY FOR STABILITY. This begins the minute you improperly manage your injury no matter how small it may seem. Over time your body begins to re-program itself with poor movement patterns that can be overcome at first with talent and bike mods until one day you wake up one day and no matter what you try nothing seems to work or you break yourself of so bad your forced to quit riding.

Good luck.
Nevrnfpwr
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Location
Moorhead, IA US
2/10/2014 11:07pm
It may sound stupid or at least simple, but try chewing gum when you ride. I've heard that it's a runners 'trick' and by keeping the jaw moving, it increases blood flow and by thinking about keeping the gum in, it keeps you from over-thinking the task at hand. I am the further thing from a medical professional, but I use it and it does seem to help.
thorns
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4/25/2013
Location
NZ
2/11/2014 12:00am
Try some steg pegz, worked for me. Although I've never been great at gripping with my knees, so might not be as effective in your case.

I do still get arm pump, but nowhere near as bad as I did, and can actually ride for longer than 5 minutes at a time on a MX track.
2/11/2014 12:09am
set your levers high, it effects the blood flow or someshit i dont really know much about, but it works for me
2/11/2014 12:46am
set your levers high, it effects the blood flow or someshit i dont really know much about, but it works for me
it's always been a big thing for me too,
and there are many factors over thinking/ over riding, breathing, riding tense
i've got on well with the running the levers high, and covering the levers too most of the time to prevent the death grip
JB 19
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Marion, OH US
2/11/2014 1:05am
You say you ride twice a week. How long are the moto's you ride? Do you just ride until you get arm pump and pull off or is it at least 20 mins at a time?

In my opinion, you need to be able to ride at least 20 min motos when you practice to be anywhere near prepared to race 10 min local race motos. The reason is on race day you likely will ride 2 practices.....in conditions that are muddy or rutted, which take more energy..... 2 motos or 4 if you ride 2 classes.....and the intensity will likely be almost double of what you do in your moto's during the week.

I'm not much for pseudo fixes like vitamins, bars, levers and moon alignment. You're either in shape or you aren't.

If you can't ride long moto's you're going to have to suffer a little and inch your way up to longer seat times.
enketchum
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CA US
2/11/2014 1:32am
do you know how to milk a cow? Do that with your fingers while you are riding. It helps me and I lot of older riders I ride with say it helps for arm pump.
Jan C
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11/29/2011
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GB
2/11/2014 2:39am Edited Date/Time 2/11/2014 2:39am
Random question but how long have you been riding mx for? and have you ever spent much time riding push bikes > more mountain bikes than road ?
Vanilla
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175
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5/16/2012
Location
NL
2/11/2014 3:40am
I had the same thing.

It got to a point where i could not even use the brake and clutch lever when riding.

Went to a specialized doctor, he did some kind of pressure test with my forearms and he said the only sollution for me to get rid of it was to get surgery. He said there was a lot of scar tissue between the muscles and the thingy around the muscle (i don't know what it's called in english)
The surgery was not that bad, recovery however took a while, could not ride for 6 weeks or so.

Sometimes when i don't ride for a few weeks a get some armpump but when i regularly ride i don't have any armpump. I wish i had the surgery years earlier because it's a such a big difference.
TRON
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12/13/2013
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BFE, FM US
2/11/2014 5:47am Edited Date/Time 2/11/2014 6:05am
Rekluse. Worked really well for me in hare scrambles. Clutch works normally when you want it to.
motogrady
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3931
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1/27/2008
Location
WV US
2/11/2014 5:58am
There's an operation for it.

They cut you from your wrist to the inside of your elbow.
Then they cut a membrane that wraps around the muscles in the forearm,
same way, wrist to elbow.
Then they sew the skin back.

Kind of like filleting a fish.

This let's the muscles swell, and blood flow.

I think it was Roncada that put a few pics up when he had it done back in the early 2000s,
effin' hard core for sure.
mxrider28
Posts
60
Joined
7/5/2012
Location
AZ US
2/11/2014 6:04am
After all the steps you mentioned above, I'm sure you are taking measures to stay hydrated, you probably just forgot to mention it or I accidentally...
After all the steps you mentioned above, I'm sure you are taking measures to stay hydrated, you probably just forgot to mention it or I accidentally overlooked it..
By the way, do you mostly ride the same tracks?
Yes I forgot to mention I drink alot of water. I have 5 tracks I mainly ride so I usually ride each track 2-3 times a month
Vanilla
Posts
175
Joined
5/16/2012
Location
NL
2/11/2014 6:08am
motogrady wrote:
There's an operation for it. They cut you from your wrist to the inside of your elbow. Then they cut a membrane that wraps around the...
There's an operation for it.

They cut you from your wrist to the inside of your elbow.
Then they cut a membrane that wraps around the muscles in the forearm,
same way, wrist to elbow.
Then they sew the skin back.

Kind of like filleting a fish.

This let's the muscles swell, and blood flow.

I think it was Roncada that put a few pics up when he had it done back in the early 2000s,
effin' hard core for sure.
^^ i had this done.



^ this is a picture from someone who took the big cuts.

Some doctors (like mine) can do it with just a little 2cm cut near the wrist, this is a little more expensive. Insurrance paid everything in my case btw
mxrider28
Posts
60
Joined
7/5/2012
Location
AZ US
2/11/2014 6:10am
JB 19 wrote:
You say you ride twice a week. How long are the moto's you ride? Do you just ride until you get arm pump and pull off...
You say you ride twice a week. How long are the moto's you ride? Do you just ride until you get arm pump and pull off or is it at least 20 mins at a time?

In my opinion, you need to be able to ride at least 20 min motos when you practice to be anywhere near prepared to race 10 min local race motos. The reason is on race day you likely will ride 2 practices.....in conditions that are muddy or rutted, which take more energy..... 2 motos or 4 if you ride 2 classes.....and the intensity will likely be almost double of what you do in your moto's during the week.

I'm not much for pseudo fixes like vitamins, bars, levers and moon alignment. You're either in shape or you aren't.

If you can't ride long moto's you're going to have to suffer a little and inch your way up to longer seat times.
On a practice day I do about 7 lap motos so 15 min. Arm pump on a practice day usally kicks in after 3 laps but I try to overcome it and keep riding.
mxrider28
Posts
60
Joined
7/5/2012
Location
AZ US
2/11/2014 6:11am
Jan C wrote:
Random question but how long have you been riding mx for? and have you ever spent much time riding push bikes > more mountain bikes than...
Random question but how long have you been riding mx for? and have you ever spent much time riding push bikes > more mountain bikes than road ?
Ive been riding mx for about 5 years now. I do mountain bike frequently. I would say 2 times a week for about 1 hour each time.

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