arm pump, nerves, HELP!

MXD
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MXD 4/16/2012 11:49am
4/16/2012 11:49am
I found that for me, it's mostly mental. If I go out for a practice day or if I'm all alone in my moto, I get it so bad that I want to slice my arms open to relieve the pressure but if I'm in a battle with someone, I hardly notice it. Maybe I'm thinking about "the battle" and more relaxed when my mind is preoccupied? I don't know. All I do know is that some remedies people swear by and others swear at. The only 2 answers that everyone agrees on are 1. ride more and 2. relax and use more of your body to hold onto the bike.
thebleakness
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thebleakness 4/16/2012 12:31pm
4/16/2012 12:31pm
Get some different grips. I've found that smallest ones I can find, renthal soft work the best for me even with large hands. I can move around on the bike easier and it relaxes me.

I did have nerve constriction due to acute compartment syndrome and deep tissue massage did wonders on that. That and grips have been a night and day difference for me.
Dirtydane
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Dirtydane 4/16/2012 12:55pm
4/16/2012 12:55pm
Welcome to the club. It takes me 2laps to get extreme armpump where i cant hold on to the bike at all :/ it really sucks. But thanks for all the advice in this thread. And its actually nice to know that you are not alone with that extreme armpump.
FGR01
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FGR01 4/16/2012 1:37pm
4/16/2012 1:37pm
Take 2 Ecederin and listen to Mr. Brownstone from GNR before your moto. Discover the hidden meaning grasshopper.

Scientifically proven through many years of thorough research to eliminate armpump.

Oh, and wear boxer-briefs.

Don't question it, just do it.

The Shop

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Scooter
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Scooter 4/16/2012 1:39pm
4/16/2012 1:39pm
Go down to your local music store and buy a used set of Drums...play everyday and your arm-pump will be gone...and if nothing else you can rock out!
MT MX
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MT MX 4/16/2012 1:47pm
4/16/2012 1:47pm Edited Date/Time 4/16/2012 1:48pm
Take a couple of ibuprofen, or anti-inflammatories, half hour before your moto's next time, also try to eat at least one baked or boiled potato 3 times a week. The vitamins, minerals, and carbs in spuds actually help with arm pump. Stretch your arms out before moto's (racing or practice), but most importantly don't hold on so tight!
Temor a la Mancha 4/16/2012 3:17pm
4/16/2012 3:17pm Edited Date/Time 4/16/2012 3:19pm
rustytrombone wrote:
In all fairness, it is Costa Rica.
Ernesto Fonseca is from Costa Rica... along with Adrian Robert and Rodolfo Peña and a lot of other very talented pros. In my experience, experts and pros typically ask questions and try to better themselves.
UpTiTe 4/16/2012 3:43pm
4/16/2012 3:43pm
Temor a la Mancha wrote:
Forearm curls or anything artificially related to building up muscle in your forearms, beyond riding, is the absolute worst thing you can do to remedy arm...
Forearm curls or anything artificially related to building up muscle in your forearms, beyond riding, is the absolute worst thing you can do to remedy arm pump. The only appropriate "arm conditioning" is riding a lot, breathing and using proper technique to minimize the strain on your arms and hands (i.e. balance, squeezing your bike, etc...). I'm willing to bet you can reduce arm pump a lot more effectively by strengthening your core and learning to breath properly than hitting the gym. This is well documented, well proven science. Forearm curls are snake oil and the opposite thing you should be doing... at least for someone who is trying to race at the pro level. Cardio and endurance also helps tremendously. Blood flow and oxygen is critically important.
Holy cow, is hell freezing over? Solid advice from someone that knows what they are talking about without a bunch of dick head responses on Vital?

The biggest culprits in arm pump are holding on too tight and breathing. Like Temor says, work on your core so you don't have to hold on so tight and more importantly BREATH, your muscles need oxiginated blood.
UpTiTe 4/16/2012 3:44pm
4/16/2012 3:44pm
Dirty Britches wrote:
if you are taking creatine, stop.
Totally false, smaller doses of creatine will not cause arm pump.
MR. X
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MR. X 4/16/2012 3:55pm
4/16/2012 3:55pm
Do a google search on vo2 max and then reevaluate if you think your in prime shape and ive heard other people say that arm pump is caused by holding on to tight .If you make it 2 laps then you got me beat , i get arm pump unloading my bike.
sesker15
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sesker15 4/16/2012 4:03pm
4/16/2012 4:03pm
Try this
1. Drink a lot more water
2. Try a less powerfull bike. If you ride 450's try a 250f and if you ride a 250 2stroke, try a 125.
3. Ride with your legs a lot more.
4. Ride wide one finger on the clutch and break at all times. Instead of the death grip.
Torco1
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Torco1 4/16/2012 4:07pm
4/16/2012 4:07pm
I've found that grabbing my wife's shirt by the collar and shaking the shit out of it for a good 20 minutes a day greatly reduces my arm pump. Don't do this in public though.
MR. X
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MR. X 4/16/2012 6:35pm
4/16/2012 6:35pm
Torco1 wrote:
I've found that grabbing my wife's shirt by the collar and shaking the shit out of it for a good 20 minutes a day greatly reduces...
I've found that grabbing my wife's shirt by the collar and shaking the shit out of it for a good 20 minutes a day greatly reduces my arm pump. Don't do this in public though.
Wait... is she supposed to be wearing the shirt?
4stroke4DWIN
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4stroke4DWIN 4/16/2012 6:49pm
4/16/2012 6:49pm Edited Date/Time 4/16/2012 6:52pm
Working out your fore arms is a big mistake, as mentioned above. Just breath use your legs to grip the bike and relax that grip and any caffeine intake be it coffee, energy drinks and soda depletes your O2 levels in your blood which will cause arm pump. .
GHR
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GHR 4/16/2012 6:54pm
4/16/2012 6:54pm
1) Ride 2X a week
2) Ibuprophen 30 min b4 moto
3) squeeze with legs more and balence over the bike more
4) focus on RACING with someone on the track if you are not already in a race.

nothing works better than these 4 things for arm pump for me.
4stroke4DWIN
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4stroke4DWIN 4/16/2012 6:57pm
4/16/2012 6:57pm
Couple other things you can try which some may think is hokey is don't velcro your glove tight and stretch out the cuffs on your jersey.
GHR
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GHR 4/16/2012 7:39pm
4/16/2012 7:39pm
4stroke4DWIN wrote:
Couple other things you can try which some may think is hokey is don't velcro your glove tight and stretch out the cuffs on your jersey.
yep
that worked for me too

Pit Row

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Motodrew295
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Motodrew295 4/16/2012 8:54pm
4/16/2012 8:54pm


One of these, drank slowly after practice. Golden. (16 oz.er)
steedmills 4/17/2012 12:07am
4/17/2012 12:07am Edited Date/Time 5/3/2012 8:32am
.
2b
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2b 4/17/2012 1:30am
4/17/2012 1:30am
noone has heard of these?!? http://www.powerballs.com/index.php?m=Home

these are awesome, i find if relaxing my grip does not work, i use this a few times a week and it helps, use this thing for 30 seconds and it feels exactly like arm pump, plus it can help/work all sorts of other muscles, even treat carpal tunnel RSI etc!
themrtoad
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themrtoad 4/17/2012 1:37am
4/17/2012 1:37am
onetimepost wrote:
"Arm pump" takes place when the blood flow entering your arms is greater than the amount of the blood flow out, this creates a backlog of...
"Arm pump" takes place when the blood flow entering your arms is greater than the amount of the blood flow out, this creates a backlog of pressure … so my theory is that you should re-direct your blood flow somewhere else. And what better than an erection that we could call "dick pump". So 5 minutes before your moto, log onto some porn website and attached a photo of boobies on your handlebar, so the erection will last the whole moto. You may also want to try Viagra (last longer, might be an option for hare scrambles) … Problem solved. Cool
Hahaha LOL. I didn't see that one coming
dramirez12
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dramirez12 4/17/2012 4:47am
4/17/2012 4:47am
huck wrote:
You're racing "pro" class and getting on a moto message board asking for advice about arm pump?
rustytrombone wrote:
In all fairness, it is Costa Rica.
well men as i said it was my first race in the class and yeah its Costa Rica its not the states, the pro champions here win latin american championships and can make it into US NAtionals and Supercross. Check out Roberto Castro on google, he finished 14 at Thunder valley 2009 and is Brasil AX Champion and just beat Troy Adams this weekend, he was racing here.. or Adrian Robert, Ernesto Fonseca, Johan Mora, ignacio pazos... we have talent men but we are not US pros all of us, but im getting there i hope so thats my goal and that is why i train SO hard in the gym, ride 4 times a week and wonder why i still get fuckinh armpump... and i ask you guys because there are people here who i know know alot
JB 19
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JB 19 4/17/2012 5:19am
4/17/2012 5:19am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2012 5:21am
I have found that the only cure for arm pump is to ride motos. Then you might have a problem with the track you practice on not being nearly as rough as a track on race day. If you are racing on rough rutted tracks you have to practice them too.

I have also found that riding with a stop watch on my cross bar helps because you usually don't ride nearly as long as you think you do.

Thats my .02$
mxRob
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mxRob 4/17/2012 5:50am
4/17/2012 5:50am
I've got compartment in my arms and can't train them cause then it will only get worse, so when i ride i try just to not force the speed to much and ride alot with my hips and knees. Makes me feel like Pourcel
jeffro503
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jeffro503 4/17/2012 7:48am
4/17/2012 7:48am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2012 7:48am
huck wrote:
You're racing "pro" class and getting on a moto message board asking for advice about arm pump?
rustytrombone wrote:
In all fairness, it is Costa Rica.
dramirez12 wrote:
well men as i said it was my first race in the class and yeah its Costa Rica its not the states, the pro champions here...
well men as i said it was my first race in the class and yeah its Costa Rica its not the states, the pro champions here win latin american championships and can make it into US NAtionals and Supercross. Check out Roberto Castro on google, he finished 14 at Thunder valley 2009 and is Brasil AX Champion and just beat Troy Adams this weekend, he was racing here.. or Adrian Robert, Ernesto Fonseca, Johan Mora, ignacio pazos... we have talent men but we are not US pros all of us, but im getting there i hope so thats my goal and that is why i train SO hard in the gym, ride 4 times a week and wonder why i still get fuckinh armpump... and i ask you guys because there are people here who i know know alot
You'll be ok kiddo. I think from what you just said that you are doing everything right......it seems like it may be more nerves than anything else. Stepping up a class can do that.. Just go out and ride the hardest you can and think that you're just out hammering laps with your buddies on practice days. The arm, pump will resides here soon I bet. You already know this.....but ride within your limits. You push it to hard with your hands and arms feeling weak.....you wad it up....you could lose 6 months. You know how the game works........just do the best you can without hurting yourself.
9/13/2012 7:35pm Edited Date/Time 9/13/2012 7:35pm
I'm an Integrative Neurosomatic Therapist at the St. John-Clark Pain Treatment Center in Clearwater, Florida and I'm looking for volunteers in the Tampa/Clearwater area to participate in a new therapy for Arm Pump.
This is a non-evasive therapy involving soft tissue manipulation with the intention of widening neurological and vascular pathways and increasing the space in the fascial compartment. I'm looking for 15-30 qualified volunteers. If you are a regular rider that experiences frequent arm pump, you may qualify for this therapy free of charge. Therapy would consist of treatments up to an hour long, once or twice a week for six weeks.

If you are interested in taking part in this study, please email me at: mimiflower80@gmail.com

Integrative Neurosomatic Therapy has been pioneered by Paul St. John over the last 30 years. It is a results based, structural therapy modality that works to resolve chronic pain and dysfunction issues without the use of medications or surgery.

http://www.stjohn-clarkptc.com/
Big
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Big 9/14/2012 1:40am
9/14/2012 1:40am
carpal tunnel surgery is what EVERY top level riders do. Everts even did it to his legs. Good luck anyways because surgery is expensive and hopefully you have a better solution. Surgery makes you ride without armpump after 2 weeks thou. costs about 2500 euro each arm.
Ryan Rogerson
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Ryan Rogerson 9/14/2012 3:50pm
9/14/2012 3:50pm
Just posted this response in another thread. Your fitness/nutrition/training/stretching/hydration/supplementation all have a lot to do with this situation! Best advice I can give you is pretty simple but focus on your training/injury prevention and stretching in the gym. Also "relaxing" your hands along with proper breathing (this is usually the culprit) in the air helps.

Check out my Motocross Training 101 E-Book on my website www.rogersonfitness.com for a proper training protocol.
Ryan Rogerson
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Ryan Rogerson 9/14/2012 3:53pm
9/14/2012 3:53pm
Dirty Britches wrote:
if you are taking creatine, stop.
UpTiTe wrote:
Totally false, smaller doses of creatine will not cause arm pump.
Totally agreed UpTiTe! I personally do not think it 100% makes it worse......It does not help it by any means but it isn't TOTALLY the cause for arm pump. Do I recommend taking it? No. But I know lots of guys that do and have no issues. I didn't notice a significant difference between when I took it and when I didn't as far as arm pump is concerned, but everyone is different.

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