Reducing Arm Pump
- Thread starter gascanuck
- Start date
GMP
Active member
There are different causes and solutions. In general, work out to develop arm strength, have your suspension set up so it works and does not cause a death grip on the bars, and try stretching and exercising a little before a ride to "pre pump" your arms and let them relax. An Aleve (Naproxin) before a ride doesn't hurt either. This works for me.
JoshP
New member
gascanuck,
Check out this link to the woods racer site. Scroll down and look for
drdirtrider's comments. He is a doctor / rider from Washington and has some links with actual exercises you can perform to reduce arm pump.
There are a couple links in there so check them all out, but really how long have you been riding for and how long have you had arm pump? It's pretty common thing if you do not ride all the time or haven't been riding for very long. Anyway good luck with it.
-Josh
http://www.woodsracer.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=8077
Check out this link to the woods racer site. Scroll down and look for
drdirtrider's comments. He is a doctor / rider from Washington and has some links with actual exercises you can perform to reduce arm pump.
There are a couple links in there so check them all out, but really how long have you been riding for and how long have you had arm pump? It's pretty common thing if you do not ride all the time or haven't been riding for very long. Anyway good luck with it.
-Josh
http://www.woodsracer.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=8077
SpeedyManiac
New member
I take 2 advil 2 hours before I race to help with arm pump. I also try to do lots of stretching and get a GOOD warm up (get a good sweat up and get my arms pumped up) before the race, then let the arm pump subside before the start, then I'm good to go.
This works for me :
make sure you drink enough before the race
eat bananas (or magnesium tablets)
but most of all: try to relax you grip as much and as many times as possible during a race
Well, this is difficult on a MX track, but riding enduro's there are plenty opportunities.
make sure you drink enough before the race
eat bananas (or magnesium tablets)
but most of all: try to relax you grip as much and as many times as possible during a race
Well, this is difficult on a MX track, but riding enduro's there are plenty opportunities.
i was told by a buddy that my grips are too small meaning my hands are too closed. solution: put another set of grips cut open and safety wired over the existing set making hands open more and in theory, make hands relax more. is there any merit to this? if so, that is an easy super cheap fix.
SpeedyManiac
New member
Get some Spider M1 grips. They are a slightly larger diameter and have helped me reduce arm pump.
highspeedsteel
New member
I think I have the opposite problem. I have short fat fingers and I am trying to find some thiner grips. Does anyone know what the thinest you can get are.
Cheers
Cheers
highspeedsteel
New member
Cheers will have to give them a go when my current grips wear out.
shedguy
Silver Level Site Supporter
Old thread but I wish to speak on what helped me, got the word from a pro that when It occurs he right away concentrates on breathing, I generally get it at the start of a race up to about 30 mins, I taught myself to breathe like I were in the gym, it really works.
+1 Don't hold your breath and try to use your legs more and your upper body less.
twowheels
New member
A couple things - breathing denifitely helps, as does warming up before riding. Our promoters used to do sighting laps on which my arms would pump, but then I'd stretch out and they'd be fine by race time. Now I stretch and try to warm up the arms before the flag.
Second, I have run Pro Grip Rally grips - large diameter, reallt squishy, and they helped reduce arm pump as well (fist not as tightly clenched).
Third, standing as much as possible and flicking my fingers helps too.
Second, I have run Pro Grip Rally grips - large diameter, reallt squishy, and they helped reduce arm pump as well (fist not as tightly clenched).
Third, standing as much as possible and flicking my fingers helps too.
roostafish
Gold Level Site Supporter
It seems that all of these points have merit. The thing I noticed is that I only get arm pump if I'm nervous. Relaxing my mind works well before hand. If I end up tight and pumping whilst riding, I try to remember to concentrate on relaxing my jaw. Everything else seems to follow. Not foolproof, but another tool to try.
