You know the feeling, you can’t grip the bars anymore, reaching for the clutch lever is almost impossible and every time you hit a bump it just makes it worse.   At one point in time every racer and rider alike suffers from arm pump.  This condition can take you right of a race in no time.  You will slowly start to fade towards the back and riders will start to pass you by as if you are standing still.  Arm pump is caused when your forearms become fatigued and the muscles tense up and you lose the ability to operate your fingers in a fast controlled manner.  I personally have a major problem with arm pump and have a few remedies I have been working on to relieve it.

A few things you can do to help prevent arm pump are simple forearm exercises.   

1.    Items needed: tennis ball and some free time
Grip the tennis ball in your hand as if you were going to throw it.  Squeeze the ball tightly compressing it a little, release and repeat.  This is a simple exercise that will improve your grip on the handle bars.  

2.    Items needed: five pound weight attached to a 2” pvc pipe with a rope around 5ft long.
Grip each end of the pvc pipe and extend your arms straight out in front of you.  The weight should be hanging at the end of the rope close to the ground.  Role the pvc pipe with your hands so that the weight is pulled up until you run out of rope.  Once the weight is at the top slowly unwind the rope with the weight going back towards the ground.  Repeat this until you can’t do any more reps.  This is a good endurance workout.

3.    This one is the best:  Get out and ride laps!!  This is probably the most effective workout you can do for your forearms.  Ride hard until you get tired, slow down a bit maybe just ride around casually until your arms aren’t pumped and then go ride some more hard laps.  This workout is even better when you have a buddy to “race” with each of you pushing one another.  This will make you ride your best and ultimately working the arm pump right out of you!

These are just a few of many ways to relieve arm pump.  Being relaxed and remembering to breathe may just fix your arm pump all together.  Try these methods and come up with a few of your own to find what works best for you.