Thumb and arm pump

[louie401]

Okay so after riding for 20 min my thumb will stop working can't give it any throttle.. What are some exercises for that and arm pump

[drillteamleader]

Ride as much as possible, eat right, and drink lots of water. another thing I found to help with my thumb is having the throttle lever adjusted where it feels right. After all this it just comes down to buying parts.

[#484]

Look up arthritis stretches for your thumb, fingers and fore arm. They have been a big help to me. Best advice is still to ride often and make sure everything on your bars are adjusted to be comfortable for you.

[CJM]

RIDE ALOT! Gotta condition your muscles. Also an ice cream scoop will cure throttle thumb. As for arm pump, pushups and pull ups.

Also wear gloves if you dont, i prefer mechanics gloves the best.

[Longdong]

Trx 90 lever:D

[on the rocks]

a rowing machine ( work out machine) will help with arm pump. riding a lot helps too.

[JOHNDOE83]

Doing some good 30min stretch's before you ride will help alot, mostly do your wrist and fingers, mainly you wanna stretch and hold that position for a few mins then go on to other stretchs then back to the ones you did before ...etc...

The other option is a twist throttle, I had the same issues and a twist throttle helped alot. Then I had a accident that injured my right hand for good, so now a twist throttle is all I can use.

Actually I could use a thumb throttle but I would suffer twice as much as you guys do with wrist and thumb cramping, also my grip isnt as good so being able to keep my hand fully on the bars at all times is a big help.

the thing about twist throttles and atvs is, you either love them or hate them, I just so happen to love mine :D

[louie401]

How's that trx90 lever work

[Longdong]

Originally posted by louie401
How's that trx90 lever work

Read this. http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=370765&highlight=Thumb+throttle

[fmfhonda250r]

I did not like a trx90 lever. Just ride an eat right and cardio is all you can do.

[ben300]

Originally posted by CJM
RIDE ALOT! Gotta condition your muscles. Also an ice cream scoop will cure throttle thumb. As for arm pump, pushups and pull ups.

Also wear gloves if you dont, i prefer mechanics gloves the best.


i know this is off topic, but louie, if your gonna race XC, these will be your best friend! hands down!!, especially if your getting arm pump after 20mins

http://www.motosport.com/dirtbike/MOOSE-TUFF-LITE-GLOVE-LINER

http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/45/67/162/716/-/28622/MSR-Full-Finger-Glove-Liners-2013

if your hanging on so hard that your getting arm pump after 20 mins, your gonna need under gloves. otherwise your going to have the worst blisters you've ever had in your life

i dont normally get arm pump xc racing, but i do on a motocross track. i also dont blister bad because i cut a ton of fire wood with a **** and have big calluses on my hands...with that said, i know a ton of guys that swear by under gloves, including some of my buddies that run pro am

[ish416]

I think my FCR carb has an easier pull than the stock carb or 04-05 450r carb.

The TRX90 lever will reduce thumb fatigue as it's longer and the added leverage will require less force to move. The downside to this is that the travel from no throttle to full throttle will be longer.

louie, if you think your throttle is stiff you can try purchasing a new throttle cable.

As for arm pump, the best exercise aside from riding that you can do is really quite simple. It's this..

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tZPSstelDtY?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[JOHNDOE83]

They also make a thumb throttle extension, I had bought a moose thumb extension before I bought my twist throttle, it slightly helps leverage and when your thumbs tired you can "palm" the throttle instead thumbing it.

[louie401]

thanks for all the advice im gonna start working out right now

[shaggy01]

I had a problem with this during my first GNCC race. Almost couldn't finish. Everything that has been said is key.

Probably the two biggest things i found to help me was water water water! before during and after the race. Especially before and during. The other one was breathe, like that guy in the above video said. I would find my self holding my breath. You wouldn't run while holding your breath so why race like that? I had to consciously remind myself (sometimes outloud) to breathe. Lack of oxygen leads to oxygen-starved muscles and thats when they start to shut down.

And yes, as weird as it may sound, the ice cream scooper is good idea and so are the grip/fore arm strengtheners.


Best things: water, breathe, cardio/strength training....and Ride!

Def gonna have to make one of those motocisers. pretty cool idea.

[slightlybent47]

“Stop riding when your arms get too tired” if your arms are so tired you can hardly hold on, and you keep riding, and you make a mistake, you don’t have the strength to hang on or control the bike.

If you new to riding, or even a seasoned rider then the biggest problem you have is strength. The first ride is always the one that get the arms tired and thumb.
But there are techniques that will help.
Good old pull ups and other exercises will help.
Adjustment of the throttle is also important. Loosen the throttle and rotate it downward a little bit. Leave it just tight enough so you can grab it with both hands and move it up or down. Setting the lever down just a bit will help with thumb pump. You can move it back up as you get stronger.

Arm pump is deferent; it’s usually caused from gripping the bars too tight and holding on for dear life. It usually happens on the first ride of the day.
When you grip too tight, it cuts the blood circulation to your “now” rock hard four arms, and you muscles are starved for oxygen, then you cramp up and you loose your strength, “Arm Pump”

Good gloves with good grips help let you relax your grip so you get better blood flow but still make you feel like you have a good grip and not be worried about your hands slipping off the bars.


Move the throttle down some and relax your grip, and you will feel better.

[Rohr397]

Cut back your sugar intake the day before, high blood sugar will cause the blood flow in your muscles to be a bit more forced so when they pump up, it's even harder and more painful.

The other thing I learned from pro motocross riders was to take a little bit of Aspirin, the small chewable ones work well. This goes with the blood sugar thing mentioned, they help the blood thin out a bit and flow easier when the muscles tighten up so the arm pump doesn't happen as easy. This isn't a good thing to do all of the time but if you're going to have an intense, long ride, and you are having arm pump problems this is a good way to handle it.

Finally I found that cutting down vibrations is incredibly important. Obivously anti-vibe bars and stuff help, but make sure you've got good, tight seals on your steering stem. Also get your throttle tightened up so there's not excessive play, and also make sure your levers are not loose and vibrating a lot, and that the pull isn't too much. Also get some really good grips, Renthal Kevlar's are my personal pick, and get bars with the right bend for you.

Oh one last thing, ELBOWS UP! When you drop your elbows you use your forearms only and also cut bloodflow off a bit. If you're elbows are up you can use the muscle in your upper arm, shoulders and etc to it's fullest so that the forearms don't get worn out quickly, and that the blood is flowing easily. Proper form in your riding makes a massive difference and has solved all my problems. Even though he's a dirt bike rider, take a look at pictures of Ryan Dungey and his riding form. Focus is straight forward, elbows are up, he's not dropping his head in any direction and it's always centered in between his shoulders. Things like this will help with arm pump and other issues like it and you'll be more comfortable riding than ever before.

[slightlybent47]

Worm up before you ride, do a few exercises before you hit the track.
Then do some site laps at a slower speed for a few laps and let your self get warmed up, and to see what the track conditions are like that day.
Then remember that the bars on a quad are going to thrash around and cause you to grip too tight, relax that grip and let the quad bounce around and don’t fight it so much.

In fact riding in the center of the quad, and let the suspension do the work for you, and don’t fight the machine, will help you control the bike much better. Let the bike do the work. Your job is to let the bike do the work so you can ride with less effort, and stay more relaxed so you don’t wear yourself out trying to hang on for dear life. Relax and let the bike flow with you and not against you.

Some tracks are very technical and require more effort, and some tracks are stretched out and give you some time to relax a bit in between obstacles.
Some tracks just take more effort and wear you out faster then others.


One other thing that I don’t understand is why we ride on a track that’s 40 to 60 feet wide but everyone wants to ride on the same line. Move around and look for better lines that are smother and easier to ride.

[Zakradu398]

You could always try being a man.. :devil:

[Rohr397]

^^^ don't try that! Lol I was at a track trying to tough out the arm pump, it was so bad I was reaching around the grip and pulling the throttle with my fingers, and I tried to use my thumb again and jump a big table top even though I couldn't hardly move it. Right before the lip my thumb couldn't keep the throttle on and I ended up in a bad endo. Even worse was that I couldn't panic rev to try to save it cause my thumb was too stiff, and I couldn't pull up cause my arms were too tired.

Long story short, don't push it when your arm pump is bad cause if you make a mistake it's hard to save it!

[Zakradu398]

Just giving some hell lol. I had a small encounter powering through the "thumb pump". Whiskey throttle may seem like a imaginary thing till it happens to you! Lol

But when I get arm pump I drink as much as I can from my camelbak. Even if you aren't thirsty at all, chug some anyways. Seems to help me almost instantaneously.

[slightlybent47]

I start out with a few slow site laps, just to see what the track conditions are. Then I stop for a few minuets and then do a few more and start going faster as I get warmed up and get the layout of the track.
For endurance, I ride hard till I get tired, but instead of stopping, I just slow down and relax till I get my strength back, then ride hard again. But if I get arm pump too much I’ll stop all together and rest a bit.

Ride smart not stupid.

[ben300]

Originally posted by slightlybent47
I start out with a few slow site laps, just to see what the track conditions are. Then I stop for a few minuets and then do a few more and start going faster as I get warmed up and get the layout of the track.
For endurance, I ride hard till I get tired, but instead of stopping, I just slow down and relax till I get my strength back, then ride hard again. But if I get arm pump too much I’ll stop all together and rest a bit.

Ride smart not stupid.


problem is if louie is doing any type of xc racing, there is no site laps.

[slightlybent47]

Originally posted by ben300
problem is if louie is doing any type of xc racing, there is no site laps.

True! Then you must learn how to ride with your eyes down the trail and still keep an eye on the obstacle your on. But the same principle still applies; when you get too tired you “must” slow down or stop. Or risk getting yourself into a spot where you can’t control the bike because you too tired.
Endurance will come with more seat time. You’ll learn where to relax and where to put maximum effort into the ride.

[ben300]

Originally posted by slightlybent47
True! Then you must learn how to ride with your eyes down the trail and still keep an eye on the obstacle your on. But the same principle still applies; when you get too tired you “must” slow down or stop. Or risk getting yourself into a spot where you can’t control the bike because you too tired.
Endurance will come with more seat time. You’ll learn where to relax and where to put maximum effort into the ride.

very true. ive always raced (xc) on the principle that im not gonna burn myself out the first lap. just keep building and increasing your pace as the race goes. youd be surprised the amount of people who go out and burn them selves out the first two laps and you end up passing them.

[slightlybent47]

Originally posted by ben300
very true. ive always raced (xc) on the principle that im not gonna burn myself out the first lap. just keep building and increasing your pace as the race goes. youd be surprised the amount of people who go out and burn them selves out the first two laps and you end up passing them.


I see riders do that in MX riding as well. But we only run 4 to 5 laps so you can push harder because the race is shorter. And that’s the idea in MX is to go as fast as you can from start to finish. It’s all about speed.
But with xc racing endurance and pacing yourself is the key.

[louie401]

Hey guys thanks for all the help I went riding last weekend and my thumb didn't get nearly as sore as it did before ive bEen working out like crazy

[Longdong]

Hold your fingers straight out, then move your thumb back and forth like your working a throttle as as fast as you can. Do that for a minute a couples time a day and increase from there. We call them thumbies! It will help. If you do it right it should start burning 10 secs in. Try them and let me know if it works. Then I will give you the next step.

[Blodg]

The exercise suggested are great for building your endurance but for me the most important thing is how I ride. slightlybent offered some great suggestions about staying relaxed and in my opinion that is the #1 most important thing. Even pro's who have supreme fitness get arm pump sometimes so it is not just a physical thing. As mentioned proper gloves, breathing, and a relaxed grip are huge. One thing not mentioned yet is to use your legs and knees to grip the quad on acceleration. When I raced MX if I just held on with my arms only I got arm pump but when I squeezed with my knees that helped relax the grip on the bars and it makes a world of difference but it is not something that comes natural to most. I don't race anymore but when on an all day trail ride (and I ride fast) I still force myself to grip with my legs to help from wearing myself out.

I never experienced problems with gloves until just this winter because I usually wore MX riding gloves. A month or two ago in the cold weather I had cotton gloves on and they were not real thick but were bulky enough that when the rubber coating on the palms stuck to the grips the cotton still allowed my hands to slightly roll back and forth. I don't know if I am describing it very well but my hands were not slipping off the bars just moving and my arms pumped up bad! After switching to thinner gloves the arm pump went away and I was able to ride for several more hours with no arm pump at all.

[slightlybent47]

That’s why the pros make it look so easy, they have learned to ride with minimal effort and still go fast.
There letting the bike do most of the work and only digging in when they have to.