muscle tingles when lifting

Hi all, this is my first post at DB. Thanks for this great forum, what I've seen so far looks like it might be just what I've been looking for.

I am not exactly a seasoned pro when it comes to working out and lifting weights.  I've had my own equipment for about two years and have managed to put on about 20lbs in that time (i had lost 20 lbs after high school, I got it back in muscle) but I still struggle with proper form, appropriate exercises, nutrition, discipline.. etc.. but to my question:

Right now I'm concerned about one thing in particular.  When I do bicep curls (preacher, standing, concentration) my right bicep will start to have this tingling sensation near the end of the set (sooner or later depending on how much weight I'm using).  Its not a numbness, and there is no pain but it is WEIRD and it freaks me out. I always stop immediately.  I notice it right at the inside of my elbow.  I first noticed when I increased the weight on my conc. curl from 35-> 40lbs.  I immediately stopped that workout and backed it off to 35lbs the next time.  Eventually I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere and switched to standing & preacher curls with 80lbs.. but again when I moved up (to 85lbs) there was the tingle.  Now just today I decided I was going to reduce weight and increase reps and after doing (conc. curls again) 10lbsx12 and then 15lbsx10, the tingle was back! I was planning to do 15lbsx12 and then 20x12, but I stopped (as always).

I'm getting kinda depressed and am not sure if I am just doing something wrong, or if I need to get this checked out.  Thanks for taking the time to read through this, i appreciate any input you care to give. 

nate

Hey again.. anyone have a clue about this?  Its still a problem for me.. if I didn't make any sense or need to be more specific some how let me know.  Please, any input would be fantastic.

thanks again,

nate

Hi Nate,
 
Sorry that this reply is a little (VERY) late.
 
That tingling could be due to a few things that i can think of right now.
 
Does the tingling start in one place and move somewhere else? or is it just in that spot? Any other tingling anywhere else? Any weakness anywhere?
 

No problem! Thanks for getting back to me. 

Its only in the one spot at the base of my bicep right near the inside of my elbow on my right arm.  I have yet to observe the sensation in my left arm.  I don't know if there is any weakness necessarily, if I wasn't freaked out every time it happened I could probably finish whatever set I was in the middle of.. but I may just not have noticed.

I notice nothing strange about my bicep when I am not lifting - it seems to be just fine, I can lift and move heavy things with no problem, a week ago I found that I am even able to do 18 or so chin-ups (my max) without a problem.  But as soon as I start trying to push myself doing curls, there's the problem.

aside from that set of chinups I have been taking it easy since the 28th.

nate

Still hoping to get anyone's opinion on this.. pleeease [sm=s201.gif]

To throw a few guesses out there:

Your right bicep might be weaker than your other one and you need to overexert it and cheat a little to keep up with the other arm.

Your right bicep might see more physical stress throughout your day if you're right handed, maybe its tiring out faster?

Your right arm might be slightly longer than your left (this isn't too uncommon) and it could cause the weight to be slightly imbalanced on barbell curls, causing extra stress on a certain part of the bicep.

Who knows man, honestly I'd work through it, but if it really worries you why not see a doctor?