jsinjin - Posted - 10/08/2025:  06:20:39

I’m fairly new to music. I workout quite a bit, sometimes twice a day but primarily once a day. Yesterday I had a particularly heavy weight day that included an exercise called deadlifts ant very high weight and then weighted pull ups in the morning then a very hard rowing session on the lake in the evening (we had a super harvest moon). I rarely double up like that but I have travel occurring this week and wanted to get the row in.

Last night I also had a banjo lesson with my teacher where we practiced a lot on a new song. This morning I did my usual easy recovery workout then started practicing banjo. My hands felt like they were moving through molasses. A particular movement I’ve done thousands of times kept missing the fret with my left hand and timing was off like I had no connection to my fingers.

I know what caused it since both workouts yesterday involved a ton of grip and forearm and the row was particularly hard as intervals. I’ve just never had my fingers feel so movement impaired while trying to play.

I’m sure that with good recovery it will all come back but it was bizarre how slow and clumsy everythjng was.

Has this happened to any of yall?

banjobob36 - Posted - 10/08/2025:  06:50:13

Yes. My left hand developed De Quervain's tenosynovitis....a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. Took 3 months of therapy to finally make a C chord in G tuning.

jsinjin - Posted - 10/08/2025:  06:58:27

quote:

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Originally posted by banjobob36

Yes. My left hand developed De Quervain's tenosynovitis....a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. Took 3 months of therapy to finally make a C chord in G tuning.

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That sounds bad.  Mine wasn't an injury fortunately.  Just normal overwork.  Hope yours is fully recovered now

Culloden - Posted - 10/08/2025:  07:05:57

Yes. My father didn't like Bluegrass music and did everything he could to keep me from playing the banjo. If he found out I had a show on Saturday, he would mow hay on Tuesday. That way, we had to spend Saturday in the hayfield, and my hands were useless for playing the banjo that night. That happened more times than I can count.

randybartlett - Posted - 10/08/2025:  07:22:54

Please have your family check you for other signs of stroke.

Texasbanjo - Posted - 10/08/2025:  08:13:41

It has happened to me and I don't/can' lift weights. For me it's usually working overtime on a knitting or crocheting project and getting to the point where my hands are cramping. The next day my fingers are numb and hands still sore.

jsinjin - Posted - 10/08/2025:  08:37:28

No numbness. I remember one time I went to a kids rock climbing party at a gym and joined in and the next day my fingers didn’t work to write or sketch.

gentrixuk - Posted - 10/08/2025:  08:42:35

Yes, I avoid gardening if I know I'll be playing a lot in the next 48 hours - it really cramps up the flexibility in my hands and makes it hard to play fluidly.

pinenut - Posted - 10/08/2025:  09:15:26

quote:

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Originally posted by jsinjin

day1)  Yesterday deadlifts and weighted pull ups in the morning

day1)  hard rowing session on the lake in the evening 



day1)  Last night I also had a banjo lesson with my teacher

day2)  This morning I did my usual easy recovery workout then started practicing banjo.  My hands felt like they were moving through molasses. 

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Hi John,

This is totally normal.  It's a treat when a workout leaves me in that state, even at the cost of banjo quality.

The thing that gets me, is how awesome my volume and general play are immediately after a grip workout (climbing) as compared to immediately prior to the workout.

I'll bet last night's lesson felt better than typical.  Cheers.

Edited by - pinenut on 10/08/2025 09:18:53

jsinjin - Posted - 10/08/2025:  09:20:41

As a matter of fact, the lesson was really good last night after all the exercise. I had thought it was the chair as I normally use a chair with arms that my teacher hates and I had a different one for the lesson but it could have been both. She says that the arms on the desk chair prevent me from setting the banjo on my leg properly.

When I was in high school and college I was on a sports team and after workouts I recall times when pulling on jeans and a shirt would make my muscles ache but not in a bad way. It was this sort of ache that made you realize you had done a really good workout and were going to sleep well that night.

laguna21dc - Posted - 10/27/2025:  17:38:42

I’ve had chemo therapy and it effected my fingers and hands have trouble making chords and am slower and clumbsy