How Not to Break Your Arm Armwrestling
Can you break your arm armwrestling? Yes. It's the injury everyone has seen in viral videos. But Coach Ray, who has been armwrestling for two decades, puts it plainly: on professional tables arm breaks are "extremely rare". They happen mostly in bars and schools, on flat tables, when people make up their own rules and do the wrong things. Here is what goes wrong and how to avoid it.
Why arms break
A beginner's instinct is to push sideways with the arm alone. When the arm stops moving, the force goes into rotating the upper arm bone (the humerus) at the shoulder. If you keep forcing it, the bone twists until it breaks. That's why most armwrestling breaks are spiral fractures of the humerus, in the middle of the upper arm, and not elbow or wrist breaks.
It almost always happens to the person who is losing, with their shoulder in front of their hand and their body turned away from their arm.
Four rules that keep you safe
1. Look at your hand
Always watch your arm. If you turn your head away you lose track of where your arm is, and your body turns with your head. Coach Ray: "Some people even close their eyes when they armwrestle, and I'm like, what are you doing?"
2. Keep your shoulder behind your hand
Never let your shoulder get ahead of your arm, between your hand and the pin pad. This is the dangerous position, also called the break-arm position. Your shoulder should stay in line with your arm or a little behind it. In official matches the referee shouts "Shoulder!" and it's a foul.
3. Move your body with your arm
"If you're winning, lean down. If you're losing, also lean in." When you are losing, go with your arm and let your body follow it to the pad. Losing one match is better than fighting from a position your arm can't handle. Using your body weight is completely legal.
4. Keep your arm bent
Armwrestling is done with a bent arm. Beginners who copy pros and pull with a straight arm are less likely to break a bone, but much more likely to tear a muscle or tendon.
The real secret: pull, don't push
Every style (toproll, hook or press) is about pulling your opponent's arm towards you, not pushing it away. When you pull your opponent close, they are in a weak position and you are in a strong one. Most dangerous situations start when someone ends up with their arm far from their body, pushing.
Safety checklist before any match
Elbow on padding, not a hard table. Free hand holding something. Start with a straight wrist. Look at your hand. Shoulder behind your hand. If you're losing, go with it. And don't armwrestle someone much stronger than you with a fully cold arm.
Give your arm time
Experienced armwrestlers pull from positions that look crazy, and don't get hurt. That's because years of training have conditioned their tendons, ligaments and bones. A beginner doesn't have that. Give it time: train the right muscles, pull with people at your level and add intensity gradually.
- How to start armwrestling: a beginner's guide
- Armwrestling injuries: prevention, pain and rehab
- Armwrestling rules and fouls explained
This is general information, not medical advice. If you feel a pop, sharp pain or numbness, stop and see a doctor.