Elbow Pain During Triceps Workout? (Causes and How to Fix It)
That niggling elbow pain every time you train triceps is one of the most frustrating — and most preventable — training problems there is. The good news is it almost always comes down to a handful of fixable causes, usually around your form, your load, or an existing niggle.
Here’s why your elbow hurts during triceps work, how to fix each cause, and — importantly — when it’s time to stop guessing and get it looked at.
Why Do I Get Elbow Pain During Triceps Workout?
Elbow pain during triceps exercises is usually down to locking out your elbows, gripping too tightly, poor posture, lifting too much weight, skipping your warm-up, limited mobility, or an existing tendon issue like triceps tendonitis or tennis/golfer’s elbow. The fixes are mostly straightforward — warm up, keep a slight bend in the elbow, relax your grip, lighten the load and tidy your form. But if the pain is sharp, persistent, or you suspect a tendon problem, that’s your cue to get it properly assessed rather than training through it.
Why your elbow hurts during triceps work
1. You’re not warming up
Cold muscles, tendons and joints aren’t ready for load, and the elbow takes the brunt. A few minutes of light arm, shoulder and chest movement before you start makes a real difference — don’t skip it.
2. Your form — especially locking out
This is a big one. Snapping your elbows into a fully locked, straight position at the top of a pushdown or extension jams the joint and stresses the tendon — much like locking your knees under load. Keep a slight bend in the elbow throughout, don’t over-extend the range, and move with control rather than yanking the weight.
3. Your posture
It sounds odd, but posture matters. If you’re rounding your back and letting your shoulders roll forward on a pushdown, you increase the strain travelling down to the elbow. Stand tall, shoulder blades back and down, elbows tucked in — your body works as a chain, and a sloppy top end shows up at the elbow.
4. Gripping too tightly
A white-knuckle grip tenses your forearm muscles and pulls on the elbow. Hold the bar or rope firmly but relaxed. On pushdowns, some people find a thumbless grip (thumb over the top rather than wrapped underneath) takes tension off the forearm and eases the elbow.
5. Too much weight
The triceps are a small muscle that tires quickly, so it’s easy to overload them — and when you do, your form breaks down and the joint takes the strain. Drop the weight, nail your form, and build back up gradually. Ego-lifting is a fast track to sore elbows.
6. Stiff or weak tissue around the joint
Tight, stiff or under-conditioned tissue around the elbow copes badly with load. Work on your mobility, and build the area up gradually with lighter weights and higher reps before progressing — strong, mobile connective tissue handles training far better.
7. An existing issue — tendonitis or an old injury
If you’ve had elbow trouble before, or you’ve got triceps tendonitis, tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow (all common, and often down to overuse or poor form), triceps work can easily aggravate it. This is the one to take seriously — don’t push through it, and get it properly assessed rather than guessing.
A quick safety note
Mild muscle fatigue is normal, but sharp, persistent or worsening elbow pain is not something to train through. If your elbow keeps hurting, or you suspect tendonitis or tennis/golfer’s elbow, stop and get it assessed by a doctor or physiotherapist. Elbow tendon issues are far easier to sort early than after months of pushing through them.
If one exercise keeps hurting, swap it
If a particular movement consistently aggravates your elbow, change it. Different triceps exercises suit different people’s anatomy and elbow mechanics — experiment with rope versus bar pushdowns, overhead versus by-your-side extensions, or close-grip presses, and keep the variations that feel good on your joints.
Related: Can I train biceps before back workout?
Related: Why can’t I feel my biceps while doing bicep curls?
A Sports Massage Therapist’s perspective
One of the most common problems I see in the gym, on any kind of triceps exercise, is people locking out their elbows with a great deal of vigour. Like, really snapping and locking out those poor joints. As you’ll know, locking out under force might not cause any issues done now and then — but done regularly over time, it can cause serious damage. Make sure you can control the weight you’re lifting, and respect your body. Without wanting to sound patronising, this is something I found comes with age: when you’re younger you feel invincible, like a superhero — and long may that continue, just don’t let any needless injuries bring you down.
That leads me to my next point: ego lifting is another big cause of elbow pain on triceps exercises. How many times have you seen someone in the gym practically fighting with the machine to shift the weight? I see it all the time — some poor fellow literally wrestling with the bar to get the full stack done! As I’ve mentioned in another post, overusing the same body part can also lead to pain and injury. So have a think about the volume you’re doing on your triceps, because overuse can lead to tendonitis, or to tennis or golfer’s elbow.
If you’ve got pain on the inside of your elbow running down the underside of your forearm (golfer’s elbow), or pain on the outside of your elbow running down the outside of your forearm (tennis elbow), go to the doctor ASAP and get it checked out. If you do have one of those, I’d advise resting and listening to the doctor’s advice. As a rule, I would never recommend any kind of soft tissue or mobility work when you’re dealing with these kinds of injuries.
As ever, start with lighter weights and track your progress to build a solid foundation — not just with your triceps, but your entire body. Steady and slow, people.
FAQs
Why does my elbow hurt during triceps pushdowns?
Usually it’s locking out at the bottom, gripping too tightly, going too heavy, or an existing tendon issue. Keep a slight bend in the elbow, relax your grip, drop the weight, and if the pain persists, get it checked.
Should I train triceps through elbow pain?
No — don’t push through sharp or persistent pain. Ease off, address the likely cause (form, load, warm-up), and if it doesn’t settle down, get it assessed before carrying on. Training through elbow pain is how a small niggle becomes a long-term problem.
Is my elbow pain triceps tendonitis?
It might be — tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon, often from overuse) is a common cause of elbow pain in lifters, as are tennis and golfer’s elbow. Only a professional can diagnose it properly, so if it persists, get it looked at rather than self-diagnosing.
How do I fix elbow pain from triceps exercises?
Warm up properly, keep a slight bend in your elbows (don’t lock out), relax your grip, use a manageable weight with good form, work on your mobility, and swap out any movement that consistently hurts. If the pain sticks around, see a professional.
Final thoughts…
Elbow pain during triceps training is usually your body flagging something fixable — a locked-out joint, too much weight, a tight grip, or a skipped warm-up. Tidy those up and most people can train pain-free again. But always respect your joints: if the pain is sharp, persistent, or you suspect a tendon issue, stop and get it checked. Training smart beats training hurt every time.
If you love training and want to get stronger — in body and mind — you’re in the right place. Here at Sport CBDs we train hard and do things properly. Head over to the YouTube channel for regular workouts plus mindset and mindfulness content to keep your head right, and if you want to build a serious grip, check out my grip strength book: Get it here.
