Elbow Pain When Lifting: Causes, Fixes, and When to Push Through

Disclaimer: This is general information, not medical advice. Consult a physiotherapist or doctor before starting any rehab programme.

That Nagging Pain That Won’t Go Away

Elbow pain from lifting is one of the most stubborn injuries you’ll encounter. It creeps in slowly, you ignore it for weeks, and then one day you can’t even grip a coffee mug without wincing. Sound familiar?

The good news: it’s very treatable. The bad news: it takes patience and the right approach.

Tennis Elbow vs Golfer’s Elbow

These are different conditions with different causes, so getting the right one matters.

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) — pain on the outside of your elbow. Affects the wrist extensors. Often triggered by gripping, pull-ups, rows, and deadlifts. Hurts when you try to straighten your wrist against resistance.

Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) — pain on the inside of your elbow. Affects the wrist flexors. Often triggered by curls, chin-ups, and heavy pressing with a tight grip. Hurts when you curl your wrist or squeeze hard.

A quick test: hold your arm straight out, palm down. If pressing the back of your hand down hurts the outside of your elbow, it’s likely tennis elbow. If curling your wrist up hurts the inside, it’s likely golfer’s elbow.

Common Triggers in the Gym

• Curls — especially heavy barbell curls with a fixed wrist position
• Pull-ups and chin-ups — high grip demand combined with elbow flexion under load
• Bench press — death-gripping the bar puts enormous strain on the forearm tendons
• Deadlifts — the grip component, especially with heavy weight or high volume
• Rows — similar to deadlifts, the grip is often the weak link

Rehab Exercises

Tyler Twist (with Flexbar)

The gold standard for tennis elbow rehab. Hold a Flexbar in front of you, twist it with the injured hand, then slowly release. The eccentric (lowering) phase is where the healing happens. 3 sets of 15, once or twice daily. Research shows this alone resolves most cases within 6-8 weeks.

Wrist Curls and Extensions

Light dumbbell (1-3kg), 3 sets of 15. Wrist curls for golfer’s elbow, wrist extensions for tennis elbow. Slow and controlled — 3 seconds up, 3 seconds down. The eccentric phase matters most.

Eccentric Loading

For tennis elbow: hold a light dumbbell with your forearm on a table, palm down. Lift the weight up with your other hand, then slowly lower it with the injured arm over 3-5 seconds. This is the single most evidence-based treatment for tendinopathy.

Training Modifications

You don’t need to stop training. You need to modify your grip.

• Switch to neutral grip for pressing and pulling (palms facing each other). This reduces strain on both the medial and lateral epicondyle.
• Avoid full supination — no palm-up barbell curls. Use hammer curls or rope attachments instead.
• Use lifting straps for pulling movements. This takes grip demand out of the equation and lets your elbows recover while you keep training back.
• Loosen your grip on the bench press. You’d be surprised how hard you’re squeezing.

Can You Train Through It?

Sometimes, yes. If the pain is a low-level ache (3/10 or less) that doesn’t get worse during your session, you can usually keep training with modifications. If it’s sharp, getting worse, or affecting your grip strength, back off and focus on rehab for a few weeks.

Let the App Help

PT Tracker’s exercise swap feature can suggest elbow-friendly alternatives — switching barbell curls for hammer curls, pull-ups for neutral-grip pulldowns, and so on. Flag your elbow as an issue, and the AI coach handles the rest.

Elbow pain is annoying, but it’s fixable. Consistent rehab, smart grip choices, and a few weeks of patience will get you back to full training.