Elbow Pain with Tricep Exercises (SNAP OR POP)
video description
It's easy to grip too hard, to focus on the forearms too much. Using the rings and reducing the intensity allows me to really focus 100% on my triceps, and pushing myself up with my triceps. The mind-muscle connection is absolutely crucial in every exercise, of course, but I was surprised that it actually alleviated or eliminated this issue for me altogether as long as I'm careful and attentive.
I had to stop doing ring dips as I started getting the issue in my left elbow described in this video. Supinated dips seem to be fine (with feet on the ground, not strong enough to do unassisted, as I was doing with regular ring dips, as well as RTO (rings turned out) pushups (supinated grip ring pushups. If anyone knows anything about supinated dips, let me know. It seems to completely eliminate the popping issue but I'm not sure about supinated dips vs. traditional dips as a triceps exercise. They feel good on the rings and do not seem to be straining any of my joints inappropriately.
For now, I'm doing neutral grip ring support position isometric holds (40 seconds max currently, shooting for at least 1 to 2 minutes) to build up straight arm strength, tiger bend pushups (on my knees currently, not strong enough to do unassisted, which if I'm careful do not seem to aggravate the popping issue (though if I'm not careful they do, and being very careful with the ring version of triceps extensions. I'm on the fence about supinated dips, abandoned diamond pushups after getting some moderate wrist pain from them, and I'm dropping my ego at the curb and avoiding standard dips for the foreseeable future.
I love dips, but even with mind-muscle connection I can't seem to avoid the popping/snapping issue with them. I'm hoping that with some soft tissue work, taking a break from dips, and strengthening my triceps with exercises that don't cause this popping issue, I'll be able to return to them. FWIW, I'm pretty sure ring dips aren't even approached in gymnastics until you have met quite a few basic standards including at least several sets of 60+ second holds in the ring support position. I might have injured myself by jumping the gun on that and jacked myself up last year when I tried using a weighted vest for ring dips as I had gotten to doing sets of 15. Be careful out there, leave your ego at the door and don't be discouraged if you have to stick with -extremely basic- exercises or regressions for a long time as you rehabilitate. Ego gratification is not worth a potential lifelong injury that prevents you from training at 100%.
Date: 2022-04-22
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Comments and reviews: 9
Gub
I had this for a long time and it would get to the point where I was put off training. If I did a bench press my right elbow would pop when I got to the bottom of the motion. Every single time. The same with pushups and tricep extensions. It felt nasty like a tendon being strained. If this happened once it would put me off my workout and my elbow would feel sore and inflamed the next day.
What I'm learning myself now is that it was likely to do with my posture. I work at a desk and had let it get bad. I also had repetitive strain injury on my right forearm muscles from using a mouse. So the forearm was always sore and knotty. I also had terrible range of motion in my shoulders.
I got an ergonomic mouse which has cleared the injury on my forearm.
I have worked towards correcting my posture with a foam roller and thoracic extensions. I'm improving my range of overhead shoulder motion by gripping a broom handle horizontally in front of me and moving it over my head, behind me and back down while keeping my arms straight. When I started this I had to have a very wide grip on the handle. Over time the grip has got closer.
I do all of these stretches every day and with my pre-workout stretches and the popping is pretty much gone now -. Especially if I do the offending exercises (bench press & pushups) towards the end of a workout. If I ever do feel it it's very slight.
Like Jeff says. The problem usually stems from somewhere else, not the elbow itself.
Hope this helps someone else.
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I had this for a long time and it would get to the point where I was put off training. If I did a bench press my right elbow would pop when I got to the bottom of the motion. Every single time. The same with pushups and tricep extensions. It felt nasty like a tendon being strained. If this happened once it would put me off my workout and my elbow would feel sore and inflamed the next day.
What I'm learning myself now is that it was likely to do with my posture. I work at a desk and had let it get bad. I also had repetitive strain injury on my right forearm muscles from using a mouse. So the forearm was always sore and knotty. I also had terrible range of motion in my shoulders.
I got an ergonomic mouse which has cleared the injury on my forearm.
I have worked towards correcting my posture with a foam roller and thoracic extensions. I'm improving my range of overhead shoulder motion by gripping a broom handle horizontally in front of me and moving it over my head, behind me and back down while keeping my arms straight. When I started this I had to have a very wide grip on the handle. Over time the grip has got closer.
I do all of these stretches every day and with my pre-workout stretches and the popping is pretty much gone now -. Especially if I do the offending exercises (bench press & pushups) towards the end of a workout. If I ever do feel it it's very slight.
Like Jeff says. The problem usually stems from somewhere else, not the elbow itself.
Hope this helps someone else.
reply
trev1976
I started working out again roughly 2 years ago from a long break, I was going hard and working out 6 days a weeks and got really good results as I upped volume and weight but unfortunately, my training over the last 9 months has got worse and worse due to elbow pain (bad golfers elbow) and a tingling in my back (Disc issue or is this coming from my elbow too I'm not sure) mainly on the left side (my weak side) I hurt my left arm so bad while doing push-ups with my palms facing backwards I couldn't really lift anything with it while bending it up and straightening it out with a weight in my hand hurt and popped.
I've had to drop so many exercises one by one as it was making it worse,
I've been doing so much research to try and get rid of it but it doesn't seem to get much better. I read somewhere that restrengthening your triceps could help (i thought it was coming from my forearms.
I tried some tricep exercises today for the first time in a while and noticed some popping so maybe it's coming from my triceps? ill give your suggestions ago as I'm at my wits end with it. fingers crossed: )
reply
I started working out again roughly 2 years ago from a long break, I was going hard and working out 6 days a weeks and got really good results as I upped volume and weight but unfortunately, my training over the last 9 months has got worse and worse due to elbow pain (bad golfers elbow) and a tingling in my back (Disc issue or is this coming from my elbow too I'm not sure) mainly on the left side (my weak side) I hurt my left arm so bad while doing push-ups with my palms facing backwards I couldn't really lift anything with it while bending it up and straightening it out with a weight in my hand hurt and popped.
I've had to drop so many exercises one by one as it was making it worse,
I've been doing so much research to try and get rid of it but it doesn't seem to get much better. I read somewhere that restrengthening your triceps could help (i thought it was coming from my forearms.
I tried some tricep exercises today for the first time in a while and noticed some popping so maybe it's coming from my triceps? ill give your suggestions ago as I'm at my wits end with it. fingers crossed: )
reply
Bdizz306296
Thanks for this informative video. Can anyone please in detail explain exactly what they do to build the medial head of the tricep. Like exercise type, lock out or no lock out? eccentric portion, elbow position, volume, or any other tips you recommend that gets this part of the muscle sore. Like do you NEED to lock out in extension to hit this part of the tricep? I have this issue on my left tricep and it has been plaguing me with pressing and extension exercises. When I go heavy on a bench press for instance, the pop is so loud I can hear it with my headphone on blasting music. It gets painful sometimes as well. I-ve also notice the medial head on the left is much smaller than the right, however both right and left medial heads are disproportionately smaller then than long heads. I-ve tried everything to fix this, supinated extensions, JM press, close grip, Tate press and the suggestions in this vid. Nothing works and I-ve been trying for over a year I-d say. I-d appreciate any input so I can hopefully get back to heavy pressing
reply
Thanks for this informative video. Can anyone please in detail explain exactly what they do to build the medial head of the tricep. Like exercise type, lock out or no lock out? eccentric portion, elbow position, volume, or any other tips you recommend that gets this part of the muscle sore. Like do you NEED to lock out in extension to hit this part of the tricep? I have this issue on my left tricep and it has been plaguing me with pressing and extension exercises. When I go heavy on a bench press for instance, the pop is so loud I can hear it with my headphone on blasting music. It gets painful sometimes as well. I-ve also notice the medial head on the left is much smaller than the right, however both right and left medial heads are disproportionately smaller then than long heads. I-ve tried everything to fix this, supinated extensions, JM press, close grip, Tate press and the suggestions in this vid. Nothing works and I-ve been trying for over a year I-d say. I-d appreciate any input so I can hopefully get back to heavy pressing
reply
dheuxngsjs
So I have been having some problems with pushups. at first I was having problems because I was going too wide and my right elbow was popping and starting to hurt and for a while making my elbows stay by my side helped. But after a while it became the opposite. And the pain got worse, snapping got louder. and didn't stop. But then it magically fixed again when I did wider pushups again. At least for now. Am I making the problem worse? I have a suspicion I might be. I can tell it's a tendon or muscle that's snapping over the bone, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do and need a solution. I've looked at countless videos, took two rest days from working out entirely. used an ice pack on my elbow, nothing has worked so far. Nothing at all. There's no popping or snapping that's noticable when I do pull-ups. Only pushups.
reply
So I have been having some problems with pushups. at first I was having problems because I was going too wide and my right elbow was popping and starting to hurt and for a while making my elbows stay by my side helped. But after a while it became the opposite. And the pain got worse, snapping got louder. and didn't stop. But then it magically fixed again when I did wider pushups again. At least for now. Am I making the problem worse? I have a suspicion I might be. I can tell it's a tendon or muscle that's snapping over the bone, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do and need a solution. I've looked at countless videos, took two rest days from working out entirely. used an ice pack on my elbow, nothing has worked so far. Nothing at all. There's no popping or snapping that's noticable when I do pull-ups. Only pushups.
reply
Anton-n
I've had issue in elbows on pushing excercises. After few reps it kinda locks either of my elbows so I can't straighten arm without putting much more effort into it, if there's weight in my hand. Then I feel crack in it and it's fine from then on. I have stopped trainning for years, and re-started since new year, the issue still there. I haven't thougth of whether elbow positioning has any effect on it. When I first started trainning I wasn't really paying attention to where my elbows were and it was fine. Later on I might have been trying to hold my elbows as close to my torso as possible, that might have caused it. Really usefull tip man!
reply
I've had issue in elbows on pushing excercises. After few reps it kinda locks either of my elbows so I can't straighten arm without putting much more effort into it, if there's weight in my hand. Then I feel crack in it and it's fine from then on. I have stopped trainning for years, and re-started since new year, the issue still there. I haven't thougth of whether elbow positioning has any effect on it. When I first started trainning I wasn't really paying attention to where my elbows were and it was fine. Later on I might have been trying to hold my elbows as close to my torso as possible, that might have caused it. Really usefull tip man!
reply
Henry
Hello Jeff, After 13 surgeries, I have little to no cartilage on my left elbow particularly the radial head. While curling hurts and extensions not so much my orthopedic surgeons told me I can still lift as it won't make much difference anymore at this point. I am 60 and too young to stop lifting. Triceps are my favorite muscle. I am very strict and perform the extensions basically as you described in this video. Do you have any direction or advice. A typical set would be 16 reps x 70lbs on behind head pulley triceps extensions. Nothing heavy like the good old days. 50lbs is my warmup. I do 6 sets and a warmup and cool down.
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Hello Jeff, After 13 surgeries, I have little to no cartilage on my left elbow particularly the radial head. While curling hurts and extensions not so much my orthopedic surgeons told me I can still lift as it won't make much difference anymore at this point. I am 60 and too young to stop lifting. Triceps are my favorite muscle. I am very strict and perform the extensions basically as you described in this video. Do you have any direction or advice. A typical set would be 16 reps x 70lbs on behind head pulley triceps extensions. Nothing heavy like the good old days. 50lbs is my warmup. I do 6 sets and a warmup and cool down.
reply
Paul
Tricep extensions are the worst for me. Whenever I do them, my elbow hurts sooo much especially when I flex my arm muscles. It is also bad with bench press, push ups, planks, and if I do a lot of chin ups. Does this normally happen to 14 year olds? It's annoying me because I'm tryna get them gaines but I'm limited to certain workouts. Oh and when my elbows snap the snap doesn't really hurt but it does hurt
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Tricep extensions are the worst for me. Whenever I do them, my elbow hurts sooo much especially when I flex my arm muscles. It is also bad with bench press, push ups, planks, and if I do a lot of chin ups. Does this normally happen to 14 year olds? It's annoying me because I'm tryna get them gaines but I'm limited to certain workouts. Oh and when my elbows snap the snap doesn't really hurt but it does hurt
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Alejandro
What about popping on the outside of the elbow? I feel that tendon clunking over the elbow, but its on the outside of the elbow. Feel it the most on pressing motions, not so much the pulling. My physical therapist has me doing elbow gapping, but it doesn't seem to help too much. The internet hasn't really helped me in finding a solid diagnosis either. Any advice/input would be smashingly nice!
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What about popping on the outside of the elbow? I feel that tendon clunking over the elbow, but its on the outside of the elbow. Feel it the most on pressing motions, not so much the pulling. My physical therapist has me doing elbow gapping, but it doesn't seem to help too much. The internet hasn't really helped me in finding a solid diagnosis either. Any advice/input would be smashingly nice!
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Christian
My right tricep just feels weak and aches it-s not super painful but I feel something. The sensation feels closer to the end of my tricep near the elbow. Any tips? The sensation usually feels when I-m doing triceps cables push downs, dips, and military press, bench press it-s trigger point is mid range. Is this tricep tendinitis?
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My right tricep just feels weak and aches it-s not super painful but I feel something. The sensation feels closer to the end of my tricep near the elbow. Any tips? The sensation usually feels when I-m doing triceps cables push downs, dips, and military press, bench press it-s trigger point is mid range. Is this tricep tendinitis?
reply
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