Your elbow has started to ache when you grip the bar, do pull-ups or carry heavy kettlebells. It might be on the outside of the elbow, or the inside. Easing gripping and pulling for a while, then building back gradually, can help it settle without losing all your progress.

Why elbows get sore with training

Elbow pain in active people usually comes from the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to the bony points on either side of the elbow. Pain on the outside tends to be linked with gripping and lifting with your palm facing down. Pain on the inside tends to be linked with gripping, pulling and throwing.

These tendons become sore when load goes up faster than they can adapt. A new pulling programme, more climbing, heavier carries or simply more sessions in a week can be enough. The tendon is irritated rather than damaged, and it usually responds well to the right changes.

What to ease for now

Tight gripping is the common thread in most sore elbows. Some changes that can help:

• Use lifting straps for rows, deadlifts and pull-downs to reduce how hard you grip.
• Switch to a neutral grip, with palms facing each other, for pulling and pressing.
• Lower the weight on pulling exercises, and drop the number of sets.
• Swap pull-ups for lat pull-downs or band-assisted pull-ups for a while.
• Leave out heavy carries, hangs and grip-focused training for now.
• Loosen your grip on bars and handles where you can.

Leg training, core work and pushing exercises that do not bother your elbow can carry on as usual.

What you can keep

Most of your training can continue. Squats, lunges, bridges and leg presses rarely bother an elbow. Cycling, running and swimming are usually fine too, though you may want to check your grip on the handlebars or your pull in the water.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of sit-to-stands, lunges and bridges you can use while your elbow settles.

Gentle strength to start

Gentle strength work helps a tendon settle more than complete rest. Holding a position, rather than moving through it, is often a comfortable place to start:

• For the outside of the elbow, rest your forearm on a table, palm down, with your hand over the edge. Lift your hand slightly against light resistance, like a tin, and hold for 30 to 45 seconds.
• For the inside of the elbow, do the same with your palm facing up.

Repeat a few times, once or twice a day. A mild ache that settles quickly is fine.

Reading how your elbow responds

Notice how your elbow feels during training, later that day and the following morning. A mild ache that settles by the next day is usually fine. If it is sorer the next morning, or everyday tasks like lifting a kettle become harder, ease back a little more.

Returning gradually

When your elbow is no longer sore the morning after training, and everyday gripping feels comfortable, you could start bringing back what you changed. Something to try:

• Add back one pulling exercise at a time, with a lighter weight and fewer sets.
• Return to a normal grip on one exercise before changing the next.
• Bring back pull-ups with band assistance before full body weight.
• Leave hangs, heavy carries and grip-focused work until last.

Most people find elbow pain settles steadily as load is adjusted, though tendons can take a few weeks or more to fully catch up.

Looking after the bigger picture

Your elbow is working outside the gym too. Long days at a mouse, carrying heavy bags or a weekend of DIY all add up. Loosening your grip on your mouse and phone, and lifting with your palm facing up where you can, gives the tendon a rest. Your VIDA pain check-in is a good way to keep track of how it is shifting over time.

What to take away

• Ease tight gripping and heavy pulling for now.
• Use straps, neutral grips and lighter weights.
• Keep training your legs and other areas as usual.
• Start gentle holds to help the tendon settle.
• Bring pulling and gripping back one exercise at a time.

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