Do you ever get elbow pain during triceps extensions or pushdowns? If so, there might be a simple solution you haven’t tried yet.
Triceps extension variations such as pushdowns or kickbacks are stellar bodybuilding exercises for the arms, but elbow pain can sometimes come with the territory. Does that mean triceps extensions themselves are the root cause? No, but it’s hard to build muscle if you’re wincing along the way.
Luckily, coach and content creator Eugene Teo has proposed a simple, elegant solution so you can, hopefully, lay off the elbow sleeves and ibuprofen.
How To Stop Elbow Pain on Triceps Extensions
On Aug. 16, 2024, Teo explained his preferred method of managing elbow pain on triceps extensions. It’s more straightforward than you think.
“Fit your exercises to your structure,” Teo explained. “If your elbows hurt on triceps extensions, you’ll find lining the resistance up with your carrying angle is a lot more comfortable.”
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Neat-o. But what the heck is a carrying angle? According to a 2022 study in the journal Cureus, the carrying angle describes, “the angle formed between the long axis of the arm and the long axis of the forearm.” (1)
In simpler terms, Teo characterized the carrying angle as a natural development in human evolution that keeps your arms from interfering with your gait as you walk or run.
So, how does this relate to elbow pain and triceps exercises? Teo argued that switching from a standard triceps pushdown with your arms tucked and your forearms forward, to a single-arm cross-body triceps extension, puts the cable’s resistance in direct alignment with your elbow’s capacity to extend.
Other Voices: Teo’s advice has been echoed by other reputable coaches in the industry, including renowned bodybuilding coach Joe Bennett. “If you’re going to [train to build muscle] long-term, alignment is a big deal,” Bennett said of its importance to longevity on YouTube.
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So, will shifting from a standard pressdown to a single-arm extension cure your elbow pain? No, not for sure.
Ailments like joint pain are complex, but typically share a singular root cause — the tension you put on the structure exceeds its tolerance. You’re probably giving your elbows more than they can handle.
By swapping to Teo’s single-arm suggestion, you’re forced to dramatically reduce the weight you can use. However, you gain better alignment, which may increase muscle activation. You can also apply more effort if this swap reduces your elbow pain, which will probably lead to more muscle gain long-term than wincing through your triceps training.
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References
Kushwaha NS, Verma V, Singh A, Sharma Y, Singh A. A Study of Factors Associated With Carrying Angle of the Human Elbow in Pediatric Age Group. Cureus. 2022 May 30;14(5):e25478. doi: 10.7759/cureus.25478. PMID: 35800835; PMCID: PMC9246431.
Featured Image: @coacheugeneteo / Instagram
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