Inner elbow pain during pull ups that feels tight, sore, or sharp while gripping and pulling is often linked to golfer’s elbow, especially when repeated pulling workouts keep stressing the tendons on the inside of the elbow.
Inner elbow pain during pull ups commonly feels worse as soon as you hang from the bar or start pulling yourself upward, and golfer’s elbow is one of the most common reasons for that pattern. The tendons on the inside of the elbow can become irritated from repeated gripping and pulling, leaving the area tight, painful, and slow to loosen up during workouts.
You may notice the inside of your elbow feels fine while resting, but the second you grab the pull up bar the area starts to ache, tighten, or pull. Sometimes the pain is strongest during the first few reps, while other times it builds as your set continues. The movement can start feeling awkward because your arm no longer wants to fully pull or grip comfortably.
Golfer’s elbow often develops gradually from repeated pulling movements, gripping exercises, rows, chin ups, climbing, or heavy lifting. Instead of feeling like one sudden injury, the area usually starts feeling stiff between workouts, sore when carrying things, or tender when you press the inside of the elbow. Pull ups can keep aggravating the irritated tendon before it has enough time to recover fully.
The Pain Starts As Soon As You Hang From The Bar
You may feel the inside of the elbow tighten immediately when your grip takes body weight.
Pull ups place constant tension through the forearm flexor tendons that attach near the inner elbow. When those tendons are already irritated, simply hanging from the bar can create that familiar pulling or aching sensation before the actual pulling motion even starts. You may also notice the elbow feels weak or sensitive during wider grips or slower reps.
The Elbow Feels Worse As Reps And Workouts Add Up
You might notice the pain builds later in the workout or keeps returning after training days.
Repeated pulling sessions can leave the inside of the elbow feeling sore long after the workout ends. The area may tighten again later that day, ache when gripping everyday objects, or feel stiff the next morning when you straighten your arm. If recovery stays limited between workouts, the tendon can remain sensitive during nearly every pull up session.
Why Your Elbow Could Be Taking Longer To Heal
Your elbow has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.
Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.
When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your elbow feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.
What Can Help Your Elbow Feel Better
Your elbow starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.
Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.
Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.
If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.
If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.
If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.
If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.
If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.
Can golfer’s elbow really cause pain during pull ups?
Yes. Golfer’s elbow commonly causes pain on the inside of the elbow during gripping and pulling movements like pull ups, chin ups, and rows.
Why do pull ups hurt more at the start of the workout?
The irritated tendon may feel stiff before it warms up, making the first few reps feel tighter and more painful.
Can overtraining make inner elbow pain keep returning?
Yes. Frequent pulling workouts with limited recovery time can keep stressing the same irritated tendon and make symptoms linger.
Should I stop pull ups completely if my inner elbow hurts?
You may need to temporarily reduce painful pulling volume or adjust grip variations while the area settles down and recovers.
Why does the inside of my elbow still ache after the workout ends?
Golfer’s elbow often leaves the tendon sore and stiff after activity, especially when repeated gripping and pulling continue irritating the area.
Recommended Products
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• Acute Sinew Liniment — Used when pain, swelling, and inflammation are present to relieve pain, reduce swelling and inflammation, and increase blood flow and circulation to injured tissues.
• Sinew Herbal Ice — Used when the injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation and range of motion.
• Chronic Sinew Liniment — Used for pain and stiffness after swelling and inflammation are gone to relieve pain, strongly stimulate circulation, and promote the healing of injured tendons and ligaments.
• Sinew Injury Poultice — Used for chronic tendon and ligament injuries to significantly stimulate circulation and promote deeper tissue recovery.
• Sinew Sports Massage Oil — Used before or after activity to warm and stimulate muscles, increase circulation, relieve tightness, and improve flexibility in muscles and joints.
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The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.
