I Have Tennis Elbow and Lifting Weights Makes My Elbow Hurt

Your tennis elbow hurts when you lift weights because gripping, pulling, and repeated arm movements can keep stressing the tendon and bring the pain back.

If you have tennis elbow, you may notice the pain as soon as you firmly grip a dumbbell or barbell, or it may not show up until you have completed several sets. The outside of your elbow can feel sore, tender, or tight, and certain exercises may make the pain noticeably worse than others.

You may also find that the elbow feels fine during ordinary activities but starts hurting when your workout requires repeated gripping. Exercises such as rows, curls, pull-ups, deadlifts, and other movements that require you to hold weight can keep stressing the irritated tendon and make it harder for the area to settle down.

Gripping The Weight Makes Your Elbow Hurt

Your elbow hurts when you squeeze the handle and start the lift.

You may feel the pain on the outside of your elbow as soon as you tighten your grip around a dumbbell or bar. The discomfort can become more noticeable with heavier weights because your hand and forearm have to work harder to keep hold of the weight.

Your Elbow Hurts More As The Workout Goes On

The first few sets feel manageable, but your elbow gets sorer with each set.

You might start your workout with only mild discomfort and then notice the pain building as you keep lifting. Repeated gripping gives the tendon less time to settle between sets, so an elbow that felt almost normal at the beginning can become noticeably painful by the end.

Why Your Elbow Keeps Hurting With Weightlifting

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 repeated irritation.

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.

Why does my tennis elbow hurt when I lift weights?

Gripping and lifting weights repeatedly stresses the tendon involved in tennis elbow, which can make the outside of your elbow painful during your workout.

Which weightlifting movements can make tennis elbow hurt?

Exercises that require strong or repeated gripping, such as curls, rows, pull-ups, and deadlifts, can make your tennis elbow more painful.

Why does my tennis elbow get worse during my workout?

Your elbow may become more painful as repeated gripping and lifting continue, giving the affected tendon little time to settle between sets.

Why does my tennis elbow feel better when I stop lifting?

Rest removes the repeated gripping and lifting that aggravates the tendon, so your elbow may feel better until you return to the activity.

Can lifting weights keep tennis elbow from healing?

Continuing exercises that repeatedly trigger your elbow pain can keep stressing the tendon and make recovery take longer.

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.