Elbow and Shoulder Tendon Pain in Lifters: Train Around It and Come Back Stronger
Overview
If you train hard long enough, you’ll eventually deal with some tendon irritation — elbows, shoulders, sometimes knees. The mistake is treating it like a binary: “push through” or “stop training.”
Smart lifters do a third option: • keep training • reduce irritation • rebuild tolerance • maintain momentum
Tendons usually hate sudden spikes: volume jumps, new exercises, poor technique under fatigue, and high-frequency failure training. This blog gives you a practical framework to manage tendon pain without losing months of progress.
The ‘irritation vs injury’ mindset
Most tendon issues lifters feel are irritation and overload, not catastrophic tears. That doesn’t mean ignore them. It means respond early.
Use a simple pain scale: • 0–2/10: usually acceptable, monitor • 3–4/10: modify load/range/exercise • 5+/10: stop that movement and reassess; consider professional guidance
Also use the 24-hour rule: If pain is worse the next day, you did too much. Adjust.
Why elbows and shoulders flare up (common causes)
Elbows often flare from: • too much curling and pressing volume with poor loading management • heavy cheating on curls (sudden tendon load) • skull crushers with painful elbow angles • gripping everything hard without straps (forearm overload) • rapid progression in load without tolerance
Shoulders often flare from: • pressing with poor scap position (shoulders rolling forward) • too much incline angle and front-delt dominance • lack of upper-back and rear-delt strength • deep stretch flys done aggressively without tolerance • chronic fatigue and no deloads
These issues are usually programming + execution problems. Fix those, and most tendon pain improves.
The 4 levers to keep training (without making it worse)
Lever 1: Load Reduce load 10–20% and keep the movement pattern.
Lever 2: Range of motion Work in a pain-free range temporarily, then expand slowly as tolerance returns.
Lever 3: Exercise selection Swap barbell for dumbbells, cables, machines — stability is your friend.
Lever 4: Volume and frequency Reduce weekly sets by 20–40% for the irritated area for 1–3 weeks, then rebuild.
You don’t need to stop training. You need to stop aggravating the tissue while keeping enough stimulus to progress.
Smart substitutions (elbow and shoulder friendly)
Elbow-friendly biceps: • cable curls (more consistent tension) • preacher curls with strict form • neutral-grip hammer curls • reduce heavy cheating and high-load eccentrics temporarily
Elbow-friendly triceps: • rope pressdowns (adjust grip width) • overhead rope extensions (if tolerated) • machine dips (if shoulders tolerate) • avoid painful skull crusher angles for now
Shoulder-friendly pressing: • neutral-grip dumbbell press • machine presses with stable path • lower incline angle (15–30 degrees) • controlled tempo, no bounce • prioritize fly and press-around patterns if pressing is limited
Upper back/rear delts (often missing): • chest-supported rows • reverse pec deck • cable rear-delt fly A stronger upper back improves shoulder positioning in pressing.
Rebuilding tendon tolerance (the boring rehab-like work)
Tendons respond to consistent, graded loading. That means: • moderate load • controlled tempo • repeatable volume • gradual progression
Practical strategy: • choose one pain-free movement for biceps and triceps (or pressing) • train it 2–3x per week with controlled reps • keep sets in 8–15 range • stop 1–2 reps shy of ugly form • progress slowly for 6–8 weeks
Often, the tendon calms down when load is consistent and technique is clean — not when you rest completely and then jump back into max intensity.
Practical templates
Practical templates you can copy
Rules: • Use the pain scale + 24-hour rule • Reduce load 10–20% and/or ROM temporarily • Swap to stable cable/machine patterns • Reduce volume 20–40% for 1–3 weeks • Rebuild tolerance with controlled reps and slow progression
Menu (choose what fits your life and repeat it): Cable curls, Preacher curls (strict), Rope pressdowns, Overhead rope extensions, Neutral-grip DB press, Machine press, Reverse pec deck, Chest-supported rows
Progression rule: Make it measurable. Reps and load for training; weekly averages and adherence for nutrition and habits.
Mini case study: elbow flare-up from ‘more arms’
A lifter runs an arm specialization block and adds 10 extra sets per week overnight. Week 2: elbows ache. Week 3: they stop training arms completely. Week 4: they try to “restart” and pain returns immediately.
Better approach: • reduce arm volume by 30% • switch to cables and strict preacher curls • remove skull crushers for 4 weeks • keep intensity at 1–2 RIR • add a deload in week 5
Result: pain drops in 10–14 days, training continues, and by week 8 they’re progressing again. The big lesson: tendons hate spikes. They love consistency.
FAQ
FAQ
Do I need to be perfect with this? No. You need to be consistent with the big rocks (calories, protein, training progression, sleep). This topic is a “performance multiplier” once the basics are in place.
How long before I see results? Performance improvements usually show in 2–3 weeks. Visible body changes usually show in 6–12 weeks if training and nutrition match the goal.
Should I change my whole plan to implement this? No. Make one change, track it for 2–3 weeks, and adjust based on data.
What if I have pain or medical issues? Modify training and consult a qualified health professional when needed. Don’t use blogs as a replacement for proper assessment.
Action plan
8-Week Action Plan
Weeks 1–2 — Baseline Set a simple target for training through tendon irritation and implement it without changing everything else. Track adherence and performance.
Weeks 3–4 — Progress Make the smallest progression you can measure (more reps, slightly more load, better technique, or better adherence). Keep the target consistent.
Weeks 5–6 — Optimize Adjust one variable based on data: volume up or down, timing tweaks, food choices, or exercise selection.
Week 7 — Push week Increase effort slightly (closer to 1 RIR on key sets) and tighten adherence to the target. Don’t add chaos.
Week 8 — Deload and review Reduce training volume and review the results. Keep what worked, discard what didn’t, and plan the next block.
Checklist + proof
Session checklist (use this every workout)
1) Warm-up to groove the pattern and feel the target muscle. 2) Know today’s progression target (one extra rep, slightly more load, cleaner execution, or one extra set if recovery is strong). 3) Most sets end at 1–2 reps in reserve (RIR). Push to 0–1 RIR only on safer movements when form stays strict. 4) Stop sets when technique breaks — not when your ego wants one more. 5) If performance drops for two weeks, reduce volume by ~20% or deload. 6) Track the session. If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen.
Proof signals (don’t guess)
Use weekly metrics to keep your plan honest: • Performance trend: are reps or load rising on anchor lifts? • Technique trend: are you controlling the eccentric and keeping the target muscle as the limiter? • Recovery trend: are you sleeping well and showing up with energy most sessions? • Body composition trend: is waist stable during a bulk, or slowly down during a cut, while strength holds? • Adherence trend: did you hit planned sessions + protein target at least 80–90% of the week?
If two signals move the wrong way for two weeks, change ONE variable: • Reduce weekly sets by 20%, OR • Add 150–250 kcal/day if you’re trying to gain and weight is flat, OR • Swap one aggravating movement to a more stable variation, OR • Take a deload week.
Advanced application
Advanced application (how to make this foolproof)
If you want this to stick, build a “trigger” and a “fallback.” • Trigger: the cue that reminds you to do the habit (e.g., after breakfast, after training, before bed). • Fallback: the simplest version you can do when life is messy.
For elbow and shoulder tendon pain in lifters: train around it and come back stronger, your trigger should be tied to something you already do daily. Your fallback should be so easy you can’t talk yourself out of it.
Then use weekly review: • What did I hit 80–90% of the time? • What did I miss? • What’s one change that would make next week easier?
That’s how coaches build results: repeatable systems, not motivation spikes.
Extra depth
Proof signals (don’t guess)
Use weekly metrics to keep your plan honest: • Performance trend: are reps or load rising on anchor lifts? • Technique trend: are you controlling the eccentric and keeping the target muscle as the limiter? • Recovery trend: are you sleeping well and showing up with energy most sessions? • Body composition trend: is waist stable during a bulk, or slowly down during a cut, while strength holds? • Adherence trend: did you hit planned sessions + protein target at least 80–90% of the week?
If two signals move the wrong way for two weeks, change ONE variable: • Reduce weekly sets by 20%, OR • Add 150–250 kcal/day if you’re trying to gain and weight is flat, OR • Swap one aggravating movement to a more stable variation, OR • Take a deload week.
Related Articles
- Blog #42: The First 6 Weeks Back After a Break: Return-to-Training Plan Without Injury
- Blog #36: Glute Growth Plan: Build Glutes With Less Lower Back Stress
- Blog #23: Build a Bigger Chest: Angles, Execution, and Weekly Progression (Without Shoulder Pain)
- Blog #56: Caffeine and Pre-Workout Strategy: Get Performance Without Anxiety, Crashes, or Sleep Damage
- Blog #59: Training After 35: Build Muscle With Less Joint Drama and Better Recovery
Get Coached
- Personal Training (in-person) — Book your Free Roadmap Session and train at:
EZMUSCLE Personal Training Cremorne & Richmond
1 Cubitt St, Cremorne VIC 3121, Australia code 14970643424375542902
Status: Verified.
Near: Richmond, South Yarra, Burnley.
Or contact us to match your goal and schedule. - GEO verified business (NAP):
EZMUSCLE Personal Training Cremorne & Richmond
1 Cubitt St, Cremorne VIC 3121, Australia code 14970643424375542902
Status: Verified.
Near: Richmond, South Yarra, Burnley. - Executive coaching for high performers. “Build your mind,body and business” — anthonynitti.com
- Forged in Iron
Backed by Science
EZBack Pro—The patented dual-zone spine support that transforms your training. Lock in perfect form. Maximize every rep. Leave nothing on the platform — ezbackpro.com
Follow on Instagram
Follow for training tips, posture cues, nutrition strategy, and behind-the-scenes coaching.
Written by Anthony Nitti — IRFE Global Personal Trainer of the Year (2025), National Personal Trainer of the Year Australia (2025), and holder of Patent AU2021105042A4.