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Elbow Pain During Bench Press? Here’s What’s Really Going On (Roswell GA & East Cobb GA Guide)

  • Writer: Will
    Will
  • Mar 26
  • 4 min read

If you’re dealing with bench press elbow pain in Roswell or East Cobb, GA, you’re not alone…and more importantly, you’re not stuck with it.


At Southeast Physical Therapy in Roswell, GA, we see this all the time: lifters, CrossFit athletes, and weekend warriors dealing with nagging elbow pain that starts small… then slowly chips away at performance.


Let’s break down why your elbows hurt when you bench—and exactly what to do about it.


Why Bench Press Causes Elbow Pain


The bench press is a powerful upper body movement—but it places significant stress on the elbow joint, especially when volume, load, or technique is off.

Here are the most common culprits we see in Roswell and East Cobb athletes:


1. Poor Bar Path & Elbow Position

If your elbows flare excessively (think 70–90° from your torso), you increase stress on:

  • The medial elbow (inside)

  • The triceps tendon

  • The joint capsule

  • 70°
    70°
    90°
    90°

👉 Fix: Aim for ~30–45° elbow angle relative to your torso.This distributes load through the chest, triceps and lats—not just your elbows.

30°
30°

2. Overuse of the Triceps

Heavy pressing + high frequency = irritated triceps tendon at the tip of the elbow.


Symptoms:

  • Pain at the back of the elbow

  • Worse with lockout

  • Tender to touch


👉 Fix:

  • Reduce pressing frequency temporarily

  • Perform some triceps smashing with a barbell

  • As symptoms begin to subside, reintroduce controlled tempo work (3–4 sec eccentric)


3. Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylalgia)

Yes—bench press can absolutely cause this.


Why it happens:

  • Excessive gripping

  • Wrist flexion under load

  • Poor forearm control


👉 Fix:

  • Neutral wrist positioning (stacked over elbow)

  • Reduce aggressive bar “death grip”

    • Wrap our thumb around the bar, it allows your create torque on the bar which enables you stabilize through the shoulders more.

  • Add forearm extensor strengthening


4. Limited Shoulder & Thoracic Mobility

If your shoulders don’t move well, your elbows take the hit.

Common issues:

  • Poor shoulder external rotation

  • Tight pecs

  • Tight lats

  • Stiff upper back


👉 Fix:

5. Programming Errors

Let’s call it what it is—too much, too soon, too often.

We see a lot of:

  • High volume bench + dips + push-ups

  • No deload weeks

  • Maxing out too frequently


👉 Fix:

  • Respect recovery (Stretching, Smashing of Tissues, Massage Gun, Dry Needling, etc.)

  • Cycle intensity (Deload Weeks, Don't Max Out Every Single Week)

  • Balance pushing with pulling

    • Check out our other blog that discusses this further.


How to Actually Fix Elbow Pain (Not Just Mask It)

Here’s the difference between what most people do—and what actually works.


Let's be clear - if you've asked this question in a Facebook Group you've likely been told to just blast the problem area with the Wolverine Stack (BPC-157 + TB-500) and it will go away. I don't completely disagree with this statement but if you have range of motion issues at the wrist, elbow or shoulder AND/OR don't have good shoulder stability - no amount of peptides are going to improve these things.


Step 1: Calm Things Down (But Don’t Shut It Down)

Complete rest isn’t the answer.

👉 Instead:

  • Modify load and volume

  • Stay active within pain-free ranges

    • Abbreviate bar depth - use blocks if you're solo.

    • If lifting with buddies, use boards

    • Use spotter arms.

  • Use isometrics for pain modulation.

    • Pin presses or simply loading the bar beyond what you can lift and just pushing against the immovable weight.


Step 2: Clean Up Your Bench Mechanics

Small changes = big relief.

Focus on:

  • Bar path (slight arc, not straight up/down)

  • Wrist stacking

  • Lat engagement to offload elbows

Step 3: Build Tissue Capacity

Your elbows aren’t “weak”—they’re underprepared for the demand.

Add:

  • Slow tempo pressing

  • Triceps loading (pain-free range)

    • One of my favorites

  • Forearm strengthening (especially extensors)


Step 4: Address the Chain (Shoulder → Elbow → Wrist)

At Southeast PT, we don’t chase symptoms—we fix the system.

That means:

  • Shoulder stability work

  • Scapular control

  • Thoracic mobility

Because if your shoulder moves better, your elbow doesn’t have to compensate.


When Should You Get Help?

If you’re dealing with:

  • Pain lasting >5-7 days

  • Decreasing strength

  • Pain with daily activities (not just lifting)

…it’s time to get it looked at.


How Southeast Physical Therapy Helps Lifters in Roswell & East Cobb

We specialize in working with:

  • Barbell athletes

  • CrossFit athletes

  • Active adults who refuse to “just stop lifting”


  • 1-on-1 movement assessments

  • Bench press technique breakdowns

  • Targeted treatment (including dry needling if appropriate)

  • Performance-based rehab plans


Our goal isn’t just to get you out of pain—it’s to get you back to pressing stronger than before.


Ready to Bench Without Elbow Pain?

If you’re in Roswell, GA or East Cobb, GA and tired of modifying your workouts around elbow pain…


👉 Let’s fix it the right way.


Book your evaluation with Southeast Physical Therapy today and get a clear plan to eliminate pain and elevate performance.


Even if you're not in Georgia, we can do remote movement assessments for any lifter anywhere in the world via Zoom! Let us know if we can help!

 
 
 

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