Elbow Band When Lifting Dumbbells

The main reason you might wear an elbow band when weight training is if you're suffering from, or recovering from, tendonitis. Tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon that connects muscles to bones and usually occurs due to overuse. If you're an enthusiastic gym-goer, you may pick up elbow tendonitis from performing repetitive, heavy movements such as bench presses, triceps extensions, dips and pushups. While you should rest your elbows and seek medical advice when tendonitis sets in, if you wish to carry on training, or if you're in the recovery stages, an elbow band can help manage the pain and allow you to continue working out.

  1. Short-Term Effectiveness of Elbow Bands

    • Elbow straps and bands are designed to reduce the level of tension in your tendons. A study published in a 2009 edition of "The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy" found that elbow straps and splints were effective in increasing pain-free strength. The strap was tested against a wrist splint, which showed no increase in strength or reduction in pain. This seemingly suggests that bands do offer an immediate solution to reducing pain when weight training with tendonitis.

    Long-Term Effectiveness of Elbow Bands

    • While they may be effective in reducing pain in the interim, the long-term effectiveness and safety of elbow bands isn't clear, according to physical therapist James Speck of Soma Struct. As tendonitis is generally caused by a prolonged period of overuse, it's highly unlikely the pain will completely go away if you continue lifting dumbbells, as there will always be stress on the muscle, joint and tendon.

    Applying the Band for Lifting Dumbbells

    • To maximize the effectiveness of the band, it's vital you apply it properly. The band should be tight, to reduce tension, but not so tight that it cuts of blood supply or causes numbness. In the early stages of your recovery, put it on before you pick up any dumbbells. As the injury starts to heal, you may wish to only use the band on your heavier sets and go band-free for your warm-up sets.

    Lifting Considerations

    • Avoid arm isolation exercises when suffering from elbow tendonitis, advises strength coach and personal trainer Stephen Bergeron of Built Lean. These place excess strength through your elbows. This means foregoing dumbbell moves such as curls and triceps extensions and opting for compound moves like dumbbell chest presses, dumbbell rows and dumbbell shoulder presses instead. Keep your weights lighter than you would usually and perform higher-repetition sets in the 12- to 20-rep range. If you feel increased pain in your elbows when lifting dumbbells while wearing a band, cease training immediately and consult a medical professional.