Tricep Pain from High Pullups

Months ago my triceps started hurting from doing high pullups. I been doing regular pullups for years, but the pain came from attempting to pull higher (high pullups)

It's been months and the pain still activates a lot if I do pullups. It activates a little if I do straight arm pulling (front lever progressions) I can still do the training if I fight through the pain.

At one point I stopped doing all pulling work for 1 and a half week to recover. Went back to training and the pain came back gradually. Do you have a idea what type problem this is and why it's take so long to recover? All my other soreness/injuries in the past got healed in maximum 3-4 days, even when I messed my back with weighted squat to where I couldn't walk well and had to lay down for an hour, I healed in 3 days, but my triceps can't still hurts after 2 months? Just from high pullups??

What is the best way to fix it? I don't want to be forced to not train any pulling workout for a month or some crazy like that. Should I just put ice on my triceps?

HI Sean, i had this many many years ago, 3 times... before beginning a structured work of GB. it is a functional overreaching syndrome.

Ice does nothing.

training against a problem does nothing.

in this case, a functional overreaching needs rest from all the pulling movements.

it took to me 6 months to heal completely.

 6 months...man this is disheartening. Just when I was getting motivated with Front lever progressions.

This is why prevention and correct programming is much more important than ego. unfortunately, your enthusiasm leads to this, something I paid of myself many years ago. i have not longer made this error. no more.

Hi Sean, 

Just to second what Alessandro has already said--I ran into this issue as well.  For me it was doing rings work.  Training ring dips, false grip and muscle up negatives when my tendons weren't prepared for it led to a case of triceps tendinosis (tendiNOSIS, not tendiNITIS), that took about 9 months of PT and basically starting from zero with all triceps work to heal.  

Thanks,

James 

On 5/23/2019 at 10:12 PM, Alessandro Mainente said:

HI Sean, i had this many many years ago, 3 times... before beginning a structured work of GB. it is a functional overreaching syndrome.

Ice does nothing.

training against a problem does nothing.

in this case, a functional overreaching needs rest from all the pulling movements.

it took to me 6 months to heal completely.

 

Hi Alessandro, I started having similar issue with my triceps when doing pulling movements (waiting for diagnoses - going to doctor next week) and came across this old thread. I am interested in your story. Did you stop all pulling movements for 6 months or for how long before reintroducing low intensity exercises? For example, I can do bulgarian rows / cable face pulls with 0 discomfort - would you also stop doing those? Incline rings rows I would assess the level of pain as 1 or 2 out of 10. Thank you a lot!!

On 2/3/2024 at 5:08 PM, Matus Michalicka said:

Hi Alessandro, I started having similar issue with my triceps when doing pulling movements (waiting for diagnoses - going to doctor next week) and came across this old thread. I am interested in your story. Did you stop all pulling movements for 6 months or for how long before reintroducing low intensity exercises? For example, I can do bulgarian rows / cable face pulls with 0 discomfort - would you also stop doing those? Incline rings rows I would assess the level of pain as 1 or 2 out of 10. Thank you a lot!!

Now my approach is better and simple...

since a tissue can heal if i move blood into it i'm used to do as follow:

- if i have pain on some exercise is try to hold the range of motion but i scale the intenity by taking off some weight from the overload or using an elastic band if i'm working with my bodyweight only

- if no matter the intensity i have some pain i try to reduce the range of motion like doing the first part of a pullup

- if no matter the intensity and the rom...and i still have pain...i take off the exercise and i move to another plain like the row and so on until i find exercise and rom where i can work

- once exercise and rom have been found i stay on a high rep range with slow tempo so that the toltal time under tension is higher than 1 minute for more blood flow...

the more you rest from pain and problem, the faster you can heal..