Why is keeping your elbow in important during strength training?

Keeping your elbow in during strength training is crucial because it optimizes force transfer, enhances muscle activation by directing tension to intended groups, reduces undue stress on shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints, and improves overall movement stability.

Which strength training exercises benefit most from keeping your elbows in?

The "elbow in" cue is highly beneficial for exercises such as bench presses, overhead presses, rows, push-ups, and triceps extensions, as it helps protect the shoulders and effectively recruits target muscle groups.

What are practical strategies to maintain the "elbow in" position?

To effectively maintain proper elbow position, focus on a strong mind-muscle connection by driving elbows down and back, ensure a neutral wrist, set your shoulder blades by retracting and depressing them, use cues like "break the bar," and incorporate accessory exercises like face pulls for stability.

Are there any situations where it's acceptable for elbows to be out?

While generally recommended, a wider elbow position is appropriate for exercises like dumbbell flyes or pec deck, which focus on chest adduction and stretch rather than heavy pressing, or in specific wide-grip bench press variations for different muscle emphasis.

What are common mistakes to avoid when trying to keep elbows in?

Common mistakes include excessive elbow flaring outwards, shrugging or protracting the shoulders, and forcing the elbows too far inwards, which can lead to wrist discomfort or elbow strain.

How to keep your elbows in during strength training?

How Do You Keep Your Right Elbow In?

Maintaining proper elbow tuck, often cued as "keeping the elbow in," is a critical biomechanical principle in numerous strength training and athletic movements, primarily to optimize force transfer, enhance muscle activation, and safeguard joint health, particularly the shoulder.

Understanding the "Elbow In" Cue

The instruction to "keep your elbow in" is a common directive in strength training, particularly during pressing and pulling exercises, as well as in various sports. While seemingly simple, it refers to a precise alignment and muscular engagement around the shoulder and elbow joints. At its core, "elbow in" generally means preventing the elbow from flaring excessively outwards, maintaining it closer to the torso or in a more advantageous plane of motion relative to the shoulder. This alignment is crucial for several reasons, including:

Optimized Muscle Engagement: Directs tension to the intended muscle groups more effectively.
Enhanced Force Production: Creates a more stable lever system for lifting or pushing.
Reduced Joint Stress: Minimizes undue strain on the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints.
Improved Stability: Contributes to a more stable and controlled movement pattern.

Anatomical and Biomechanical Principles

Achieving and maintaining the "elbow in" position relies on the coordinated action of several muscle groups and specific joint mechanics.

Shoulder Adduction and Extension: Keeping the elbow close to the body primarily involves the adduction (moving towards the midline) and extension (moving backward) of the humerus (upper arm bone) at the shoulder joint.
- Muscles Involved: Latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis major (sternal head), triceps brachii (long head).
Internal Rotation (Controlled): While "elbow in" might sometimes be confused with excessive internal rotation, it often involves a controlled degree of internal rotation or, more accurately, preventing excessive external rotation that would cause flaring. For pressing, a slight internal rotation can help tuck the elbows.
Scapular Stability: The position of the scapula (shoulder blade) is paramount. A retracted and depressed scapula provides a stable base for the humerus, allowing the rotator cuff and other shoulder muscles to function optimally and support the "elbow in" position.
- Muscles Involved: Rhomboids, trapezius (middle and lower fibers), serratus anterior.
Forearm Position: The orientation of the forearm and wrist also influences elbow position. Maintaining a relatively neutral wrist and forearm can help reinforce the desired elbow tuck.

Common Applications and Benefits Across Exercises

The "elbow in" cue is applicable across a range of movements, each benefiting in specific ways:

Bench Press (and other Horizontal Presses):
- Benefit: Reduces stress on the anterior (front) shoulder capsule, better engages the triceps and sternal head of the pectoralis major. A 45-degree angle between the torso and upper arm is often cited as ideal for shoulder health.
- Mechanism: Prevents excessive shoulder abduction and external rotation, which can pinch the rotator cuff tendons.
Overhead Press (and other Vertical Presses):
- Benefit: Improves shoulder stability, allows for a more direct path of force, and better recruits the triceps and deltoids.
- Mechanism: Keeps the humerus aligned in the scapular plane, minimizing impingement risk.
Rows (Barbell, Dumbbell, Cable):
- Benefit: Maximizes latissimus dorsi activation. When the elbow stays close to the body and pulls towards the hip, it emphasizes the lats' role in shoulder extension and adduction.
- Mechanism: Ensures the pulling force is directed along the line of the lats, preventing the upper traps and deltoids from dominating the movement.
Push-ups:
- Benefit: Similar to the bench press, it protects the shoulders and emphasizes triceps and chest engagement over anterior deltoid strain.
- Mechanism: Elbows track backward and slightly outwards (around 45 degrees), rather than directly out to the sides.
Triceps Extensions (e.g., Skullcrushers, Overhead Extensions):
- Benefit: Isolates the triceps more effectively and reduces strain on the elbow joint.
- Mechanism: Keeps the humerus stable and prevents the elbows from flaring, ensuring the triceps are primarily responsible for elbow extension.

Practical Strategies for Maintaining Proper Elbow Position

Implementing the "elbow in" cue requires a combination of conscious effort, proper setup, and targeted training.

Mind-Muscle Connection: Actively think about driving your elbows down and back (for presses) or back and towards your hips (for rows). Visualize your lats or triceps contracting.
Grip and Wrist Position:
- Neutral Wrist: Avoid excessive wrist extension or flexion. A strong, neutral wrist provides a stable platform.
- Slight Hand Rotation: For presses, externally rotating your hands slightly (as if trying to "bend the bar") can help cue the elbows to tuck.
Scapular Setting:
- Retraction and Depression: Before initiating the movement, pull your shoulder blades down and back. Imagine tucking them into your back pockets. This creates a stable foundation.
"Break the Bar" or "Bend the Bar" Cue: For pressing movements, imagine trying to bend the barbell inwards. This external rotation torque helps activate the rotator cuff to keep the elbows tucked.
Accessory Exercises for Strength and Stability:
- Face Pulls: Strengthen the posterior deltoids and rotator cuff, improving shoulder stability.
- Band Pull-Aparts: Reinforce scapular retraction and external rotation.
- Rotator Cuff Exercises: Improve the strength and endurance of the muscles that stabilize the shoulder joint.
- Triceps Isolation: Strengthen the triceps, which are key for pressing movements with tucked elbows.
Proprioceptive Feedback:
- Mirror: Use a mirror to visually check your elbow position during the movement.
- Resistance Band: For push-ups or presses, loop a resistance band around your elbows and upper back. The band will pull your elbows in, providing tactile feedback.
- Spotter/Coach: Ask a knowledgeable spotter or coach to provide real-time feedback.
- Light Weights: Practice the movement with very light weights or just bodyweight to ingrain the motor pattern before adding significant load.

Common Mistakes and How to Correct Them

Elbow Flaring: The most common mistake, where elbows drift excessively outwards.
- Correction: Focus on the "break the bar" cue, actively tucking the elbows, and ensuring scapular stability. Reduce the weight to master the form.
Shoulder Shrugging/Protraction: Shoulders elevate or round forward, compromising scapular stability.
- Correction: Consciously depress and retract your scapulae. Think about keeping your shoulders away from your ears.
Excessive Internal Rotation (Elbows Too Tucked): While "elbow in" is good, forcing the elbows too close can sometimes lead to uncomfortable wrist angles or place undue stress on the elbow joint itself.
- Correction: Aim for a natural, comfortable tuck, often around a 45-degree angle from the torso for presses, rather than a full 0-degree angle.

When "Elbows Out" Might Be Appropriate (and Why)

While "elbows in" is generally recommended for joint health and optimal muscle engagement in many compound movements, there are specific scenarios where a wider elbow position is acceptable or even desirable:

Fly Variations (e.g., Dumbbell Flyes, Pec Deck): These exercises are designed to emphasize the chest's adduction function by keeping a slight bend in the elbow and moving through a wider arc. The focus is on stretching and contracting the pectorals, not heavy pressing.
Wide-Grip Bench Press (Specific Goals): While riskier for shoulder health if done with poor form or heavy weight, some powerlifters or bodybuilders might use a wider grip to emphasize different parts of the pectoralis major, though this typically means the elbows are still relatively tucked compared to a pure "fly" motion, just wider than a close-grip press.
Overhead Triceps Extensions (Specific Variations): Some variations might allow for a slightly wider elbow position to target different heads of the triceps or accommodate individual anatomy, though the principle of keeping the humerus stable usually still applies.

In these cases, the intent of the exercise differs, and the biomechanical trade-offs are understood and accepted for specific training outcomes.

Conclusion

Mastering the "elbow in" cue is a fundamental aspect of intelligent strength training, offering significant benefits in terms of joint health, muscular recruitment, and overall movement efficiency. By understanding the underlying anatomy and biomechanics, employing practical strategies for execution, and being mindful of common errors, you can effectively integrate this principle into your training. Remember that optimal form often involves a nuanced approach, and the "ideal" elbow position can vary slightly depending on the exercise and individual anatomy, but the core principle of controlled, stable movement remains paramount.

Strength Training: Mastering Proper Elbow Position for Presses and Rows