It's the sheer variety of pushups and the fact that you must lift most of your body weight that makes them such a complete upper body exercise. It's also what makes them tough on your elbows. Your elbow isn't as prone to damage as most of your other joints, but because you use them so much, even a little pain can disrupt your life. If you get pain in your elbows during pushups, you could be doing them incorrectly or doing too many of them.
Elbows and Pushups
Elbows are made to move like hinges. During a flawless pushup pf any type, they will operate in just that way. In fact, that's one of the best ways to track your form -- if you feel a rotation in your elbow, your form is bad. Even the most perfect pushups can affect your elbows though, because you are pushing about three-fourths of your body weight. If you are not strong enough to support the move from your muscles, you put too much stress on your joints. Not only do your elbows suffer, but your shoulders and wrists will eventually suffer, too.
Improper Form
There are so many pushup variations that it's impossible to have one particular rule about how to position your elbows. A guideline is that the closer your arms are to your body, the more your hands should be pointed toward the center, and your elbows should point the opposite way from your fingers. If your hands are directly under your shoulders, your hands should be pointed straight ahead and your elbows close to your ribcage. If your hands are together in front of your chest, your hands should be pointed toward each other and your elbows should be pointed away from you. This is not true of fly pushups, though. If your hands are very far apart, they should be pointed only slightly outward, and your elbows will naturally point slightly outward as well.
Working Too Hard
Sometimes, the pain is your body's way of telling you that you are doing too much. Maybe you are not ready for regular pushups yet. Try doing them on your knees. You'll get an even better work out because you'll be able to go deeper and do more reps rather than struggling through a handful of standard push ups, and you'll be lifting less of your body weight. This way, your muscles will be more able to cope with the stress and they'll support your joints better.
When to See a Doctor
If the pain is mild and you have no problem moving your elbow, rest it for a few days and apply ice. If the pain lingers after your workout and occurs when you're not even using your elbow, see your doctor. If pain relievers don't work or the pain gets worse instead of better, you may have an actual injury -- redness and swelling are dead giveaways -- so seek medical attention.
