Strength in Numbers #245
I work with a lot of athletes who have elbow injuries of all kinds, from elbow chips, olecranon fractures, TJ surgeries, ulnar nerve transpositions, biceps ruptures, flexor strains…you name it, I have seen it.
However, it may sound surprising, but one muscle that plays a key role in protecting the elbow from injury is the triceps.
When people think about elbow health in baseball, the focus often goes straight to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). But ligaments don’t work alone. They rely heavily on the surrounding muscles to stabilize the joint under the extreme forces of throwing.
The triceps — along with the biceps and forearm muscles — help keep the elbow integrated and stable throughout the throwing motion.
If you do not have a solid game plan for training the triceps beyond bench presses, push-ups, and triceps extensions, this post is for you.
And, if you do dips – please stop – I will get into that down the road, but your shoulder is not in a great position, so there’s way more bang for the buck.
Functional Anatomy of the Elbow Extensors
The triceps brachii is the primary elbow extensor, meaning it straightens the elbow, and we need the elbow to do that at an extremely high rate to produce throwing velocity.
It has three heads:
- Long head – crosses both the shoulder and elbow (dual joint stability influence)
- Lateral head – contributes powerful extension (need this for high hand speed at release)
- Medial head – important for stability and endurance (need it to repeat arm accelerations)
Essentially, the triceps help the arm move fast while keeping the elbow stable under high loads.
Why Triceps Training Matters for Throwing
Many athletes train the triceps with exercises performed below shoulder height, like pushdowns.
While those can build strength, they don’t always reflect the positions the arm experiences during throwing.
Throwing happens with the arm elevated above the shoulder. Training the triceps in positions that resemble the throwing motion can help improve:
- Strength at throwing-specific angles
- Coordination between the shoulder and the elbow in the delivery
- Stability during elbow extension that can also activate in elbow flexion to position the arm well during the layback
The Takeaway
Protecting the elbow is not just about the ligament.
It’s about building strong, coordinated muscles that help stabilize the joint during the violent forces of throwing.
The triceps are one of those key contributors.
When properly trained, it becomes an important component of the system, allowing athletes to throw harder, move better, and protect their elbows over the long term.
Check out this video to put more emphasis on your triceps in your training.
Strength Matters Most.
Ryan
Ryan@armcare.com
