The 3 Best Exercises to Build Elbow Strength and Protect Against Pain

undefeatedptandper
Aug 10, 2025
3 min read

By Dr. Carmen Jansante, PT, DPT, CSCS | Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance

There’s a popular trend circulating across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok right now:

“These 3 exercises will have you throwing gas!”

“These 3 movements will eliminate all elbow pain!”

Sounds great, right?

Well—here’s the truth: no three exercises alone will magically increase your velocity or erase elbow pain.

But, not all exercises are created equal—especially when it comes to the elbow. That’s where I want to help. At Undefeated Physical Therapy, I work with baseball and softball athletes year-round, and I consistently use these three go-to elbow exercises in our arm care and performance programs.

They’re not miracle cures—but when combined with good throwing mechanics, proper nutrition, recovery, and consistent training, they play a powerful role in protecting the elbow and maximizing long-term performance.

1. Self Myofascial Release to Wrist Flexors

If you’ve seen any of our videos on Instagram or been in the clinic, you know we use a lot of hands-on soft tissue work. Why? Because when we throw, train, or repeat a motion over time, muscles naturally tighten to protect the joint. While that can help with stability short-term, it also restricts mobility and can lead to compensations or pain—especially around the medial elbow.

This is where self-myofascial release becomes a game-changer.

How to Perform:

Use a lacrosse ball or massage ball.
Place your palm down on a table or hard surface.
Position the ball under the meaty part of your forearm (wrist flexors).
Find a tender or tight spot (start near the elbow and work toward the wrist).
Apply firm pressure with your opposite hand.
While maintaining pressure, flex and extend your wrist 20 times. (Do not let the ball roll!!!)
Repeat in 2–3 different spots.

This technique helps release tension in the wrist flexor group, including the flexor carpi ulnaris—a key player in throwing mechanics that attaches directly to the medial elbow.

I like to perform this before strength and mobility work to improve tissue quality and reduce joint restriction.

2. Rice Bucket Training

Yes, it’s old-school. Yes, Nolan Ryan used it. And yes, it’s still one of the best ways to develop balanced forearm strength.

The beauty of the rice bucket is that it provides multi-directional resistance for both wrist flexors and extensors—something traditional dumbbells don’t offer as easily.

Top Rice Bucket Drills:

Open and close fist + wrist flexion/extension
- With your hand buried in rice, open the hand and bring the wrist up, then close the hand and flex the wrist down.
Thumb-to-finger pinches
- Pinch your thumb to each fingertip one at a time while trying to open the fingers.

Rice bucket training targets endurance, small stabilizers, and proprioception—great for injury prevention and long-term durability.

3. Banded Supination

The supinator muscle doesn’t get a lot of attention—but for throwers, it’s crucial. Located near the lateral elbow, it plays a key role in turning the palm upward (supination) and controlling pronation during the throw and follow-through.

Strong supinators help offload stress from the elbow, especially in throwers who pronate aggressively.

How to Perform:

Attach a light resistance band to a fixed anchor.
Grab the band with the thumb hooked under, palm facing downward.
Keep your elbow bent at 90° and tucked to your side.
Rotate your palm up toward the ceiling (supination).
Slowly control the return (take about 5 seconds).
Perform 2–3 sets of 10–12 controlled reps.

This is a simple, yet powerful way to train rotational control and protect the outside of the elbow from overload.

Final Thoughts

These three exercises won’t fix every elbow issue—and they won’t automatically make you throw 90+. But when programmed into a comprehensive plan—including recovery, strength training, arm care, nutrition, and throwing volume management—they become highly effective tools for elbow strength and injury prevention.

Remember:

There are no shortcuts in performance (hard work and consistency are the keys).

But there are smarter ways to train.

If you’re a baseball or softball player looking to protect your arm and level up your game, we’re here to help.

📍Want a personalized arm care program?