Printable cheat sheet · Updated

Tennis elbow exercises · printable PDF

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TL;DR. Seven evidence-based exercises for lateral epicondylitis (ICD-10 M77.1), with sets, reps, tempo, and progression rules. Print this page (Ctrl/Cmd+P → Save as PDF) — formatted to fit one A4 sheet. The full structured 12–16 week programme with daily calibration lives inside Tennis Elbow Oracle.

Educational only. Not medical advice. Stop if pain >6/10 or 24-hour flare. Consult a physiotherapist before starting.

The 7 exercises

  1. 01. Wrist extensor isometric · 5 × 45 s · 1 min rest

    Setup: forearm flat on table, palm down, wrist hanging off edge, dumbbell in hand.
    Do: extend wrist to ~10° above neutral and hold. Why: isometrics reduce tendon pain and prime for loading. Phase: week 1+, daily.

  2. 02. Eccentric wrist extension · 3 × 15 · tempo 1-0-3

    Setup: same position as above.
    Do: use unaffected hand to lift dumbbell up; lower over 3 seconds with affected hand. Why: classic Tyler / Stanish eccentric protocol. Phase: week 2+, alternate days.

  3. 03. Heavy slow resistance wrist curl · 3–4 × 6–8 · tempo 3-1-1

    Setup: both hands on dumbbell, palm down, full ROM.
    Do: 3 s down, 1 s pause, 1 s up. Load = 6–8 RM. Why: HSR (Kongsgaard 2009) drives tendon remodelling. Phase: week 4+, 3×/week.

  4. 04. Supination/pronation under load · 3 × 10 each · tempo 2-1-2

    Setup: elbow tucked at side, hammer-grip a dumbbell.
    Do: slowly rotate palm up, hold, rotate down. Why: loads the supinator and pronator teres which co-stabilise the lateral elbow. Phase: week 4+.

  5. 05. Towel wring · 3 rounds · 10 wrings each direction

    Setup: damp hand towel.
    Do: wring as hard as comfortable, both directions. Why: builds grip endurance for racket return. Phase: week 2+, daily warm-up.

  6. 06. Reverse curl (brachioradialis) · 3 × 10 · tempo 2-1-2

    Setup: EZ-bar or dumbbells, pronated grip.
    Do: standing biceps curl with palm down. Why: strengthens the brachioradialis and lateral elbow chain. Phase: week 6+.

  7. 07. Plyometric finisher · 3 × 8 · medicine-ball drops

    Setup: 1–2 kg med ball.
    Do: drop and catch with extended arm, then light overhead throws. Why: reintroduces energy-storage capacity needed for racket sport. Phase: week 8+ only, when calibration is stable green for 2 weeks.

Daily structure

Week 1–2

Isometric (1) + towel wring (5). Daily. Calibrate morning pain 0–10.

Week 2–6

Isometric (1) + eccentric (2) + HSR wrist curl (3) + supination (4). Every other day.

Week 6–16

HSR (3) + supination (4) + reverse curl (6). 3×/week. Plyo (7) added week 8+.

Traffic-light dosing rules

Evidence

Last verified .

Educational only. Not medical advice.

FAQ

Is there a free printable PDF?

Yes — print this page directly (Ctrl/Cmd+P → Save as PDF). It's formatted for one A4/US-letter sheet. Tennis Elbow Oracle Pro exports a weekly clinician PDF with your actual loads and pain log.

How many of these should I do per day?

Week 1–2: isometrics only, daily. Week 2–6: isometrics + eccentrics + HSR, every other day. Week 6+: HSR + supination + reverse curl, 3×/week.

What load should I use?

Start with the lightest load that lets you complete the prescribed reps with pain ≤4/10 and no 24-hour flare. Progress ~10% per week as long as calibration stays green.

Should it hurt?

Mild discomfort up to 4/10 during loading is acceptable. Sharp 6+/10 or worsening morning stiffness means the dose was too high.

Related

Skip the paper. Calibrate every day.

The Oracle runs the protocol, dials load by traffic-light, and exports the clinician PDF for you.

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