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Of the many variations of the triceps extension, one of the
better ones is the lying triceps extension. It is especially
beneficial for the midsection of the muscle.
MAJOR MUSCLE INVOLVED
One major muscle is involved: the triceps brachii,
a large muscle that covers the entire back of the upper arm.
It is divided into three parts, the lateral, medial and long
heads.
At the upper end, the long head is attached to the scapula
(shoulder blade) just below the shoulder joint (under the
armpit). The lateral and medial heads do not cross the shoulder
joint. The lateral head attaches to the upper half of the
humerus (upper-arm bone) in the middle of the bone shaft and
the medial portion attaches to a wide area of the lower part
of the humerus, extending nearly two-thirds the length of
the bone. Because of the inside area of attachment, this portion
of the triceps is most powerful in elbow extension, especially
at the beginning of the movement.
At the lower end, all three heads run into a common tendon,
which inserts on the olecranon process of the ulna.
MUSCLE ACTION
In the elbow joint the major action is extension,
in which the upper and lower arms move away from each other.
In this exercise the upper arm undergoes slight extension
and the lower arm moves away from the upper arm until the
arm is fully extended (straightened).
SPORTS USES
Elbow and shoulder joint extension and the muscles
involved are needed in all activities that require downward-and-backward
or upward-and-forward pushing actions. Examples are pushing
yourself upward and forward out of a chair or pushing a weight
overhead.
More specifically, this motion is needed in gymnastics in
execution of many stunts on the apparatus and in free exercise.
It is critical in the iron sports, in the jerk in weightlifting,
for example, and in the bench press in powerlifting. It is
very important in all racquet sports for backhand and overhead
strokes, even though it does not exactly duplicate the sports
actions. The lying triceps extension is also very important
for bodybuilders in developing and defining the back of the
upper arms, especially the middle portion.
EXECUTION
Lie on your back on an exercise bench. Your feet
should be flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell or barbell (with
a narrow grip), with arms bent behind and below the head.
There should be considerable flexion in the elbow joint and
a slight pull in the shoulder joint.
Once in position, pull the weight up and forward over the
head. You will notice some action in the shoulder joints together
with elbow joint extension. Raise up until your arms are straight
with the hands directly over the shoulders. Lower slowly with
shoulder and elbow flexion so that you don’t hit your
head with the weight.
COMMENTS
1) To do this exercise correctly, you must think elbow extension.
Start the action with elbow extension. Starting with shoulder
extension gets the weight moving, which makes it easier for
the elbow extensors to work, but as a result, you do not work
the triceps through the full range.
2) To work the triceps most effectively, you must use a narrow
grip. This will allow you to go through a greater range of
motion. With a wide grip, most of the action takes place in
the shoulder joint and the exercise more closely resembles
the bent-arm pullover. (This will also happen if you rely
more on shoulder extension than elbow extension.)
3) Breathing should be as follows: Inhale, then hold your
breath as you raise the weight. Exhale at the top and as you
return the weight to the starting position. If you use very
heavy weights, use this double breathing cycle: Inhale and
hold your breath as you raise the weight; exhale as your arms
fully extend; inhale and hold your breath as you lower the
weight; exhale when you hit the bottom position and then inhale
to begin the next repetition.
4) Using excessively heavy weights decreases range of motion.
In most cases, you will not be able to raise heavy weights
above the level of your head unless you use shoulder extension.
In many cases, you will not be able to fully extend your arms.
This defeats the purpose of the exercise since a limited range
of motion works only the lower and middle portions of the
triceps. In addition, continued execution through a shortened
range of motion will decrease your flexibility.
5) This exercise is maximally effective for the middle portion
of the triceps muscle. However, if you also fully extend at
the conclusion of the up phase, you can get good development
of the long head. In fact, the sooner you can fully extend
your arms, the greater the involvement of the long head. You
cannot do this, however, if you use excessively heavy weights.
Thus, by doing the lying triceps extension correctly, through
the full range of motion, with full elbow joint extension
and minimal shoulder joint extension, you will get the most
effective results.
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