# Best/worst tricep extension exercises



## BettySwallocks (Aug 1, 2012)

As the title suggests...

Im starting a 5x5 routine tomorrow which focuses mainly on the compound exercises, but once a week i can do some tricep extensions just as some assistance.

So my question for anyone that wishes to answer: whats the best and worst tricep extensions? im wanting to make the most of the one time a week ill be doing it so obviously would like the most effective, i can think of three just off the top of my head, skull crushers, rope and the good ol tricep extension machine. any ideas? does it even make a difference which one i choose seen as though they all isolate the same muscle?

cheers for any replies,


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## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

dunno what the worst are but know what works for me. EZ bar or T bar extentions on a slight incline. heard good things about decline aswell but not tried yet


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## vtec_yo (Nov 30, 2011)

Close grip bench press is supposed to be very good. Close grib bench, skullcrushers WITH GOOD FORM, and rope throws / pushdowns would probably be my best guess at the top 3.

Can't imagine bicep curls do much for triceps so I guess those would be the worst.


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## BettySwallocks (Aug 1, 2012)

haha yeah your probably right about bicep curls not being much good, also that bug on the bottom of your post got me, just tried wiping it off the laptop :laugh:


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## broch316 (Dec 24, 2011)

imo rope pull downs are the best for working triceps .. for me anyway


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## Goosh (Jun 24, 2012)

I've been doing an arms routine that does arms/shoulders. For the triceps part I've been doing:

DB One-Arm Tricep Extensions: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/dumbbell-one-arm-triceps-extension

and

Bent-Over Tricep Extensions: Like http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/seated-bent-over-two-arm-dumbbell-triceps-extension but lying on a raised incline bench face down for maximum resistance.

These work great as isolations but I've recently started doing the rope climb and the last two weeks have absolutely killed my triceps so I would highly recommend this!

I also do the following:

Overhead Extension with the rope machine: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/triceps-overhead-extension-with-rope

Tricep Pushdown with the rope: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/triceps-pushdown-rope-attachment

Combine all of these into a tricep day and you will really feel it!


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## The Cheese (Sep 22, 2012)

CGBP, Rope Pulldown and Bent Over Kickbacks.

But the king of all is Dips.


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## G-man99 (Jul 15, 2008)

The Cheese said:


> CGBP, Rope Pulldown and Bent Over Kickbacks.
> 
> But the king of all is Dips.


Bent over kickbacks??

Really??

Look like reverse w*a*nking someone off behind you


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## benno_2010 (Oct 8, 2010)

Dips and close grip bench for me


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## xpower (Jul 28, 2009)

Best I've found for me Are 7x7 weighted dips followed by 3x6-12 incline combo bar skulls


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## 1010AD (May 30, 2009)

I say kickbacks are the worst but what's best is what's been said what works for you. What i will say tho is i think with triceps form has to be spot on to isolate it, a lot of the exercises are easy to get other muscles to play a part like with pushdowns.


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## BettySwallocks (Aug 1, 2012)

bit of a noobish question but the routine states dips and tricep extensions, now what exactly qualifies as a tricep extension?


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## Goosh (Jun 24, 2012)

BettySwallocks said:


> bit of a noobish question but the routine states dips and tricep extensions, now what exactly qualifies as a tricep extension?


Not 100% sure on the technicality of it, but I've always thought it meant fully straightening the muscle out and extended it when curling at the elbow.

Feel free to correct me though as I'm still fairly new myself.


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

seriously tricep kick backs? no thanks. Absolutely dire movement which is normally the trademark move of fat mum with pink plastic dumbells

CGBP, skull crushers with the starting position behind your head (make a huge difference), then pushdowns (which grip will vary from person to person).

Kickbacks? no, just no


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## pea head (May 28, 2008)

Kick backs are the worst thing going...any exercise that resembles the form of playing snooker goes into Room 101 if you ask me


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## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

Best : CGBP, Dips

Worst : Kickbacks


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## DoIEvenLift (Feb 10, 2011)

BettySwallocks said:


> haha yeah your probably right about bicep curls not being much good, also that bug on the bottom of your post got me, just tried wiping it off the laptop :laugh:


LMFAO! i was literally trying to blow that bug away on the screen while reading your post and then realised hahaha tbf i only had few hours sleep last night tho!


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## The Cheese (Sep 22, 2012)

All you kickback haters in this thread. :001_tt2:

They're sexy. They may look like a reverse masturbation move but as we all know - it's only weird the first time.

I think they're great as a finishing exercise to give the triceps a good pump.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Haha, much hate for the kickbacks as usual. They aren't ever going to be the choice for a main triceps builder because the load mostly only goes on the lateral head of the triceps, but there is a trick to getting a greater load onto the other heads on the triceps - rather than do them with the standard neutral grip, try pronating the wrist so as your hand is fixed in a reverse curl type grip - then when bring the db to the very top exaggerate the pronation even more for a real peak contraction squeeze... you'll feel a noticeable shift in the way your triceps contract through the movement and feel it much more in the bigger inner heads of the triceps. You'll need to have the arms not so tight to the body for these to allow for the db to travel past your side.

For a main exercise for tri's though I'd do either triceps dips, CGP, or one of the many variations of extension exercises. Form is important on triceps exercises, so always check you have a good prestretch on the extension type moves and that for the presses you concentrate on the top two thirds and lock out part of the rep. Peak contraction important for all exercises.


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## Omada (Dec 18, 2011)

broch316 said:


> imo rope pull downs are the best for working triceps .. for me anyway


This would be my suggestion nothing gives me a better tricep pump. Try super setting with some weighted dips for a deep burn.


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## pea head (May 28, 2008)

dutch_scott said:


> No offence but all men with pea shooters hate kickbacks whilst real men with lean 20" inches realise how good they r
> 
> Lesson : big arm = cool here
> 
> Small arm = gay along with the kick back opinion


Is that right ?? :innocent:


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## Mish (May 1, 2011)

Tricep kickbacks?

Not even once!


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## Malibu (May 13, 2010)

dutch_scott said:


> No offence but all men with pea shooters hate kickbacks whilst real men with lean 20" inches realise how good they r
> 
> Lesson : big arm = cool here
> 
> Small arm = gay along with the kick back opinion


Maybe your just training your reach around skills cause kick backs are a killer on the joints, but if it works for you more power to ya

Undergrip tricep extensions give that 3d look, well for me it does


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## Malibu (May 13, 2010)

dutch_scott said:


> No offence but all men with pea shooters hate kickbacks whilst real men with lean 20" inches realise how good they r
> 
> Lesson : big arm = cool here
> 
> Small arm = gay along with the kick back opinion


Maybe your just training your reach around skills cause kick backs are a killer on the joints, but if it works for you more power to ya

Undergrip tricep extensions give that 3d look, well for me it does


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## empzb (Jan 8, 2006)

Dips n pulldowns are the only exercises I do and I'd say triceps are my best muscle.


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## Mish (May 1, 2011)

dutch_scott said:


> I can tell by your Avi :gone fishing


Quoted by dutch scott :wub: :cowboy:


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## Gotista (Sep 25, 2012)

what exercises focus onm the lateral head the most? (one on the side) ive noticed mne have gone kind of flat and fading away


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## PowerMyself (Sep 29, 2011)

My favourite are skull crushers and weighted dips, though rope push downs always feel like they isolate the triceps nicely. Worst = kickbacks.


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## zack amin (Mar 13, 2012)

dutch_scott said:


> Can't isolate any part of triceps it's impossible to take a three headed muscle with origin and isolate when major ball and socket joint is there, two joints also.
> 
> And why is everybody hating kickbacks
> 
> ...


]


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## ditz (Jun 5, 2012)

That'll be why my tri's are turd lol.. I'm just about double figures kg's wise with kickbacks if I wanna use perfect form!

Some work to do lol


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## ditz (Jun 5, 2012)

dutch_scott said:


> Yours is a process mate trust your dj c


Am doing mate 

Year of big things!


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2013)

Malibu said:


> Maybe your just training your reach around skills cause kick backs are a killer on the joints, but if it works for you more power to ya
> 
> Undergrip tricep extensions give that 3d look, well for me it does


Is that on a pull down machine with hands under a flat bar?


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## Gotista (Sep 25, 2012)

dutch_scott said:


> Can't isolate any part of triceps it's impossible to take a three headed muscle with origin and isolate when major ball and socket joint is there, two joints also.
> 
> And why is everybody hating kickbacks
> 
> ...


what do you do for your shoulders?


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## bobbydrake (Nov 19, 2012)

Aren't bench dips really iffy on your shoulders? I have heard its really easy to strain your shoulders doing them rather than normal dips?


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## jay101 (Aug 9, 2011)

dips


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## bobbydrake (Nov 19, 2012)

dutch_scott said:


> U can strain going for a poo man up and dip!
> 
> No one grows worrying about strains !


True


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## Gotista (Sep 25, 2012)

dutch_scott said:


> Take em for dinner weekly,
> 
> Always make sure I tell them I love them and never ever do I look at another set of delts with loving eyes!
> 
> Obey these cant go wrong!


u must really love yourself! wouldnt wana know what you do for your other bodyparts....


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## Gotista (Sep 25, 2012)

dutch_scott said:


> Needn't you worry lots of self love in full effect


not worrying at all tis was you wid the shoulder shyte just wanted to know what exercises you do fftopic:


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## Natty.Solider (May 4, 2012)

Weighted dips and Overhead Tricep extension with a dumbbell (Single arm). Ropes and push down IMO should be done to warm up or Finnish up by filling them with lots of blood.


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## QUEST (Sep 26, 2009)

bent over cable extension is quite a good exercises ..


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## Jon.B (Mar 8, 2011)

Seated dumbbell press and skullcrushers for me...i also think kickbacks are **** lol


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## shaunmac (Aug 13, 2010)

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm sure I've read somewhere that the diamond push up, and the dumbell kickback activate the most muscle in the tricep?

(I haven't read the whole thread by the way)


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## MattGriff (Aug 21, 2012)

Depends on what you are trying to do really.

I prefer to do:

Close grip bench press, floor press, board press or dips for my heaviest triceps movements

Overhead French press, pressdowns and dead stop skull crushers for my mid weight movements

and

One arm cross body skullies, One arm pressdown (leant forward a bit kinda like a kickback) for the lighter more isolating stuff.


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## Rick89 (Feb 27, 2009)

dutch_scott said:


> U can strain going for a poo man up and dip!
> 
> No one grows worrying about strains !


TBF you genetic feak when it comes to arms and can have 20 inch gunz from ****ing 3xday

also isee dip in there :tongue:


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## Strongr (Oct 4, 2012)

BettySwallocks said:


> As the title suggests...
> 
> Im starting a 5x5 routine tomorrow which focuses mainly on the compound exercises, but once a week i can do some tricep extensions just as some assistance.
> 
> ...


If your doing a strength based 5x5 try doing tricep push downs, dips, close grip bench, barbell push ups etc

Concentrate on the pushing exercises for triceps, things like cable pull downs and other tricep pulling movements won't really help your bench as much as a pushing movement will.


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## Super_G (Feb 20, 2012)

I trained with Life Fitness's head trainer recently via work and the info he gave me was top notch.

Best tricep exercise is the kickback, even better if you replace the dumbbell with the cable resistance machine. Best bicep exercise was a body weight bicep curl, either by using the TRX or the Resistance cable Machine/ DAP machine. To do that select the weight on the full stack and handle as high as itl go, underhand grip and allow your arm to take the full weight. Pull yourself up but aim to curl your elbow towards the ceiling when you do.

Reasons came from some studies done in California I think it was where they placed ultrasounds on muscles and performed the exercise to see which used the most muscle fibres. dumbbell seated bicep curl came second with something like 47% of the muscle fibres whereas the one arm body weight bicep curl hit somewhere in the 70s. Kickback apparently was 92% of the muscle fibres.

Before I met him I would have said preacher curl and dips. Also the method of skullcrusher that dorian Yates describes in his blood and guts video is a fantastic exercise as your tris are constantly under resistance

il try and find a like to the Cali studies, threw up some interesting stuff that sort of went hand in hand with Stuart McGills abdominal bracing theories against spinal flexion and extension during cruches if that's something that anyone on here is interested in


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## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

Kick backs at the end of a Tricep workout, with some high ish reps are brilliant...purely for finishing off though.


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