Hitting the triceps from a novel shoulder angle stimulates growth while also training the triceps to activate out of a stretched position.
The long head of the triceps has the most functionality out of any of the upper arm muscles. It acts as a stabilizer of the shoulder joint and has great growth potential because it's usually undertrained. That's why training the triceps from this position is one of the best direct-arm exercises for any strength athlete.
Overhead Triceps Extension + Push-Up
How to Do It
- The seated position works best to avoid heavy torso lean and cheating. Fire your core, turn on the glutes, and drive your feet into the ground. Using either bands or a cable setup with a rope, hammer out 8-20 slow and controlled extensions. Focus on using a full range of motion to stretch the long head of the triceps at the bottom while maximizing the flex at the top. You'll likely tire quickly due to the overhead position because blood flow will leave the arms quicker. This means go lighter and focus on the tempo and quality of the contractions, not the weight being moved.
- Next, we'll be matching that slightly flexed shoulder position with a feet-elevated push-up. This will allow the upper chest and triceps to be the primary movers. Move slowly through a full range of motion, locking out at the top for 8-15 reps with good form.
Alternate between these two exercises for 2-4 rounds.
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