Author: Timko Ilya - the ruler of the entire site and fitness trainer | more details >> Rod. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Author and creator of the site tvoytrener.com. CCM in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category in weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.
Place in the author rating:
out of competition
(become an author)
Date:
2018-01-31
Views:
88,518
Rating:
5.0
| All articles by the author >> | Medals articles >> |
Articles are loading...
Main muscles - rear delta Additional - trapezius and rhomboid, latissimus, biceps Difficulty - medium
Horizontal block thrust[edit | edit code]
Source:
“Bodybuilding.
Book trainer" .
Editor:
Oksana Usoltseva
Ed.
: Eksmo 2013
Inventory
: block simulator.
Muscles working in the horizontal block pull: 1 - trapezius;
2 - latissimus dorsi (lower part); 3 - large diamond-shaped; 4 - erector spinae under the lumbothoracic fascia Basic muscles
: middle and lower trapezius, biceps.
Lat Pull
Additional Muscles
: lower latissimus dorsi, rhomboid.
Stabilizing muscles
- Hamstring muscle group, gluteal muscles, adductor muscle group.
- Torso: Abdominal muscle group, erector spinae muscle.
- Shoulder joints: Rotator muscles.
- Shoulders: Serratus anterior, rhomboids, lower trapezius.
Level of training
: average.
The horizontal pull-down is one of the best exercises for developing back muscles.
Horizontal block thrust
Step 1
. Sit on a bench. Bend your legs at the knees. Grab the handle of the machine.
Step 2
. Pull the handle towards your waist. Push your shoulders back and your chest forward during the contraction. Pause for a second, holding the handle against your body.
Step 3
. Return to the starting position, straighten your arms and let the cable pull your shoulders forward slightly.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR BACK AND JOINTS
Under no circumstances help yourself with your legs by straightening them at the end of the movement! The position of the knees and pelvis should remain unchanged throughout the entire exercise. The angle of bent knees relieves the lumbar spine and knee joints.
Tips on proper exercise technique
:
- Do not use inertial force; perform a slow, controlled movement through a full range of motion.
- Do not slouch or round your shoulders while performing the exercise. Keep your chest open and your shoulder blades squeezed together.
- Don't round your middle and lower back. Keep your pelvis in a neutral position; the spine is straight.
- Inhale as you reverse the movement.
| Motion Analysis | Joint 1 | Joint 2 | Joint 3 |
| Joints | Elbow | Brachial | shoulder blades |
| Directions of joint movements | Backward - flexion Forward - extension | Back - extension Forward - flexion | Backward - adduction Forward - abduction |
| Mobilizing muscles | Biceps brachii Brachialis brachioradialis | Latissimus dorsi Muscle teres major Posterior deltoid muscle | Rhomboid muscles, Trapezius muscles |
Wide grip lat pulldown to chest
Benefits of the exercise : develops the middle part of the back and wings, forms a beautiful back relief, makes it wider, more massive, visually narrows the waist, increases strength, improves posture.
Technique:
- Sit facing the load stack, tilt your back slightly (the cable on the pulley should be taut!)
- Using the force of your wings, pull the bar down (by squeezing your shoulder blades together) so that your elbows are pointing 45 degrees down.
- Bring your hands to the top of your chest, hold for 1-2 seconds and return to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise 10-15 times.
Possible mistakes:
| Error | How to |
| You arch your lower back too much | Keep your back straight, don't arch |
| Pull your maximum weight | Use a comfortable weight without overloading your muscles |
| Lower your hands as low as possible | Bring your hands to the top of your chest, not lower |
| Use the widest possible grip | The position of the hands is slightly narrower than shoulder width, no more |
Cable pull to the neck while sitting[edit | edit code]
Source:
“Bodybuilding.
Book trainer" .
Editor:
Oksana Usoltseva
Ed.
: Eksmo 2013
Inventory
: training apparatus.
Core muscles
: latissimus dorsi muscle.
Additional muscles
: biceps.
Level of training
: intermediate to professional.
Step 1
. Sit on the floor next to a cable machine. Grasp the rope handle with your palms facing each other.
Step 2
. Pull the handle toward your face, squeezing your shoulder blades together and drawing your shoulders and forearms back.
Step 3
. Slowly return to the starting position.
TYPES OF NEEDLES
Cable trainers have several variations of the bar:
- curved short neck; used for triceps exercises;
- long neck; used for back exercises, for example to develop the latissimus dorsi muscles;
- rope with rubber bulbs; used to exercise triceps and abdominal muscles;
- straight short neck; Used for triceps, biceps and back exercises.
Basic training for the three-headed system: going over the basics
Let's look at the exercises that are the basis for this pumping:
Push-ups from behind
Such an event is not difficult to do at home if you use two stools or a gymnastic bench. Lean on the bench as far as it will go, and stretch your legs forward; during the exercise, when we inhale, we lower ourselves down and watch the bending of our arms (let them reach a right angle); as we exhale, we direct our body up and stretch our arms.
Important!
When doing this, do not place your arms wide apart, otherwise the load will shift to muscles such as the pectoral and deltoid muscles. To perform it correctly, you can watch a video that is not difficult to find on the Internet.
Extend your arms
Extension of the arms in the position from behind the head is performed with equipment - dumbbells. To begin with, we accept the starting point: sit on a chair, bend your back in the lower back and straighten the arm in which the dumbbell is placed above your head, and clasp the body with the other. After inhaling, lower your hand from the dumbbells behind your head, returning to the starting position, do not take a break. When performing, ensure that the shoulder joint is motionless, hold it with your other hand, if necessary.
French style bench press
The training is carried out with light weights. To perform this, you need a bench on which you lie down and press your back and buttocks, but lower your feet to the floor. Hold the barbell in your hands and at the entrance lower it to your forehead, while you should get a right angle from your shoulders and forearms. Hold this for a few seconds and exhale, lifting the projectile, straightening your arms completely.
Recommendation
When conducting training, do not grab the barbell with a reverse grip, because it may slip out.
Errors when pulling on a low block[edit | edit code]
| Source: Fitness for Beginners . Manual, 3rd ed. Author: Liz Neporent, 2017 |
Correct traction on a low block.
Don't lean too far back like you're doing a tug-of-war If you spend most of your day sitting in front of a computer, there's no doubt you should be doing low pulley rows.
Incorrect traction[edit | edit code]
When working on a low block, people can make a number of mistakes, and the most common of them is rounding the back or arching the shoulders and neck forward. This puts unnecessary stress on your neck and lower back. Another mistake is to lean too far back, as if in a tug-of-war (photo A in the figure).
Working on a machine with an incorrect body position only strengthens the habit of slouching. Instead of becoming more athletic and fit, you risk developing back injuries and poor posture. The specificity of the training process is this: what you train is what you get. Therefore, when intending to get good posture, you must train with the correct position of your back.
Correct traction[edit | edit code]
Sit up straight and draw in your stomach. The upper part of your body, from the top of your head to your navel, should be perpendicular to the floor. Bend your knees slightly - this will help you maintain a straight body position as you work. Extend your arms in front of you and grasp the handle of the machine, making sure that your upper body is still at right angles to the floor. Starting to pull the handle towards your chest, straighten your back even more and pull your hands towards the solar plexus. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and continue moving your elbows behind your back (photo B in the figure).
The best exercises to work your triceps
The best triceps exercises for girls and boys are designed to quickly and effectively pump up the muscle group involved in the workout. To avoid common mistakes and achieve good results, before starting classes, it is recommended to pay attention to these simple rules:
- choose the right working weights and determine the most optimal number of approaches;
- gradually increase the load in the form of additional weights when doing push-ups;
- when performing the French press, concentrate on stretching the triceps muscle at the moment of lowering;
- minimize the swaying of the body when extending the upper limbs on the upper block;
- spend the rest time between each approach usefully, stretching the triceps;
- the break between exercises should not exceed one and a half minutes;
- Before each exercise, be sure to perform a warm-up routine, which helps prevent injury to the joints of the shoulder and elbow, and prevent sprained ligaments.
French press
Triceps exercises with a barbell, such as the French press, allow you to productively pump up the desired muscle group and form steel, aesthetically attractive triceps. This type of exercise is performed in different variations:
- lying down;
- sitting;
- standing.
The most convenient and effective option is to load the triceps with a barbell while lying on a bench. With it, the greatest load falls on the long muscle bundle, but two other bundles are also involved in the training - the lateral medial. Thanks to correctly performed exercise, it will be possible to achieve a stunning breakthrough in the development of the muscles of the upper extremities.
Initial position
- Place the barbell on the holders at the base of the bench at the optimal level so that you can easily pick it up from a lying position.
- Grasp the bar with your palms at the same distance from the center point, lift it up and straighten your elbows as much as possible. This position will be considered the initial one.
- The grip width depends on the type of bar, which is why experts advise changing it periodically, for example, in the following order: straight, EZ or W-shaped. Each of the proposed options is ideal for an effective and fruitful workout.
Performance
- Exhaling smoothly, slowly lower the barbell behind your head, as if you were trying to lay it on the floor. This way it is possible to increase the amplitude and concentrate the main attention on the long head of the triceps muscle.
- As soon as the bar reaches its lowest point and the long head of the triceps is stretched to its maximum, begin pressing upward while exhaling deeply. Make sure your elbows remain in the same position as when lowering. Moving them apart in different directions or, conversely, bringing them together is contraindicated. It is also important to ensure that the buttocks and upper back are pressed tightly against the horizontal surface.
- After taking the initial position, the exercise must be repeated.
It is recommended to perform similar triceps exercises at home carefully, gradually increasing the weight of the barbell. Don't forget about warming up, because without it, unwarmed muscles can easily be injured.
Recommendations
The French press is an traumatic exercise, so to prevent possible injuries, read these useful tips:
- Throughout the entire session, make sure your elbows are at approximately the same level. Even slight careless movement to the sides, especially inwards, significantly increases the risk of serious injury.
- Don't throw your head down. If the body is located in one plane and the head is thrown back, intracranial pressure increases with increased load, which negatively affects the well-being of the trainee and his performance.
- Before doing the French press, thoroughly stretch your shoulders, elbows, and hands. This will not only improve your training performance, but will also help you avoid serious injuries.
Close grip bench press
A good effect in accelerating the growth of muscle mass in the upper extremities is achieved thanks to one of the basic exercises in working out the triceps muscle - the barbell press with a narrow grip in a lying position. This is an excellent triceps exercise not only for men, but also for girls who want to keep their muscles toned and look attractive in open outfits.
Initial position
- It is convenient to sit on the bench in a lying position. Make sure that the barbell is located approximately at eye level.
- Bring your shoulder blades together, press the back of your head and torso tightly to a horizontal surface.
- Place your feet firmly on the floor, focusing on the back of your foot. This will help fix the position and distribute the load evenly.
- Grasp the bar with your palms using a closed grip technique, the width of which should be slightly narrower than shoulder width.
- Using the force of the triceps muscles, carefully remove the barbell from the holders and place it above the lower chest - slightly below the solar plexus.
Performance
Triceps exercises in the gym or at home are performed using the following technique:
- Having touched the barbell to your chest, gently begin to squeeze it upward, taking a deep breath.
- At the maximum point, the elbows should be straight. Hold a stationary position for a couple of seconds, then carefully lower the barbell to your chest, trying to move in the same trajectory.
To make such exercises for the chest and triceps more effective, you can try doing a bench press with a narrow grip, but not fully straightening your elbows at the top point and working without stopping in any position.
Recommendations
- Even the best triceps exercises will not bring the desired effect if done incorrectly. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your workouts:
- The hands at the elbows should not move to the sides when lowering the barbell. At this moment, try to press them more against the ribs, which will help avoid injuries to the elbow joints.
- To avoid dropping the barbell during intense movements, it is recommended to hold the barbell with a closed grip.
- With a narrow bench press, the optimal grip width is slightly narrower than shoulder level. You should not place your hands very close to each other, otherwise errors in execution and injuries cannot be avoided.
- Make sure to keep your buttocks firmly against the surface throughout the entire approach.
- It is important to remember that basic triceps exercises, including the close-grip bench press, require considerable energy expenditure. Therefore, throughout the entire training, it is important to correctly distribute the load in order to withstand it to the end and not run out of steam at the start.
Extension on the block
If you are looking for effective triceps exercises for women and girls, then the cable extension is exactly what you need. This isolated exercise builds the triceps well and helps make your arms not only more defined, but also stronger.
When performed correctly, in addition to the triceps muscle, other muscle groups are involved in the work:
- rear delta;
- elbow muscle.
There are many options for performing the extension exercise on a block. We will look at classic extensions with the handle of the upper block. To perform it, a special block simulator is required, so this triceps exercise is more convenient to perform in the gym.
Initial position
- Stand at a distance of about forty centimeters from the machine.
- Grab the handle with your palms at the same distance from the center point.
- Leaning forward slightly, bend your knees slightly.
- Take a deep breath and strongly tense the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall.
- Bring your shoulder blades together, straighten your shoulders and try to keep them in one position while performing extensions.
Performance
- After exhaling, straighten the bows at the elbows, trying to keep the position of the shoulders stable.
- At the lowest point, linger for a few seconds, straining your triceps.
- Take the starting position, trying to push the weight towards your shoulders.
- Perform the required number of repetitions.
Recommendations
The basic type of triceps exercises has nuances in its implementation:
- Extend your arms exactly until you feel muscle tension. Don't overdo it by locking your elbows.
- To avoid stretching the ligamentous apparatus, try not to bend your wrists while performing.
- Make sure your wrist muscles remain stiff.
- Throughout the entire lesson, the block must be kept suspended, without lowering it completely to the floor.
Dips
This exercise will increase muscle volume and arm strength, as well as train the shoulder girdle, giving the torso an athletic, sculpted look. Even a beginner can do dips without leaving his home. The only condition for effective training is the presence of a special simulator, which can be installed indoors, if the area allows, or in the yard.
The load during push-ups must be increased gradually, starting with a partial amplitude, and when the muscles become stronger, move on to the full amplitude. If you have recently had an injury to the joints of your upper limbs, approach the exercises with extreme caution so as not to provoke complications.
Initial position
- Take an emphasis on parallel bars, trying not to bend your elbows.
- The housing must be in a vertical position. Make sure there is no skew in any direction.
- Legs can be bent at the knees or crossed.
- Keep your back straight, look ahead.
Performance
- Taking a deep breath, slowly lower yourself, moving your elbows back.
- If done correctly, the front of the shoulder will stretch as it moves down and you will be able to feel this clearly.
- It is recommended to bend your arms to a ninety-degree angle.
- As you exhale, strain your triceps muscles as much as possible and rise to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise as many times as necessary. To increase muscle mass and arm volume, it is recommended to do push-ups 10–15 times in three to four sets. Pay attention to the execution technique - the slower the working pace, the more load the triceps muscles experience, which means that the training is as effective as possible.
Recommendations
- To effectively train the triceps muscle, it is important to try to keep your body upright by doing push-ups with your head up and your elbows pulled back.
- Start all movements from the top point. The palms on the bars should be turned inward.
- It is not recommended to use bars that are too wide, otherwise the risk of injury increases.
- Avoid sudden movements and jerks that can damage ligaments and joints.
- Be sure to warm up before you start doing push-ups. Rotate your arms in your shoulders, forearms, wrists, gently stretch all the muscles of your upper limbs.
Push ups
This is also a basic exercise that uses the triceps and pectoral muscles. Classic push-ups can be performed in any convenient place. It does not require special exercise equipment and the main load on the arms will be provided by its own weight. If you want to add load, you can change the pace of push-ups, alternating fast with slow. You can also make stops in the middle of exercises, for example, with bent elbows.
Initial position
- Take a lying position, fixing the position of the body by tensing the abdominal muscles and buttocks.
- Place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, feet together.
- The gaze is directed forward, the head, back and buttocks are located approximately on the same line.
Performance
- Taking a deep breath and maintaining a straight body position, bend your upper limbs at the elbow joint at an angle of 45 degrees.
- The chest should rest touching the horizontal surface.
- We try to keep our head in a fixed position, with our gaze directed forward.
- Take a short pause, then forcefully squeeze your body into the starting position, trying not to fully straighten your arms at the highest point.
- Repeat as many times as required.
Recommendations
- Make sure that your elbows do not move in different directions. During this exercise, they should be located along the body.
- Your arms should not be fully extended at the highest point. This will significantly reduce the load on the triceps muscle and reduce the effectiveness of training to a minimum.
- When bending, lower yourself to the floor surface, trying to at least lightly touch it with your chest.
- The spinal column should always be straight and not bend when raised or lowered.
- If you are new to strength sports and push-ups are still difficult, you can make the exercise easier by doing it on an incline. The support in this case can be a bench, chair or any other object that provides reliable stability of the upper body.
Neutral grip dumbbell press
Triceps exercises with dumbbells for women and men in a lying position completely duplicate the biomechanics of the barbell press, but there are still differences here - an increase in the trajectory of movement. Therefore, if you have an injury to the shoulder or elbow joint, you always have the opportunity to choose the most comfortable position and movement in such situations.
Exercises with dumbbells for triceps train not only the muscles of the arms, the load is also distributed to the muscles of the chest. Therefore, this is an excellent option for maintaining athletic shape and beautiful body contour. During exercise, control your breathing and body position.
Initial position
- Take dumbbells in both hands and, holding them with a neutral grip, smoothly sit down on the bench.
- Place the weights on your feet, as close to your knees as possible, and, leaning back with your whole torso, simultaneously throw the dumbbells over your chest.
- At the starting point of the movement, rotate the dumbbells in one line so that they are located on both sides of the chest at the level of the shoulder joint.
- Taking a deep, slow breath, bend your lower back and place your feet on the floor.
Performance
Exercises for the triceps muscle with dumbbells for women and men are performed in the following sequence:
- After exhaling, smoothly, without jerking, press the dumbbells up. At the highest point of the trajectory, linger for one or two seconds.
- Additionally, tighten your chest muscles and lower your arms down a little slower than when you were lifting.
- In the lower position, pause for a couple of seconds, squeeze your shoulder blades together, tighten your triceps muscle and stretch your pectoral muscle.
- Slowly bring the dumbbells to the starting position.
Recommendations
Triceps exercises with dumbbells must be performed correctly, following the recommendations of experienced professional athletes:
- Always warm up before your sets. Before you begin, perform two or three sets with light dumbbells. this will help warm up and stretch the muscles of the upper limbs.
- When lowering your arms with dumbbells down, do not make sudden releasing movements, as this can injure the shoulder joint and stretch the ligaments.
- Having reached the highest point, make sure that the dumbbells do not touch each other.
- Sitting on a bench, place your feet firmly on the floor. If you neglect this rule, you may lose your balance and even fall to the floor.
Kickbacks
Kickbacks are one of the best and most effective exercises for the triceps muscle, which is suitable for both men and women. Even though it seems simple at first glance, it can be difficult for beginners to complete it the first time.
This type of exercise has contraindications:
- pain in the elbows caused by injuries and inflammatory joint diseases;
- degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the upper spine in a progressive stage.
Initial position
- Place your right leg, bent at the knee, on a bench.
- With your hand on the same side, firmly grasp the edge of the bench in order to maintain a stable position of the whole body during exercises.
- Lean forward so that your body and floor are parallel to each other.
- Make sure your spine is straight. Look forward in front of you, pull your stomach in, and tighten your abdominal muscles.
- Place your left foot on the floor, evenly distributing the load over the entire foot.
- Take a dumbbell of a suitable weight in your free hand and bend your elbow at a right angle.
Performance
- Raise your arm bent at the elbow to such a level that your shoulder is parallel to the floor. The forearm with the dumbbell should be pointing down.
- The triceps muscle in this position should be as tense as possible.
- Hold the dumbbell straight in your hand for a few seconds, then smoothly return your hand to the starting position.
- Repeat as many times as required, then change sides and do the same.
Recommendations
- If you perform the exercise with emphasis on a bench, make sure that the elbow joint is always at the same level as the shoulder joint.
- In the starting position, try to ensure a right angle between the shoulder and forearm.
- Try not to swing your forearm while performing the exercise, because this will minimize the effect of the training.
- Kickbacks do not involve the use of heavy weights, since to achieve maximum effect the shoulder must be kept fixed.
Read also[edit | edit code]
- Raider chest thrust
- Pulling the block to the side with both hands
- Pulling the block down with straight arms
- Wide grip pulldown
- Seated chest row
- Standing chest row
- Seated row of block to the waist
- Block row for biceps
- Vertical block thrust
- Upper pulley to chest
- Head pull on a high block
- Abdominal row on the machine
- Chin pull
- Pull the lower block forward
- Smith One Arm Row
- Standing one-arm row
Technique
The rope handle is fixed to the block in the upper position. The grip is usually parallel, palms facing one another. Stepping is performed in such a way as to ensure tension on the handle when bringing it to the level of the lower chest. Next, the stomach is tightened, the body is slightly tilted forward, the legs are placed in “scissors” of moderate depth so that the pelvis remains stable and turned forward.
After taking the starting position, you need to bring your forearms to an imaginary line parallel to the floor and straighten your arms at the elbows. During the movement, make sure that the shoulders remain turned and away from the ears, and the shoulder blades actively fall towards the pelvis.
Pulling by swinging the body, pushing away from the body with the elbows, or aggressively moving the shoulders forward to push the weight lower is not allowed. This movement should not be performed due to inertia. If you fully bend the elbow joints, part of the amplitude of movement will be carried out by inertia, so it is worth stopping the bending where the forearm becomes parallel to the floor.
Sometimes pulling with a rope handle feels uncomfortable. The reason may be a weak grip, when pinching the fingers on the rope causes pain in the wrist. The grip is worth working on, and with this movement too. But if you need to do the exercise now, and the condition of your hands does not allow you to do this, you should change the rope handle to the V-shaped handle of the simulator and work with it.
The number of approaches and repetitions is determined by the purpose of the training and the individual reaction of the muscles. This is usually something in the range of 8-15 reps for 3-4 sets.
Video - Block Press Down
The bench press in a block machine is an excellent exercise for developing the triceps; this type of press belongs to the category of isolated exercises, since only one elbow joint is involved in it, and the entire load goes to the target muscle. There is a misconception among beginners about arm training. They believe that in order for your arm to appear massive, you need to train your biceps hard. Undoubtedly, its training is important, but you need to understand that the triceps occupy most of the shoulder, and it is this that gives the arm volume.
Tips: Pressing to the bottom in a block machine
1. To ensure that the long head of the triceps is well stretched in the starting position, tilt your torso slightly forward and your elbows slightly extended in front of your body.
2. Do not loosen your grip during the exercise and do not straighten your wrists! The turning of the hand with the palms towards the hips occurs only due to the supination of the forearm (rotating it around its axis towards the outside). Throughout the entire set, the wrist is fixed: the hands and forearms are extended in one line.
3. By turning your hands with your palms facing your hips, you strengthen the contraction of the triceps.
4. The main load in the downward press falls on the lateral (side) head of the triceps. However, you can get the long head of the triceps to work at full strength. To do this, keep your elbows slightly extended in front of your body.
5. Do not tilt your torso forward and do not pull your elbows back, helping yourself to push the handles down. This shifts the focus of the load from the triceps to other muscles.
6. You can use heavy weights in this exercise, but without fanaticism! The weight of the load should not be an obstacle if the correct technique and form of movement are observed.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.
The triceps, the largest muscle in the arm, requires careful and varied training of all three heads. Only in this way can it be made to “grow” qualitatively and correctly, increasing the size of the arm.
By the way, many beginners have the mistaken opinion that to create massive and thick arms you need to purposefully “pump up” your biceps. Of course, this muscle group also requires attention, but the volume is created by the triceps, which covers the back of the arm from the shoulder to the elbow. And among the exercises (of which, by the way, there are many) for working it out, one of the most effective is the downward press, performed in a vertical block machine. Thanks to several grip options (which we will look at below), you can achieve a high-quality load on all three heads of the muscle, right down to the deepest fibers.
Working muscles
Since the movement occurs in one joint - the elbow - the press down is an isolating exercise. Consequently, the load is concentrated only on the main group responsible for elbow extension - in fact, the triceps itself.
Anatomically, the muscle group consists of three heads of different lengths:
- Medial - located on the inside of the arm and is the smallest head. Works from the very beginning of movement (extension)
- The long one is located at the back (therefore it is often called the posterior head of the triceps) and is the largest. Takes an active part in extension, and also fixes the elbow joint near the body.
- Lateral – located at the back and side of the arm. It is its correct development that makes it possible to give the hand a “horseshoe” shape. It comes into operation if the force of the medial head is not enough.
Depending on the grip used, you can achieve different load distribution on different heads.
To whom, when and why
Despite the fact that the press down is not a basic exercise, it can safely be called a universal way to develop triceps. It is equally useful to do it for both beginner athletes practicing bodybuilding and experienced bodybuilders, both during cutting and when gaining weight - naturally, with its own nuances and characteristics.
The exercise is not very effective only for those who just recently came to the gym and have not yet managed to gain muscle mass. In this case, it is best to pay attention to the “base”. In particular, to work the triceps, this is, first of all, performing a bench press with a narrow grip.
For all other athletes, cable extensions (arm extensions on a block) are one of the most effective ways to build beautiful and powerful triceps.
The exercise is performed on the day of arm training (or, if you train biceps and triceps separately, then on the day of triceps training). Since it is an isolating exercise, it should be placed after the “base” and more complex exercises - bench press, push-ups (on uneven bars or from a bench) and French press.
As mentioned above, the exercise is equally relevant both for increasing volume and when working on relief. By the way, when performed repeatedly with minimal weight, a fairly high-quality and powerful “pump” of the triceps is achieved, which is an excellent stimulator of muscle growth.
The exercise is included in programs for high-quality and deep study of all three heads of the triceps, and the ability to shift the emphasis to each of them.
Execution technique
Extension is performed using the top cable of a vertical pulley machine, which is an essential device for any gym. You can use several different handles: straight, curved at the edges, rope, single.
- We stand in front of the simulator stand. We tilt our body forward a little, raise our arms, grab the handle and lower it down. Starting position – the arm from the shoulder to the elbow is perpendicular to the floor and bent at the elbow joint.
- We begin the movement by smoothly extending the elbows until the arm is completely straight.
- After holding at the bottom point, we smoothly relax the triceps, returning the handle back.
- Repeat the required number of times.
Important nuances and tips
- Working weight. The exercise is performed with medium or minimal weight. When working with maximum weight, it is very difficult to avoid “cheating” - swaying of the body.
- Number of repetitions. When performing a downward press, a large number of repetitions is important (both during “drying” and when dialing) – from 10 to 20 in 1 approach.
- Execution speed. You should move smoothly, avoiding inertia, extend your arms slowly, and bend them a little faster.
- Body and legs. During execution, the movement is performed only in one joint - the elbow. The rest of the body should remain motionless until the very end of the exercise. This also applies to the arms from the shoulder to the elbow - they must be perpendicular to the surface.
- Delay at the bottom. Holding with your arms fully extended is a fairly effective way to maximally target your triceps. The technique, in principle, is not mandatory, and it is best to use it periodically to change the type of load. For example, perform two sets moving continuously, and the third with a delay.
- Holding your breath. Since the spine does not receive significant load, it is not necessary to hold your breath.
- Body tilt. The more you lean your body forward, the more the load shifts to the long head of the triceps.
- Brushes. When working with a rope handle (your hands face each other in the starting position), try to turn your palms down - this will put even more stress on your triceps.
- "Cheating." When working with large weights, make sure that the body does not swing, helping to “add on” the handle. If this cannot be avoided, reduce weight.
- The exercise can be used effectively in supersets. Alternatively, a combination with a French press or exercises for developing biceps is perfect.
