Hey yall looking for advice from people who’ve gone through training periods doing overhead tricep extensions vs not doing them and using other movements like pushdowns/dips/cgbench. I understand the long head of the triceps is attached to the scapula so it would make sense you’d get the most growth from doing overhead exercises as shoulder elevated position would be where the long head is the most stretched. Has anyone noticed less vs more growth when switching from say dips or a press down to a French press/overhead extension? Obviously genetics determine everything at the end of the day but looking for y’all’s experience.
I’ve done exactly such an experiment over the past year. Never really did direct tricep work other that board presses when I competed.
Past year I do one accessory tricep left each Push day. I mainly use: PJR extension, JM presses, or overhead barbell extensions.
That long head definitely blew up but did it make a dramatic difference in how I look? Meh. Some. Triceps are one bodypart that I rarely have to train directly. That’s not genetics, that’s starting powerlifting at 13-14 years old!
I definitely enjoy those deep stretch movements. Got to respect them though otherwise you’re in for some chronic elbow pain.
Personally I found the best growth from doing heavy ass skullcrushers laying flat , one DB for each hand and just a fuck ton of Close Grip Benching.
I can’t do really Skullcrushers anymore because my rotator cuff wants to clock out from those now and days, so my replacement has been floor press, dips, and cg bench. Hit it just as hard.
My preferred tricep exercises are the hammer machine tricep extension and the nautilus dip machine
i alternate each one every week as triceps get worked during presses too
triceps don’t require stretch though…tension to length ratio
Lateral and medial get worked from pressing movements and overhead work even… I just target the long head
Next time you’re doing Pushdowns, just turn around facing the other way, so your arms are over your head and do some extensions like that. If it blows your Triceps up, keep doing it.
I was gonna comment until this. Anything you post from here on out loses all credibility
I alternate between Standing TX with either Pre-Weighted BB (hold it like DB TX) or Cable Version, with rope attachment. I won’t say my long head “blew up”, but it has filled-up from being a former weak spot. I usually pair one of those with Pushdowns or CG Bench, to hit the rest of the muscle fully. I did the lower 2/3 of pushdowns for the longest time; I now do them with FROM, with a pause at stretch.
Lmao just stating the facts brother, guess u don’t know
If your goal is maximum arm size, I think it’s important to hit all 3 heads of the triceps and I definitely notice the best activation in any sort of overhead extension(dumbbell, Barbell, Cable) and skull crusher where I keep my arms back behind my head. If you don’t include the overhead stuff, your triceps can still grow, but your long head will probably not receive enough work, and that is really the triceps head that gives the look of a huge arm.
I also think you’ll want an OH move to max arm size. If it’s bothering your elbows (it does for me), I’ve found allowing a little play in my shoulders, rather than just locking the upper arms in place, both gives me a better feel in my triceps and spares my elbows.
I tend to prefer things with a bit of an angle (skullcrushers or facing away from the cable) vs true overhead movements - I find those uncomfortable on my shoulders.
Thanks for your advice but respectfully, I’d do a little more research into that