In addition to helping you move the weight on the bench press Y military pressits triceps they make up about two-thirds of the mass in the upper arm. And if you want to start pushing the limits of your shirt sleeves, triceps training is essential.
If size is the prize you’re looking for, a new study published in the European Journal of Sport Sciences on July 12, 2022 (1), suggests that you may want to opt for overhead triceps extensions cable nudges to maximize your growth.
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Overhead Triceps Extensions vs. Curls for Muscle Growth
The study was conducted by researchers from Ritsumeikan University and the Japan National Institute of Fitness and Sports. It included 21 participants, 14 men and seven women aged around 23 years, who performed overhead extensions and triceps curls on separate arms using a cable machine. Participants performed each exercise for five sets of 10 repetitions after a short warm-up and participated in these workouts twice a week on non-consecutive days for 12 weeks. Each week, the weight increased for each exercise.
To properly compare the results, the participants had their tested one rep max for each exercise and their arm mass measured by MRI at the beginning and end of the study. Once the 12 weeks were up, the researchers found that the participants got stronger on each exercise, but that there was about a 1.4-fold (or 40%) increase in triceps growth in arms that extended overhead compared to pushdowns. This was despite the fact that higher extensions generally meant lighter weight.
What the study says
According to the researchers, one possible reason for the Increased muscle mass is that the long head of the triceps (the triceps brachii) lengthens more during overhead extension. This means that the participants saw more tension extensions despite using a lighter weight during the exercise.
A greater range of motion is not the only possible explanation for the increased mass. The researchers wrote that the decrease in blood flow to the triceps during overhead extension could have “increased metabolic stress within the muscle and promoted hypertrophy.”
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In short, it is not entirely clear why there was more growth.
It’s important to note that this small study found that overhead extensions helped promote muscle growth compared to pushdowns, not that overhead extensions were the best exercise for triceps overall . Y there is no evidence to suggest that general extensions Y Triceps curls cannot be part of your routine. (Remember that both movements increased strength equally in the participants.)
How to do the overhead triceps extension
To make sure you’re performing the overhead triceps extension correctly, follow these instructions:
- Step one: Attach a rope attachment to the low position of a cable pulley machine.
- Second step: Select a comfortable weight, grab the rope and turn your body so you are not facing the machine. Take a couple of steps forward so the cable is taut.
- Step three: Your elbows should now be bent and your hands should be behind your head. Your elbows should also be facing forward and up.
- Step four: Let your hands go down with control. Once you feel a stretch in your triceps, fully extend your elbows by bringing your hands up and over your head. Then slowly lower your hands behind your head again and repeat. Keep your elbows in the same position throughout the movement.
Check out our complete guide on how to do overhead triceps extensions.
More triceps training content
For more information on how to exercise your triceps, check out these other articles from Bar Bend:
References
- Maeo, Sumiaki and Wu, Yuhang and Huang, Meng and Sakurai, Hikaru and Kusagawa, Yuki and Sugiyama, Takashi and Kanehisa, Hiroaki and Isaka, Tadao. (2022). Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. European Journal of Sport Sciences. 1-26. 10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279.
Featured Image: Devil Cat / Shutterstock
