Lying Hammer Tricep Extension

Muscle Groups Involved

Triceps - Primary

Highlights

Keep your elbows in tight instead of letting them flare out to the sides.
Brace your shoulder blades down and back to create a stable platform.
Imagine pushing through the ceiling with your pinky knuckle as you raise the weight back up to increase muscle activation.
Lower the weight with control and press back up with intent.

Description

The Lying Hammer Tricep Extension targets the muscles of the tricep located in the back of your upper arm. This exercise biases the outermost head. Start by lying on a bench with your upper arm ben

The Lying Hammer Tricep Extension targets the muscles of the tricep located in the back of your upper arm. This exercise biases the outermost head. Start by lying on a bench with your upper arm bent to 90 degrees with respect to your torso. With your palms facing each other, lower the weight under control as far as you can while maintaining perfect form. Allow your elbows to come up a little as you lower the weight fully. Extend your elbows with a braced core as your return to the starting position.

Common Mistakes

Don’t push through pain in the shoulders when performing this exercise. T

Don’t push through pain in the shoulders when performing this exercise. There should be no pinching or discomfort throughout the entire movement. Be sure to keep your elbows tucked into your sides instead of letting them flare out which can aggravate shoulder pain.

Pro Tips

Imagine pushing through the ceiling with your pinky knuckle as you raise th

Imagine pushing through the ceiling with your pinky knuckle as you raise the weight back up. This will bias the outside head of your triceps and focus on those fibers for better development.

Purpose

The outside head of the tricep is the most visually impressive from the fro

The outside head of the tricep is the most visually impressive from the front and side views. It gives width and depth to the appearance of the arm so biasing this part of the muscle will give you more visual impact with the same muscle. Training triceps in general is important if you want to fill your shirt sleeves as it makes up at least ⅔ of the bulk of the upper arm in terms of volume.