The Tricep Extension

How to do the exercise

The Tricep Extension is a highly effective bodyweight exercise to isolate and strengthen your triceps. By adjusting the height of the bar, you can easily adapt the difficulty level, making it suitable for both beginners and advanced athletes. Here’s how to perform the Tricep Extension correctly:

1. Starting Position

Stand facing the bar and place your hands shoulder-width apart on it with an overhand grip. Extend your arms and step back so your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Engage your core and keep your shoulders stable.

2. Lowering Phase

Bend your elbows slowly, lowering your forehead or upper head area towards the bar in a controlled manner. Keep your elbows tucked close to your body to fully target the triceps. Avoid letting them flare out.

3. Pushing Back Up

Press strongly through your palms and extend your arms until you return to the starting position. Focus on squeezing your triceps at the top of the movement for maximum activation.

4. Reset and Repeat

After fully extending your arms, reset your body tension and repeat for the desired reps. Adjust the bar height to make the exercise easier (higher bar) or more challenging (lower bar).

Recommended Equipment for Tricep Extensions

Pull Up Station - For maximum stability and safe progress in Pull Ups, Dips, and Muscle Ups.

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Elbow Sleeves – For elbow security and stability.

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Liquid Chalk – For grip and security during the exercise.

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Wrist Wraps – To stabilize your wrists, especially during longer sessions.

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Benefits of the exercise

The Tricep Extension is one of the best bodyweight exercises to strengthen and isolate your triceps:

• Effectively targets and builds the triceps without heavy weights

• Difficulty can be easily adjusted by changing the bar height

• Improves arm definition and pushing strength for calisthenics

• Strengthens elbow stability and reduces risk of injury

This makes it a versatile exercise for beginners looking to build triceps strength and advanced athletes aiming for clean form and endurance.

Main muscles used

The Tricep Extension primarily targets:

• Triceps

• Front Deltoids

• Core muscles (for stabilization)

With proper execution, this exercise ensures optimal isolation of the triceps and helps build balanced upper body pushing strength.

If you're looking for other exercises, check out our Youtube video:

Mistakes to avoid

Common mistakes when performing the Tricep Extension include:

• Wrong bar height: Too high makes it ineffective, too low can overload your joints too early.

• Elbows flaring out: Keep them close to ensure full tricep activation.

• Lack of body tension: Engage your core to avoid sagging hips or arching back.

• Rushing the movement: Perform slowly and controlled to protect joints and maximize activation.

• Not locking out arms: Fully extend at the top to complete the rep and get full benefit.

Progress by gradually lowering the bar over time and focusing on clean, controlled repetitions.

Discover more Exercises

Looking for more ways to level up your training? Check out our full exercise overview or try these effective exercises that perfectly complement your training:

Please read our legal disclaimer before starting your workout.

Phil

Hi, I’m Phil, the founder of GORNATION. I brought the brand to life in 2015 with a clear mission: to create a premium brand for Calisthenics, something that didn’t exist before. I live and breathe this sport, doing calisthenics myself since 2013. My vision is to unite 1 million people around the world through calisthenics, building a strong, supportive community. I'm happy that you're part of that!