Purpose

(1) To hit all three heads of the triceps, emphasizing the long head.

Execution

(1) Sit on a bench, grasp a barbell with an overhand grip, with your hands close together, and raise the bar straight up overhead, arms locked out.

(2) Keeping your elbows stationary and close to your head, lower the weight down in an arc behind your head until your triceps are as stretched as possible.

(1) A nice little add on to this exercise is to continue the exercise past the point of temporary muscular failure by performing close grip bench press with the weight you were using for the lying triceps extensions. This is very effective to include as part of a shock routine, or even as part of your usual triceps workout.

Tips

(1) Only your forearms should move during this exercise, and your triceps should be kept in place to stabilize the motion.

(2) You can always perform this exercise using an E - Z curl bar, or on an incline bench.

Machine Variation

You can also do triceps extensions with one arm at a time using machines. The advantage of using machines for this exercise is that you can maintain constant resistance during the entire range of motion. Remember, do not use machines as a replacement to free weights, only a supplement in your usual workouts.