Overhead Triceps Extension

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

• Long-head triceps

  Hit

  Crosses the shoulder - hit best with arms overhead.

• Outer triceps

  Not hit

  Lateral head - hit hardest with pronated pushdown.

• Inner triceps

  Not hit

  Medial head workhorse - always involved, peaks at lockout.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

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3:21· ScottHermanFitness

HOW TO: Overhead Triceps Extension (BEST EXERCISE FOR HUGE TRICEPS) || PERFECT FORM (POWERBOMB)

Arms fully overhead, elbows pointed at the ceiling. Lower a weight behind the head until the forearms touch the biceps, then extend. Elbows stay still.

Common mistakes

• Elbows flaring out - long head doesn't get loaded.
• Stopping short - the long head only grows from a deep stretch.

Where you should feel it

Deep stretch in the back of the arm at the bottom; locking out the elbow finishes it.

Injury risk · 3/10

SafetyThe overhead position loads the long head fully - warm the shoulder first with band pull-aparts or arm circles.

Progression

Step back, or step up.

Same movement family, different rung. Harder versions sit above, easier versions below — tap a rung to land there.

1. Progress toJM pressHybrid press/extension - heaviest long-head loading.
2. Progress toSkull crusherHeavier elbow extension under direct gravity.
3. You're hereOverhead Triceps Extension
4. Step back toTriceps pushdownCable version is more shoulder-friendly while you build overhead mobility.

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains triceps. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

• Rope cable overhead

  Cable from the floor, face away.

  100% on target

  On target

  Same target, minor adjustment.

• Single-arm dumbbell

  One arm at a time, easier on shoulders.

  95% on target

  On target

  Same target, minor adjustment.

• EZ-bar skullcrusher

  Lying flat instead of overhead.

  75% on target

  Slight shift

  Less long-head stretch.

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

• Overhead Triceps Stretch

  Reach one arm overhead and bend the elbow so the hand drops behind the head. Use the other hand to gently press the elbow back. 30s per side.

  TricepsLats

• Behind-the-back Triceps Stretch

  One arm reaches behind the back from above, the other behind from below. Try to clasp the hands - or use a towel between if you can't. 30s per side.

  Triceps