Exercise of the Week! "Lying Tricep Extension"

The Lying Triceps or what my brother calls this exercise "Skull Crushers" is a compound movement that is considered a triceps mass builder. Often called "skull crushers", this exercise uses the triceps as the primary muscle group. Secondary muscle groups include the front shoulders, and chest. This exercise can be done with a barbell, or a EZ curl bar, or with dumbbells.
To get the most from this exercise, make sure your elbows are back a bit, and stationary. Your elbows shouldn't move throughout the entire movement. Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground and keep your head and butt on the bench.

Position for the lying triceps extension
1. Grasp a barbell or an E-Z curl bar using an overhand grip with hands less than shoulder width apart.
2. On a flat bench, lie on your back with your feet firmly planted on the ground and your back flat against the bench.
3. The bar should be should be directly over your head and your arms fully extended.
 
Execution of the lying triceps extension
1. Keeping your upper arms straight and fixed, slowly bend your elbows and lower the bar to your forehead. You should be almost touching your forehead.
2. Using your triceps, push the weight back up to the starting position. Repeat the movement. Keep your elbows in at all times.
3. When your finished the movement, you can either sit up with the weight or drop it to the floor while you are lying on the bench. It will take a little practice but you'll get it.




Tricep Extension - While the biceps bend the elbow, the triceps extend the arm from the elbow joint. They are being called to act in the chest press and shoulder press movements, but if you want to work that "back of the arm" area, incorporate a movement that begins with the elbow bent, and then pushes, against resistance, to extend (straighten) the arm. This can be done with a dumbbell in each hand lying on the floor, with a single dumbbell or a barbell overhead, with one arm at a time in a rear tricep extension, or pushing downward on a high pulley cable machine.

I added a picture of this exercise being done in seated position, it's called seated tricep barbell extension. A straight-bar can be used or ez-curl bar like being used in top pic. Doing these lying or seated, with or barbell or dumbbells it will work our tricep muscle group. But, doing them in different angles,  using different equipment like barbell, dumbbells or ez-bar, wide or close grip will hit your tricep muscle group a different way and in changing and using all of these variations you will build a fuller, better sculpted tricep muscle.

Triceps is my all time favorite muscle group. I am not sure if I inherited my triceps or I just worked and sculpted them to be one of my most noticed and best muscle group on my body. I would get many complements from judges at my bodybuilding competitions, and many would ask how I was able to develop my triceps. I always feel genetics plays a big part in our body shape, and how it reacts and develops from lifting weights. Then it's how hard we train our muscles. What exercises we use to develop our different muscles groups as well. Make sure you always incorporate different variations in position, equipment used and amount of set, reps and weight used.

Doing this will surely build and sculpted any muscle group to the complete fullest. A fully developed muscle is the best looking, and of course if you plan on competing in body or figure contest or shows you will want your muscles to be full and complete. Judges will look for this in judging your total physique, and will mark you down if your muscles are not fully developed and symmetrical. So get started and change up your exercises and variations to start sculpting your muscle groups to the fullest. Build your best, symmetrical body.