5 Best Triceps Exercises to Achieve the Coveted Horseshoe

[Related: Experts and Science Agree These Are the Best Biceps and Triceps Exercises]

1. EZ Bar Overhead Tricep Extension

Upright EZ bar overhead extensions are an old favorite of Dr. Israetel, though he admits, “I can’t do it anymore because I got some combination of too jacked and too immobile.”

This technique stretches the triceps deeper than pushdowns or dips, emphasizing the long head, the biggest triceps muscle

In a recent study using MRI, overhead extensions grew the overall triceps significantly more than pushdowns. The angle and loaded stretch are likely causes. (1)

If you have the mobility, this is one of the best triceps exercises you could ever do.

—Dr. MIke Israetel

Keep the elbows in during the eccentric to minimize shoulder involvement. Flaring the elbows is okay. To bias the long head, keep the elbows vertical or drop them forward so the upper arms are horizontal for better triceps activation. 

Dr. Israetel suggested 10-20 reps for best gains because it combines load with efficiency, though many rep ranges are hypertrophic. (2)

2. Barbell/Machine Skull Crushers

Barbell skull crushers or lying triceps extensions allow gravity to deepen the stretch more than other free-weight extensions. To pre-stimulate the triceps, unlock (bend) the elbows toward the hips at least for the first rep.

Touch the top of your forehead, the bridge of your nose…even go all the way down to the neck.

—Dr. Mike Israetel

More motion means more stretch, muscle recruitment, and hypertrophy. A nifty bonus: superset skull crushers with close-grip presses. Science suggests drop sets may provide a beneficial stimulus. (3) 

3. Cable Pushdowns 

Dr. Israetel likens cable pushdowns to sloppy Joe school lunches. It’s not exciting, but, he says, “you gotta do it.”

Stand close to the cable machine so the bar moves vertically. Bring the elbows behind the torso for a greater stretch than traditional pushdowns. Pause at the top.

Join the BarBend Community Forum

Looking to connect with fellow fitness lovers like you? Head to the BarBend Community Forum to ask questions, share advice, and talk all things training.

A sadistic twist: Finish with three-quarter reps from the top, lock the elbows, rest briefly, and continue ⅔ reps to failure. 

4. Behind-the-Neck One-Arm Dumbbell Extensions

One-arm upright overhead extensions offer more freedom than a barbell, potentially strengthening the mind-muscle connection and providing a novel stimulus. Most find a neutral grip to be the most ergonomic.

Touch the middle part of your middle back.

Slow eccentrics are essential; the sweet spot is 10-15 reps. (2) Pause during the stretch and incorporate partial reps in the lengthened range.

5. Low-Incline Dumbbell Skull Crushers With a Press

This exercise combines skull crushers and JM presses (close-grip press and lying extension). Start with the former, using a neutral grip and descending below the shoulders. Keeping the elbows bent, shift the elbows forward, then extend and press the weights. Due to the mechanical advantage of elbow repositioning:

It’s going to let you go close to and beyond failure.

What Constitutes an Effective Stimulus?

Dr. Israetel’s final tip is to try different exercises.

“If you feel tension, get crazy pumps, are sore after, it’s probably a good exercise if it doesn’t hurt your joints,” he said.

While soreness alone doesn’t indicate maximum growth stimuli, good technique, progressive overload, and effective recovery habits are key. 

References 

1. Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, Sakurai H, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023 Jul;23(7):1240-1250. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35819335.
2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.
3. Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 4;16(24):4897. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244897. PMID: 31817252; PMCID: PMC6950543.

Featured image via Shutterstock/ThompsonD