How to Do Barbell Incline Triceps Extension: Muscles Worked & Proper Form

Which Muscles Does the Barbell Incline Triceps Extensions Work?

The barbell incline tricep extension works the triceps. The incline position, with your arms at a overhead position, works the long head of the triceps well. It makes it a great variation for developing triceps mass and overhead pressing strength.

The reason they are so effective at working the long head of the triceps, is that when you lower the barbell behind your head, you raise your arms relative to your torso. This engages the long head of the triceps that originates from your shoulder blade, and not your upper arm like the other two heads.

Benefits of the Barbell Incline Triceps Extension

• Triceps development. This exercise isolates and targets two of the three heads of the triceps, leading to improved muscle size, strength, and definition in the upper arm.
• Long range of motion. The movement pattern, where the barbell is lowered behind the head, targets the long head of the triceps effectively and promotes great overall triceps development.
• Improved pressing strength. A stronger triceps can lead to improved performance in other pressing movements, such as bench presses, shoulder presses, and push-ups.

Barbell Incline Triceps Extensions: Proper Form & Technique

Positioning

Make sure to seat yourself so that you can keep your whole feet on the ground, to create stability through the entire body. Keep your spine neutral, and core braced.

Movement

Keep your wrists locked, and lower the barbell down behind your head. Keep your core engaged during the entire movement, so that you prevent your lower back from arching.

Common Mistakes in the Barbell Incline Triceps Extension

• Flaring elbows. Letting the elbows flare out to the sides during the movement makes the exercise less effective, and can also be stressful for the shoulder joint. Keep your elbows in the same position throughout the movement.
• Hyperextending the lower back. Arching the lower back excessively can place strain on the spine and increase the risk of injury. Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core throughout the exercise to provide stability.
• Adding too much weight. Using weights that are too heavy can lead to poor form, reduced range of motion, and increased risk of injury. Choose a weight that allows you to complete the desired number of repetitions with proper form.
• Shortened range of motion. Limiting the range of motion by not lowering the barbell enough or not fully extending the arms can hinder triceps development. Aim for a full range of motion, lowering the barbell behind the head and extending the arms fully on each repetition.

Barbell Incline Triceps Extension Alternatives & Variations

1. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension
2. Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
3. Dumbbell Standing Triceps Extension
4. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

1. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

A very similar exercise to the incline triceps extension is the lying triceps extension. The incline version is a little bit more joint-friendly due to the more natural shoulder position, and it doesn’t have the same rotational force to the elbows. But the differences are quite small, so pick the version you enjoy the most.

2. Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

This variation is performed with dumbbells instead of a barbell, allowing for a greater range of motion and independent movement of each arm. The movement pattern should be the same as in the barbell version, and make sure to keep your elbows from flaring.

3. Dumbbell Standing Triceps Extension

The standing triceps extension places an even greater stretch on the triceps, and likely emphasizes the long head of the triceps even more because of the elevated position of the upper arm.

The standing version requires you to engage your core a bit more to maintain your posture and balance throughout the exercise. In contrast, the incline triceps extension provides more stability as the body is supported by the bench.

4. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension

Overhead cable triceps extension provides constant tension throughout the entire range of motion, leading to potentially greater muscle activation than the barbell incline triceps extension which relies on gravity and, therefore, may not have constant tension throughout the movement.

However, the overhead cable triceps extension could be a bit tougher on your lower back, so make sure to keep your core activated to support it throughout the movement.

Like the dumbbell overhead triceps extension, the cable overhead extension allows for an even greater stretch and longer range of motion than the lying triceps extension.

Barbell Triceps Extension vs Skull Crushers

Is there a difference between the barbell triceps extension and the skull crusher, or is it just two different names for the same exercise?

Both exercises are very similar, but there can be subtle differences in the range of motion or angle of the movement depending on how they are performed.

Typically, in triceps extensions, the barbell is lowered behind the head rather than towards the forehead, resulting in a longer range of motion than the skull crusher. Lowering the barbell behind the head engages the long head of the triceps more effectively due to the increased stretch.

The skull crusher involves lowering the barbell towards the forehead, which can limit the range of motion but still effectively targets the triceps muscles.

Both are good exercises for the triceps and while you might not need to do them both during the same workout, you can incorporate them during different training blocks for some variation.

How Many Sets and Reps Should You Do in the Barbell Incline Triceps Extension?

How many reps you should do of an exercise depends on your goal: do you mainly want to increase your strength or build muscle?

Generally, a lower rep range of about 1–5 reps per set is most effective for strength gains. For muscle gains, a slightly higher rep range of about 8–15 reps per set is generally the most effective and practical.

Of course, you will see an increase in both muscle and strength regardless of which rep range you choose, but you can emphasize one or the other slightly by working in the right number of reps.

Most lifters prefer to work in the upper rep range while doing the barbell incline triceps extension. It’s an isolation exercise, and while a strong triceps could be a goal for many lifters, heavy weights and low reps in this exercise is often uncomfortable.

How many sets you do of an exercise depends on your training experience, how many times you work out in a week, and your other training. But around ten sets per week for a given muscle group is a good starting point, and you can go even higher when you are used to training or if you stop your sets short of failure.

Read more: How Many Sets per Muscle Group per Week?

Workouts & Training Programs that Include Triceps Extensions

We have a lot of programs and workout in our app, that includes some variation of the triceps extension. Here are a few examples:

• Armageddon. 3x/week. A four-week program focusing solely on high-volume and high-intensity arm training.
• Bodybuilding 313. 5–6x/week. A three-day training split, in which you train three days, rest one, train three, and so on.
• Chest and Tricep Workout for Strength & Mass. A workout that will both make your upper body grow and increase your raw pressing strength.

All these and many more are available in our workout log app Strengthlog.

Download StrengthLog for free with the buttons below:

Read more:

• The 10 Best Tricep Exercises for Muscle & Strength
• How to Train Your Triceps: Exercises & Workout
• How Much Does Triceps Contribute to Your Bench Press?

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