Push Your Triceps Beyond Failure with Rolling Tricep Extensions
Bros give biceps a lot of love, and as somewhat of a bro myself, I’m qualified to make that statement. But when it comes to filling out your sleeves and growing a massive (and strong) set of arms, the triceps are the real GOAT.
Making up around two-thirds of your arm mass, and responsible for assisting in staple movements such as the bench press, shoulder press and dips, the triceps should definitely be your priority when it comes to arm training. And this is exactly why we want to introduce you to the rolling tricep extension.
What is a Rolling Tricep Extension?
This tricep-pumping hybrid move — a combination of the lying tricep extension and the close-grip press — utilises two movements that are already fantastic strength and mass builders for the arms, but put together, can help you to shift more weight, push beyond failure and burst through muscle-building plateaus. If nothing else, you’ll get a pretty impressive pump.
The reasoning behind this combination being so effective for hitting your tri's lies in the way your muscles themselves work: we’re stronger through the eccentric (lowering) portion of a lift. By only using the eccentric of the tricep extension, then switching to the close-grip press — a movement with which you’ll be able to handle much heavier weights — for the concentric (lifting) portion, you’re able to push those tricep extensions harder than usual, hitting the triceps heavy in a stretched position, which research has shown is ideal for muscle gain.
This movement also comes in handy as a ‘post-failure’ option when performing regular tricep extensions. Once you hit (concentric) failure, you can switch to rolling extensions to knock out a few more eccentric reps, pushing beyond failure and ensuring you’re hitting your tri's with enough muscle-building intensity.
We’ll talk about how you can include this movement in your training, as well as furnishing you with a muscle-swelling tricep workout later, but first, here’s your how-to guide:
How To Perform The Rolling Tricep Extension
Lie flat, either on the floor or a bench, pressing your feet into the floor.
Press a pair of dumbbells (or a barbell) up above your chest.
Keeping your upper arms fixed, hinge at the elbows, slowly lowering the weight towards your head.
When the weight can’t travel any further, roll your arms forward into the bottom of a bench-press position.
Keep your elbows tucked close to your body and explosively press the weight back up.
Repeat.
Tricep Finisher Workout
So, you know the how and the why, here’s how to put the rolling tricep extension into practice and supersize those triceps.
After your regular upper-body, pushing or full-body workout, head to the dumbbell rack for the following two-part workout.
Part 1
A. Over 3-4 sets, build to the heaviest possible weight with which you can perform 8-10 tricep extensions with impeccable form.
B. Once you near failure for each set, switch to rolling tricep extensions and crank out as many reps as you can using the hybrid move, ensuring you control that eccentric and aim for a deep stretch of the triceps for maximum effect.
Part 2
Continue adding weight or trying heavier dumbbells, now exclusively performing rolling tricep extensions. Over 3-4 sets, try to find the heaviest weight you can safely perform 8-10 reps with, with impeccable form.
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