Arms / Intermediate / Isolation (single joint)

Lying Triceps Press

An EZ-bar isolation exercise for the triceps.

At a glance

Primary

Triceps

Equipment

EZ bar

Movement pattern

Elbow extension

Level

Intermediate

Type

Arms, Isolation (single joint)

How to do it

1. Lie on a flat bench with either an e-z bar (my preference) or a straight bar placed on the floor behind your head and your feet on the floor.
2. Grab the bar behind you, using a medium overhand (pronated) grip, and raise the bar in front of you at arms length. Tip: The arms should be perpendicular to the torso and the floor. The elbows should be tucked in. This is the starting position.
3. As you breathe in, slowly lower the weight until the bar lightly touches your forehead while keeping the upper arms and elbows stationary.
4. At that point, use the triceps to bring the weight back up to the starting position as you breathe out.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Elbows flare wide and the load is too heavy.

  Why it hurts: The elbow joint takes the stress instead of the triceps, and pain at the back of the elbow is common.

  ✓ Instead: Keep the elbows pointing forward (or up overhead) and choose a moderate load for 8–15 reps.

• ✗ Arching the back during the overhead version.

  Why it hurts: Limited shoulder mobility is made up by the lower back.

  ✓ Instead: Brace the core, keep the ribs down, or switch to a cable pushdown.

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