Extension of arms for triceps in a block simulator. Extension of arms on the block principles and technique of performing the exercise

The tricep extension is a shaping isolation exercise for the triceps that will help to make the arms more prominent and strong. Let's take a look at the extension technique, their variations and typical mistakes which should be avoided.

Technique and types of extensions

At correct execution exercises, in addition to triceps, other muscles should not be included in the work. The only exceptions are the stabilizers of the body that work in statics and, in fact, the hands with which you hold the handle. If you feel that some other muscle group is actively working for you, you are doing the exercise incorrectly.

Classic extensions

This is an extension of the arms with a handle upper block. To begin with, set the weight to 5 kg and do a warm-up. The exercise can be done as block simulator(extension of the arms in the crossover), and in the simulator for the back with the upper block (there is a thrust on latissimus dorsi).

The handle can be different - short straight, curved, long, with which the thrust is performed. Extension of the arms on the block, where the traction is done, makes sense only when other athletes are engaged in the block simulator.

So let's get started:

Hang a short straight handle. Grab it with a straight grip (palms down). Thumb up, not down.
The efficiency of the load depends on the position of the elbows - the elbows should be pressed to the body. Bend your arms a little more than 90 degrees.
The position of the feet can be either on one straight line, or one leg slightly forward and the other slightly back. Your task is to stand as stable as possible. The feet are already shoulder-width apart, the distance between them is 15-20 cm, if you put them on the same straight line. In the case when one is in front and the other is behind, this distance will be less.
The loin is arched, the chest is straightened, the gaze is straight. With body weight we press the handle from above, as if hanging over it. This is necessary so that you do not hold the weight with the latissimus dorsi. Therefore, we fix the body in this way. Due to the fact that the elbows are pressed to the body, and you hang over the handle, arching the lower back, you will pump only the triceps in isolation.
From the “arms bent” position, lower the weight down with the effort of the triceps. Elbows should not diverge to the sides, they are always pressed to the body.

Do 10-15 warm-up repetitions while standing at an average pace. Then hang the desired weight and work 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps, depending on your training goals.

Ladder on the block

When you come to the gym with friends, you can arrange a competition at the end of the workout - a ladder in which everyone will do the maximum number of repetitions per triceps on the block for several approaches. At the same time, the competition begins with 50-60% of your working weight, and each next approach, reduce the weight by 5-10 kg and increase the number of repetitions. Thus, by the last approach, your muscles will reach complete failure.

Attention! The triceps need to be well warmed up so you don't get stretched.

And do not forget - traction during extension is undesirable. Only triceps work.

Curved bar extension

The exercise is performed while standing. To work out the outer part of the triceps, use a curved handle. With its help, you turn your hands: right - clockwise, and left - counterclockwise. In this position, the load goes more to the outer beam of the triceps.

It is better to alternate extensions as follows: once a week you do an exercise with a straight handle, the next week with a curved one. So you can work out the triceps from all sides.

You should not do the extension of the arms on the block twice in one week - there is no point. It doesn't matter which bar you use, only the arms work. For the back, there is a thrust of the upper block.

Other arm extension options

In addition to the usual option, there is also a single extension of the arms in the crossover. This machine has 2 lower pulleys that can be used to simulate the Dumbbell Overhead Press exercise.

The technique is as follows:

Attach to lower block horseshoe-shaped handle for one hand.
Sit on the bench so that the handle with the cable from the lower block is behind your head.
Raise your elbow up, bringing your hand behind your head.
The cable should not be pressed against your back. To prevent this from happening, take your arm back a little further than in the usual version of the dumbbell exercise.
The movement starts from the level of the back of the head, straighten your arm. Then bend again.

Repeat the movement 10-12 times for 3 sets.

This version of the exercise may be needed if you want to do a dumbbell press from behind your head, but the required dumbbell is busy. The block version of such a bench press is not as convenient to do as with a dumbbell, but you should know about it anyway.

Place of exercise in the program

Triceps extension alone will not be enough to effective elaboration this muscle group. This is usually the final exercise in the bottom of the triceps.

If you are doing the classic program, combining chest work with triceps training, then triceps extensions are performed at the very end. First, for example, there is a basic bench press, then breeding dumbbells, parallel bars, and, finally, extension of the arms on the block.

If you combine the back and triceps, then you can do a harder workout for the extensors of the arms, but leave the work in the block simulator to the very end of the session.

Before you start exercising

Despite the fact that the exercise is relatively simple, pay attention to a number of contraindications to its implementation.

If the elbows hurt, it is not recommended to do the exercise until the acute pain syndrome has passed. It is advisable to do an MRI of the elbow joint to clarify the etiology (origin) of the pain.
If your wrists hurt, you should also let them recover. You can try using a medium-hard carpal fixator. If you do painless extension with them, train calmly.
After fractures, you need to wait a few weeks from removing the cast and start doing extensions with small weights per amount. This will help restore the ligaments and tendons that have become unaccustomed to the load, and prepare the joint for further weights.

Common mistakes when extending arms

Knowing what mistakes most people make will help you better control your technique.

Here are the most popular ones:

Brush bending. The hand should be in line with the elbow. Usually beginners bend them downward, increasing the load on the wrist. Naturally, it can hurt after exercise.
Elbows are widely spaced. In this position, to fix the arms in the starting position, the latissimus dorsi muscles are connected. Focusing on training the triceps will no longer work. And you will not be able to perform the exercise with the right weight.
You do the exercise while standing absolutely straight. Now your body is fixed in its original position due to the abdominal muscles and lat back. Again you will not make quality approaches.
Often, beginners slouch while doing the extension. Bad posture with weights, it can help you earn problems with the spine. In this case, it is not critical. Still, develop the habit of doing all the exercises in gym with correct posture.
You are too close to the block. In this case big weight will pull you up, and to perform extensions, you will pull your elbows back. And again, the fixation of the body is lost.
You are far away from the block. Therefore, you will need to lean forward too much, overloading your lower back. From the outside it looks very funny, so do the exercise in front of the mirror. If something is wrong, you will immediately notice.
Head down, or looking sideways. If the mirror is on the side, keep an eye on the equipment, but you should not keep your head in the wrong position all the time. Correct position heads are strictly straight.
Some first pull the handle from above with their backs, then lower it with their triceps down. It's not traction. It is not necessary to do so.
It also makes no sense to do the exercise while sitting - you have to work while standing.

Among other things, keep in mind correct breathing: effort is always made during exhalation. We return the weight back on inspiration.

This exercise can be done different grips and using different handles. We recommend doing it in different ways, for a more complete study of the triceps muscle of the shoulder (triceps). This way you can also diversify your workout. Let's look at the options and techniques for performing arm extensions on the lower block with a photo demonstration.

Watch your elbows, they should be motionless pressed to the sides of the body. Perform movements to the maximum amplitude. Concentrate and try to feel the work of the muscles. When moving up - inhale, when moving down - exhale.

Grasp the handle of the upper block with a direct grip (palms look down), slightly narrower than shoulder level. Pull the handle and press your elbows to the sides of your body. Inhale, and as you exhale, fully extend your arms. Slowly return the handle to its original position.

Extension of arms on the block reverse grip a unique exercise for "drawing" the lateral head of the triceps. Performing this exercise, an increased load is placed on the thumbs, so you may need to strengthen your hands. special exercises if they fail.

Grasp the handle of the upper block with a reverse grip (palms up). Pull the handle and press your elbows to the sides of your body. Inhale, and as you exhale, fully extend your arms. Slowly return the handle to its original position.

The rope handle provides perfect isolation and powerful triceps contraction.

Grasp the rope handle of the upper pulley. Pull the handle and press your elbows to the sides of your body. Inhale, and as you exhale, fully straighten your arms (by extending your arms, you need to spread the ends of the rope). Slowly return to the starting position.

4. Extension of the arms on the block with a rope handle with one hand

This version of the exercise will even out the muscle imbalance, if any.

Grasp the rope handle of the upper pulley with one hand. Inhale, and as you exhale, fully straighten your working arm. Slowly return to the starting position. Complete required amount once and repeat the exercise for the other hand.

It is the most common for women, as it effectively tightens the area under the arm. As everyone knows, the representatives of the weaker sex give their preference to exercising on simulators more than pulling dumbbells and barbells while in the gym. But you can often see the extension of the arms on the block performed by men. The main detail, as with all exercises, is correct technique execution, without which it simply would not make sense.

What muscles are involved

The extension of the arms on the block is an isolated exercise. It focuses on the triceps, which occupies more than half of the volume of the arm. Thanks to such an exercise as the extension of the arms on the block, you will increase the strength of the triceps. It will also help you work triceps muscle and create a relief on the hands, remove the so-called jelly. If you're having some difficulty while doing the others, the block extension will increase your pressing ability and make them easier to complete. Also enough important advantage is that this exercise is safe, since one muscle is involved, there is no tension on the lower back, and at the same time there is no load on it and the risk of injury.

Nuances

An important role is played by what position you take during the exercise. You must find for yourself such a position in which the shoulders and the area up to the elbow will be motionless, all work must be done due to the strength of the forearm. For this you should try different positions and find what is most comfortable for you. In search of the best position, you can come closer to the simulator or, conversely, move away, try to lean forward a little. But the main thing - do not allow work in the shoulder area, in which case the work will be done by another muscle group.

Initial position

The first step is to choose the most optimal weight. You should not immediately take on large ones. Choose one where you will perform the last rep of the set with a lot of effort. Next, place your hands on the handle with a grip from top to bottom. It is important that the arms are no wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly, tilt your body slightly forward. In the starting position, the arms should be bent at a right angle. Elbows should be pressed to the body.

Performance

Since the extension of the arms from the upper block is isolated exercise, during its execution, you should try as much as possible to carry out movements solely due to triceps. Bring the bar down in a smooth motion until your arms are straight. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds, trying to tighten the triceps as best as possible. It is also important to monitor your breathing. At this point, you must exhale. Then slowly return to the starting position. At this time, take a breath. In one approach, it is best to perform 10-15 repetitions.

You can also see different variations of this exercise. For example, the handle may be of rope or some other form. It turns out that the handle also matters. The choice depends mainly on the goal you want to achieve. The rope handle has a greater amplitude, which has a deeper effect on muscle fibers. The straight handle works more carefully on the straight head of the triceps, and the V-shaped handle outer part. In addition, some athletes prefer to perform a downward lockdown with a reverse grip. With this, you can achieve the most clear drawing of the muscle. But this is a slightly more complicated version. classic exercise, since there is more stress on the thumbs, so your hands should be ready.

Control the work of the triceps and try to use other muscles as little as possible.
When you reach the very bottom point, hold on for a couple of seconds. In this case, the arms should be in a straightened position.
Return to the starting position smoothly, do not throw the weight up.
Remember that your elbows should be pressed to the body.
During the exercise, the position of your legs is also important. They should be slightly bent, and the body should be slightly tilted forward.
The standing pull-up is best added to your training program as the final exercise, as it will "squeeze out" the last remaining strength well, which will make the sessions most effective.
If you have recently started doing arm exercises, then do not immediately take on a lot of weight.
Extending the arms from the upper block is not recommended for pain in the shoulders.
The optimal number of approaches is from 3 to 5 with 10-15 repetitions.

Those were all the basic details. this exercise. The main thing is not to rush during execution, try to feel the muscles.

The extension of the arms on the upper block is designed to train the triceps. It is performed to form beautiful shape hands and to strengthen the muscle that opens the way to more difficult exercises and allows you to level up training process. For more information about the rules and technique of execution - read the article.

What muscles are working?

One of the most popular exercises for working out the triceps is the extension of the arms using a block simulator. This exercise belongs to the type of isolated (or isolating), as it involves only one joint and is aimed at only one muscle group.

Extension of the arms using a block simulator performs two main functions:

forms the relief of the muscle;
trains the strength of the triceps.

Triceps, which is worked out during the extension of the arms, is a good two-thirds muscle mass human hands. Given this fact, it is easy to understand that thanks to its shape, athletes achieve a beautiful shoulder relief.

Work on the triceps is equally popular among both male athletes and women. But while men tend to train their triceps for volume and to perform subsequent harder exercises that require additional strength, then women who train triceps fight fat deposits in this area and form an expressive silhouette.

Despite the fact that the exercise with the block is aimed exclusively at working out the triceps, other muscles are also involved in the work. In an indirect way, they also receive their share of the load and develop successfully.

In the list of these muscles:

triceps muscle of the shoulder;
latissimus dorsi muscles, which have a stabilizing function;
big round;
back delta;
large chest;
small chest;
the bottom of the trapezium;
abdominal muscles;
wrist flexors;
spinal extensor muscles.

The exercise discussed in this material will help you solve several problems:

deep study of the triceps brachialis muscle;
increase in muscle mass - if there is such a goal and the athlete eats accordingly;
the ability to perform more bench presses, training through basic exercises.

Place in the program

No matter how effective the exercise is, it is performed in combination with others. Also with the extension of the muscles in the block.

Regardless of which muscles are worked on the day of training, muscle extension is performed in the final part:

in the “chest-triceps” training scenario, you must first do all the exercises for the chest;
in the back-triceps scenario, do the back exercises first, and only then work in the block.

Before you start working with a block simulator, you need to warm up the triceps. To do this, you need to follow several approaches:

men should aim for two to three sets of 10-15 reps with a weight of 15-20 kilograms.
women need to achieve two to three sets of 10-15 repetitions with a weight of 5-10 kilograms.

Execution rules

Like most popular exercises, the arm extension has many variations, but they are all based on the classic execution technique.

Classic extensions

The exercise is performed in a block-type simulator, as well as on simulators designed to work out the muscles of the back, but equipped with an upper block. Extensions are performed on handles of different shapes - straight, curved or long, for one hand. All of them slightly change the force application vector, so athletes use them all, but in different training complexes.

For the classic extension of the arms in the simulator, a short, straight handle is best suited. It must be fixed in the simulator.
Hold the handle with a straight grip thumb over the handle.
Press your elbows to the body.
Bend them more than 90 degrees.
Put your feet next to each other, take a pose as stable as possible.
Back in the lumbar region - bend.
Straighten your shoulders, raise your chin.
The handle of the block should be pressed by the weight of the body, and not by the muscles of the back, since it is necessary to isolate the spinal muscles, and work exclusively on the triceps.
With the effort of the triceps, lower the weight, straightening the elbows.
Control the position of the elbows as you complete the set.

Ladder

The ladder is not a specific modification of the exercise, but a way to achieve a muscle state close to failure.

A short flight of stairs can be performed by several athletes, competing in the number of repetitions.

The trick of the exercise is to start with half the usual weight. Each subsequent approach should be done with even less weight. The step can be from 5 to 10 kilograms. But at the same time, the number of repetitions should increase from approach to approach.

With curved neck

This exercise will provide an opportunity to work out the outer part of the triceps, or, in other words, a bunch of muscles.

Performance:

Attach the curved handle first.
Turn your right hand clockwise, left - counterclockwise.
Perform the exercise in the same way as the classic ones.
After completing the standard number of repetitions, change the direction of the arms and work the muscles again.
Alternate between the curved and straight neck for weeks to achieve an even triceps workout.

With one hand

The extension of the arms with the help of a block simulator becomes even more effective for the triceps if you perform the exercise first with one and then with the other hand. During the execution of this option, the triceps are fully loaded, and the rear deltoid muscle also receives a load.

Subsequence:

Rest against the rack of the frame with one hand, and with the other - grab the bar.
Unbend the arm being trained, slightly moving it to the side.
Repeat 10-15 times and change hands.

Possible mistakes and ways to avoid them

In the process of performing extensions of the arms in the block, it is easy to understand whether the exercise is performed correctly. You should feel tension in the triceps, not in other muscles. If you notice that after the exercise, the muscles of the back or chest hurt, then you need to look for a mistake.

The most common mistakes:

Do not lean too far down during the exercise. This will engage the back muscles.
Hands must be straightened to the end.
Maintain your posture while doing the exercise. stooped back may result in injury.
Hands and forearms should be kept in line.
Do not come close to the block while doing the exercise.
When working with a block simulator for the first time, control the position of the body and movements in the mirror.

How to properly perform the extension of the arms on the upper block, what muscles are involved in this, possible exercise options and mistakes can be seen in the video:

Contraindications

Exercise for triceps is quite safe. Since it is performed only with the help of the elbow joints, the main contraindications for this exercise are:

elbow injury;
injuries of ligaments or tendons of the hands;
wrist injuries.

If damage is not a big concern, you can reduce the load by reducing the usual weight by 30-40 percent.

Many athletes go to the gym even if they feel pain in the joints. With such determination, it is necessary to get advice from a specialist in advance, who will determine whether a particular exercise will be harmful for a particular violation.

When working on the triceps, the athlete must control the load, taking into account the degree of injury to their joints.

The extension of the arms on the block is the main and most safe exercise to work out the triceps. The amplitude of movement is carried out by extending the arm in only one elbow joint. Due to this, the exercise is insulating.

Target muscles - triceps hands Slightly included forearms.

Various exercise options:

Extension of arms from the upper block with a grip from above: video

There are many options for doing the exercise. It all depends on the choice of the handle or the position of the elbows relative to the body. Read the article carefully for details.

How to do the exercise? Execution technique

Stand straight, take the handle from the top block. Humerus stand parallel to the body. The back is straight. This will be the starting position.
Do arm extensions until fully extended. Breathe out while under load.
Return to the starting position by inhaling.
Repeat the movement 15 times in 3 sets.

Application of the exercise

For whom. Everyone of any skill level.

When. Upper pulldowns are best done at the end of an arm, chest, or shoulder workout. Before extensions on the block, do push-ups on the uneven bars or french press lying.

How many. Exercise should be done in 3-4 sets of 15 repetitions.

Possible options for performing extensions on the block

More complex and effective method isolate all three heads of the triceps as much as possible. Due to the movement bottom palms down, the load hits right on target.

Extension of arms on the block with a reverse grip

This embodiment more includes the outer (lateral) head of the triceps and loads the muscles of the forearm well. It can also be performed as a grip training for the arms and forearm muscles.

Executed sequentially. This helps to better concentrate on the working muscles of the triceps. Good for failing reps. In the last failure reps, you can help with the second hand.

Extension of the arms from the upper block, keeping the elbows in front

This option is different in that the peak load goes to the outer part of the triceps (lateral and medial head). When the main option distributes the load more evenly and also works out inner part triceps - long head.

There are many different handles for block simulators. You can alternate or choose the one that is more convenient for you personally.

For example: straight handle or V-shaped, see the photo.

Advice! Try to alternate exercise options from workout to workout. So you will increase the efficiency of study and achieve better results faster.

Common mistakes

Movement of the elbows forward and backward. The elbows are clearly in one position.
The inclusion of trapezoidal and deep muscles back. It is very noticeable when the shoulders drop and the spine bends into thoracic region. Keep your back and shoulders straight, in one correct position.
Wrong stand. Keep your back straight, lean forward slightly, legs slightly bent. It is not allowed to tilt the body back.
Incorrect amplitude of movement - jerks and fast movements. Do extensions of the arms in the upper block clearly and concentrated.

Maintain the correct starting position. The legs are slightly bent, the back is straight. The pelvis is laid back slightly, the body is tilted forward. The handle is held in a position where the forearms are parallel to the floor.
Do the movement correctly. Try to do lowerings twice as slowly as extensions.
Breathe properly. When unbending under load, exhale, when the weight drops, inhale.