The Tricep Extension is usually a staple exercise for anyone looking to strengthen or develop this specific muscle, and this week I’m happy to show you how it can be done using just your own bodyweight.
Now, I usually prefer exercises that incorporate more complex moves that utilize multiple muscle groups. But, exercise should be specific to your goals. So if you need more strength in your triceps to improve another more advanced move or if you just want to increase the size of your arms for more symmetry, the single joint tricep extension does have its place. While tricep exercises might typically be associated with gym equipment and cables, they can also be done as a great bodyweight exercise.
For this version of the tricep exercise, you’ll start out in a position similar to a regular push-up, but with your arms extended out farther in front. As you bend your elbows, you’ll slowly lower your body until your elbows touch the ground. You’ll be amazed at how much strength this requires from your triceps – it really is a killer single joint movement. As with most exercises, control and proper form is key!
Check out the video below to see the exercise with proper form:
This is a great triceps builder for sure. But I wonder, how often should you do the animal flow workout and how often do you do a regular strenght workout?
Hey bud, I just sent you a personal email but I will soon write a post on this very question.
Thanks
Mike
Alright mate,
Wanted to make a short bodyweight routine outside of the gym for my triceps to try and build them up a little. Apart from the tricep bodyweight extensions what else do you recommend?
Nice one,
Jonny
Hey Jonny. As far as exercises that are more “isolation” triceps movements, you can perform what would be an overhead extension. Place your hands on a railing, bench or Rings (if you have access to any suspension training tools). Keep your body straight and head between the elbows. You can then bend and extend the elbows from this position. Remember the closer you are to an up right angle, the less of your own body weight you are pushing, while the closer you are to being horizontal to the ground, the more you are pushing. Due to the fact that the triceps have different heads and the hand position changes the emphasis, you can change it up by going wider or narrower with your grip (or even under hand if it’s on a bar or rings, TRX, etc). Also remember that the triceps play a huge part in compound presses like push ups, dips and handstand push ups. As a rule of thumb, the closer your elbows are to each other during these presses, the more triceps activation you will be getting. Hope that helps!
Hi mike
Ive gotten into bodyweight exercise this year as this is the year im getting fit, ive made some nice gains already but only through beginner gains (and muscle memory as ive worked out in the gym for two years). Il admit i was under the misconception of bodyweight exercise but had a quick practice of these at work and WOW what a but kicker. As Paul Wade said (might have been ed checo) “bodyweight progressive calisthenics teaches us to work our body as a whole while machines lock us in place and teach us to train our muscles seperatley.
Dude thanks for all the great free content
You are absolutely correct on all of those things Matthew! Keep training hard and let me know how the progress is going
Hi Mike,
I’m amazed about the stuff i founded here.It’s just great to see so many posibilities to keep in shape after I quit the gym for some personal reason.My problem now is next.how my workout should look like?I mean u know at gym 1-2 group of muscles per day,then rest day.Here with bodyweight i don;t know any routines.I saw that begginer,intermediate,advanced routines but I’m still little confused.Can you explain me please?how a workout for a week should look like?
Hey Codrin,thanks for the comment and congratulations on your switch to bodyweight training! We are projecting that next year we will have the actual GBT Progressive Bodyweight Training system available on this site. In the mean time, you should really check out our good friend Zach Even-Esh’s Bodyweight Bodybuilding Secrets. It’s an absolute wealth of information regardless of gender or experience level. http://bodyweightbodybuildingsecrets.com
Let me know how it goes!
super exercise bro i am going to try this first and then use it in my training
hi bro i am going to try this work out i feel this will be a very effective one then i am going to use it for my personal training