11 Overhead Tricep Extension Mistakes and How to Fix Them

This series will zoom in on one exercise at a time and point out common errors and how you can fix them. At the end of the day, nothing is dogma, and your technique should be the one that gives you the highest stimulus at the lowest cost of fatigue. To make sure you're getting the best of both worlds, check out our SFR video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iai3Ymero7F0r9U
If you have suggestions for future exercises we can break down, please comment below. If you know the answer to another commentor's question, please feel free to reply to them!
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[@WolfCoaching]

0:12 Opening remarks 0:42 Mistake #1 - Not enough ROM 2:14 Mistake #2 - Too much ROM 3:29 Mistake #3 - Uncontrolled descent 4:45 Mistake #4 - Too much elbow flare 6:49 Mistake #5 - Letting the elbows drop too much 8:52 Mistake #6 - No standardized ROM 10:50 Mistake #7 - Body english 12:27 Mistake #8 - Extreme strictness 13:34 Mistake #9 - Too wide or too narrow a grip 15:06 Mistake #10 - Going too heavy or too light 16:31 Concluding remarks

[@SuperBizalz]

NICE! TY!!

[@danstafford5977]

Tricep extension behind the head, is a faulty exercise should not be done... it's for the young and dumb until they develop bad shoulders!

[@brunoherrera2574]

@@danstafford5977 no it's not. Triceps are responsible for shoulder extension. So is better to extend them. Behind the head is how it is done.

[@frqsterling9630]

Is it just me or does it say this comment was posted 1 month ago even though it was posted today?

[@shaunzero]

You forgot the shitty pretending.

[@seanlanter2741]

I was doing overhead tricep extensions with a easy bar and ripped my my tricep from my elbow. I actually ripped the bone . Some of the bone was still attached to my tricep. When they operated on it they actually screwed the bone that was attached to the tricep into the elbow. I had been doing this exercise for years. I had 110 pounds on it. I just want to get my story out to inform people that do this exercise what could happen.

[@terrywhitejr9574]

Thanks for doing these videos. Coming from powerlifting I had all kinds of issues doing iso movements. Hit my first pain free overhead and skull crushers thanks to these.

[@bradhobbs_]

Somewhere in Pennsylvania, a wild Mike is running around. Wandering in his natural habitat of jackedness

[@crazykorean2268]

U do know he is in Nevada, right?

[@crazykorean2268]

@@bradhobbs_ this was recorded before he moved to Las Vegas. No way that he came back

[@Azgorth02]

This video was recorded while he was in Pensylvania, he moved to Nevada with Jared a month or so ago.

[@nattybynature1262]

Absolutely one of the best long head exercises you can do. I used to hate it untill I started doing it right. Truly a great exercise.

[@dimanaboytcheva7078]

6:45 Dr Mike hitting us with some positivity lolll

[@altruisticscoundrel]

It never ceases to amaze me how jacked David Draiman is now. Rock on, dude!

[@paranoidbeing1191]

Very new to lifting and this is super helpful, I found my chest to be more sore than my triceps the day after which confused me. Now I can see even though not intentional my elbows were probably a little too flared out.

[@michaelgregory3452]

Are you still working out?

[@kdzirkalis4293]

Exceptional video and information quality.

[@StephenMarkTurner]

Thanks as always

[@samueldahl9790]

Yes thank you!!

[@brianguajardo2420]

Thank you for these great videos. I am learning a lot. Would you please show a video for a GREAT traps workout. Thank you in advance.

[@Deciden0w.]

Great tutorial and tips Mike. My elbows has been acting up..I need to play around with my grip and elbow position

[@MonteiroM]

Sandra from Superstore TV series got jacked, great!

[@nilo7727]

Dr Mike is the friggin man!!!👍👌👏💪😎💯

[@MrSpaceToilet]

Idea for a video: ab exercise (whatever exercise works) common mistakes, or even the whole ab training (like always super high rep sets, ultra light work..)

[@GagoGamesYT]

Best thumbnail ever 🙆

[@alexlee7668]

I thoroughly enjoy when he describes the incorrect way as a variation of "god knows what is going on there, WHO KNOWS!!"

[@voidofmisery4810]

Thank you 2020 Mike. 2022 me appreciates it.

[@luketimewalker]

Excellent. You should be showcasing these yourself!

[@lial2655]

Thanks

[@yoelmorales208]

This series is good

[@lial2655]

tysm

[@NoRespect4Uok]

That techno scream intro is the best the KZbin game. It makes me want to hit MRV like my RPE is thirty.

[@d3f3kt57]

I'd love a tutorial on barbell pullovers. Not sure if I should do them with straight arms or bend my elbows.

[@manobratasaha1806]

sir this helps me a lot.. I'm growing my arms size.. thank you sir for your teaching

[@pablotapia8237]

ok sir

[@intelin123]

No problem

[@Bathrezz1]

I love overhead tricep extensions, they are great at thickening up your arms. But I have a problem where my wrists hurt. I use an Ez-curl bar and I think its because my wrist are bent where the curly design is. I am forced to flare my elbows out and the whole maneuver becomes a press-up, but if i lighten the weight I have less issues but then I'll be working too light, sad times.

[@TheEddiedash]

Mike is involved in a lot of street fight footage since moving to Las Vegas Ps- mp template 👍😎👍

[@TehRealChruZ]

That's a fantastic thumbnail face

[@Semaj.18272]

So find an elbow bend that suits you ! This makes absolute sense now . So doesn’t matter if they bit flared as long as you find an angle that hits them and angle that don’t cause discomfort

[@IGeorge94]

Ever time I do isometrics with Tricep extension at the bottom part my elbow. I will try these out.

[@LyellWalker]

Is there any advantage to sitting or standing tricep extensions? What about barbell vs dumbbells?

[@Someguy8822]

Is there a reason to use a ez bar free weight over a cable ez bar for this? Is one better than the other or just mix it up from time to time?

[@forestelder]

I prefer the one arm dumbel tricepts extension

[@spuZDK]

Vary the rep ranges and position of the bench on these over time, and get strong in them all. I build my triceps with this exercise alone. One of the best, if not THE best imo.

[@TheBig3s]

I fucking love this guy

[@user-xv9yr4ql2z]

"if you know what an A+ is on a test, you can get an A+". The words of Plato or Socrates? Just kidding, great video!

[@Rhynome]

Lol u misspelt orsome. Idiot.

[@halingram7043]

Idea for a video: bench press technique

[@SantomPh]

I had no idea vertical pulling worked the long head of the triceps. I honestly feel like tricep stimulation was a mistake during a pullup, now it seems to be perfectly fine.

[@onurbole7921]

Horizontal pulling does too (even though you might not feel it as much because it doesn't stretch the long head), that's why you get the best triceps contraction when you use a rope on the pushdown and get your elbows behind the body. The reverse also applies, you use lats for stabilization when you do overhead triceps movements, or full contraction movements like the pushdown. That's also one of the main reasons we can't use much weight on the kickback, because of the leverages the lats cannot keep the upper arm stable on the side of our body, so it gives out first even though our triceps are still pretty strong. We are accustomed to think "lats and biceps," "chest and triceps" but our bodyparts are connected in ways we don't think of :)

[@psyl0s]

Any alternative exercise ? I am really trying hard to do them right but my shoulders hurt and i cant keep the same grip cause my wrist wont let me.

[@johnmacdonald713]

Ha ! I know I'm commenting on an old video but Mike cracks me up. If I said to my wife "that was a shitty pretending "she would have thrown the fekin bar at me 🤣🤣

[@moistc1tikalstreamclips395]

We need Charlie for all demonstrations

[@shyan042688]

I've got a serious inflexibility problem, especially with my left shoulder, when I'm trying to do movements like the skull crusher or the overhead tricep extension and I can't seem to do then without flaring out my elbow. I also don't feel the movement nearly as much in my triceps compared to when I'm doing a pushdown (for example). Are there any tricep exercises I can do to effectively hit the long head without causing shoulder pain? What's funny is that I have to flare out my left elbow more than my right elbow, and it begins to look like a very asymmetrical movement.

[@Frank-4v]

You and I are similar in this respect. I like to do a single overhead dumbbell extension on a high incline bench. High incline for me can be the top setting on a bench or even a vertical bench with my butt scooted forward some to create a small angle below vertical. Anyway, the single dumbbell allows me to get a full range of motion, the long head stimulus you're speaking of, appropriate for each side individually. Try it and see if you like it.

[@nygeek6471]

Is there an advantage to skull crushers

[@09thespecialone]

The French Press i believe this exercice is called. French weightlifters apparently invented this exercice in order to strengthen the triceps as an assistance movement for the Press when it was still a contested lift in weightlifting (1928-1972).

[@wdadwawdadawdwdwa4133]

This might seem like a dumb question but are these interchangeable with skull crushers or should you do both if you care about a well developed long head?

[@caelanjb]

As long as you’re also doing a fair amount of compound presses, you’re probably fine alternating. You’re not missing out on anything

[@nattybynature1262]

@@caelanjb seconded. Intensity is what matters so long as you're getting adequate volume. I get more benefit out of these but I'm not too proud to admit I probably haven't mastered the skull crusher techniques as well as I have this one.

[@umair02302]

Doc, your arms are wider than mother russia 💪💪

[@dwaynecunningham2164]

Would a football bar using the neutral grip be a good idea for these?

[@pretty_flaco]

we love crystal

[@sagarsatara]

Hello mike your one like will motivate me . I swear.

[@josegarciaflores5977]

Hi, I know this comment doesnt belong to this vid but Id like to ask anyway. Im following a routine that push/pull/legs twice a week and is working tbh (with 1 day off) I went up from 40kg bench to almost 55 in a couple of weeks (both for 5 reps) and feeling stronger in back and glutes also, But Ive seen that you recommend a full boddy for begginers like myself, so here is my question. Should I or should I not switch to full body even tho this seems like it works, and if so, should I reduce total volume? because I love being at the gym 24/7 and I dont really burn out. (also to clarify everytime I train I feel fully recovered or 95 out of 100%). thank you to anyone that answer my question :).

[@nattybynature1262]

Hey! If it ain't broke, don't fix it :) Even though you're a beginner, it doesn't mean you have to follow all the cookie cutter programs and splits they recommend. You're doing PPL so you're not running any risk of imbalance or overtraining. And hey, I started out with a pure "bro" split and I turned out just fine. Keep doing what you're doing, my man.

[@ijmwpiano]

I always feel this exercise in my side delts

[@tas19921]

5:04

[@ijmwpiano]

Still feel it in my side delts idk. I’d rather just do a different tricep exercise

[@WilderGraham]

Seated rows got me questioning my life. How do I do?

[@gmchitaru]

I think another big mistake which can be made is to use free weight instead of a cable to execute this movement. If I'm mistaking, I would like a good explanation for why free weight BB or DB is better than cables for the Overhead Triceps Extensions :)

[@Mcpwnt]

availability seems to obvious answer to me.

[@stealthassasin1day291]

So many other tricep exercises besides this. I def don't prefer this exercise due to mobility reasons.

[@johntrains1317]

Could you guys do a front squat one please?

[@user-ly9qz1bi1v]

So elbows looking straight up through the motion or you bend elbows all the way so they point forward is equaly ok? I guess the only big difference is - higher you raise your elbows more stretch you get, but not everyone has flexibility for it. So just experiment?

[@nattybynature1262]

Yup. Like for me, I get an amazing stretch by keeping the elbows straight up and going all the way down. The key thing I had to learn eventually was to not focus on the weight. If you go light and focus on the muscles, these bad boys are effective as hell!

[@user-ly9qz1bi1v]

@@nattybynature1262 amen. 🙂

[@AbdulelahAlrifi-gp9jv]

Why do you specify the reps on the first set only ? Does this mean following sets can be lower ? If yes how low (within same range or anything over 5 is fine)

[@Vincent_Beers]

You go to failure and then match that many reps again on each additional set. If you can't even do 5 you're using too much weight. If you're way over 10, you're using too light a weight. This is how you figure out how much weight/reps you should be doing. Find the heaviest weight you can use while doing 5 to 10 reps. You go until you fail and that's your first set. Take your rest break, now you're going to do 2 more sets of the same amount of reps The hard part is being honest with yourself. You need to have good technique, as he has covered over and over again in these videos. Full range of motion to the best you can, good technique without cheating or dropping the weights quickly. Once you figure out your weight/rep range you can track progress easily. Next time you do it, maybe you use the same weight but can do an additional rep; you just keep doing this until you get to a point where you can increase your weight and that will naturally kick your max rep number back down. You can apply this to any isolation movements to track your progress. First set determines your reps if you go to failure, then repeat that same number of reps for two more sets. Adjust the weight up any time your rep range gets much above 10 (the only exceptions to the target 5-10 rep range is if you don't have an appropriate weight to step up to, typically you want to move up 5lbs at a time. If you get to 10 and don't have a weight available that you can move up to that would let you do at least 5 reps with it, stay where you are and keep moving up each session until you're at 15 reps and try the next weight again) Also note you want to do each isolation movement twice a week with rest in between. If you want to do more than 2 training days a week, you do different movements on alternate days. It's up to you if you want shorter sessions of specific things broken up across multiple days, or you can do full body and hit everything in one long session twice a week.

[@tusharbhandal9175]

Chest/tricep dips

[@Pletzmutz]

Let me guess, this video will include: not enough ROM, not enough rep consistency, uncontrolled negative, going too low, oh and of course Mike Izzertel from Rennaissance Periodisation. 👍🏽

[@aaronwwilliams]

You forgot going too heavy, going too light, extreme strictness, body English...

[@drip369]

0:18 you know someone isn't from PA when they say Pennsylvania Yes. Lots of born&raised folks from PA refer to the State by its acronym, the ONLY residents of a State that does it.

[@SuperBizalz]

7:29 - Totally confused as to how a pulling motion hits the triceps.

[@jameswilsonmusic7749]

Long head crossed the shoulder joint and contributes to shoulder flexion.. Like stiff arm Pulldown

[@Agnes135]

@@jameswilsonmusic7749 Indeed, if I ever do 10-14 reps on the lat pulldown my longhead is on fire as well

[@SuperBizalz]

J W Ah, ok. Thanks.

[@SaintSoldierN9]

Check out an anatomy diagram on Google or something of the attachments. The long head attaches on the back somewhat so will engage slightly in those pulling motions, to a small degree though

[@WolfCoaching]

@@jameswilsonmusic7749 I believe what you're referring to is shoulder extension - the opposite of shoulder flexion

[@ric2840]

Chrystal is overtrained now! :D

[@Mcpwnt]

6:51 the sarcasm here is killing me.

[@filirocks]

How come skull crushers aren’t as effective as these? Not criticizing, just genuinely curious

[@tonybaggett1984]

Just my experience no science based whatsoever. I feel the stretch on the triceps better and the fact that the weight isn’t coming at my face helps me focus on form plus see my technique in the mirror.

[@areenmc7033]

Watching the while vid like : Yeh yeh right Yessss Fuck yeh Yupp

[@rafaeltavares6928]

That face

[@WarrenWinter]

lol, well that was shitty pretending

[@daytonasayswhat9333]

Why do people make all these ridiculous faces in the thumbnails of videos now?

[@danstafford5977]

Bodybuilders use benches weightlifters don't!

[@abdkreaa9752]

trash vid. could have called it "problems while doing ANY exercise"

[@snowiblind]

lol

[@jimparichha8266]

you talk a lot , n thats so boring

[@danstafford5977]

Tricep extensions behind the head is not suitable exercise especially for that lady she has tight shoulders... likewise with a press behind the head... are you a doctor fix it... I think not, you fall into a quack doctor category!

[@adhhxgxhhg]

I am a doctor fix it.

[@gracefool]

Dan just because she has tight shoulders doesn't mean this is bad for her - the weight used for a triceps extension will be much less than what her shoulders can handle, unless she isn't doing any pressing. In fact it's the opposite, this should help to open up her shoulders. Mobility gains are very similar to strength gains: slow and steady, gradually increasing range of motion and load.

[@gracefool]

Anyway her shoulder mobility seems fine to me.

[@nattybynature1262]

@@gracefool her mobility does suffer a bit on the eccentric. See how she has to bring her elbows forward... But what you've said above is 100% true. I used to be tight as well. This exercise helped me greatly in that regard.