Everyone Is Still Confused About Triceps Training

Your triceps will never reach their full potential if you only do pressdowns, close-grip bench, and traditional skullcrushers.
You see, we used to think that those exercises were best for targeting the medial and lateral heads. Those two heads beef up the triceps from the front and side. And we used to think overhead extensions targeted the long head, which beefs up the back of your arm and hangs down on a front double biceps pose.
But a new study found that the overhead extension caused the most growth across all 3 heads. It caused 1.4 times more muscle growth than the pressdown!
Does that mean you should ONLY do overhead extensions? No.
That’s because the triceps seem to respond very well to high volume training. So including those other exercises, like the pressdown and the kickback, is still a good idea for getting enough sets in. Plus, exercise variety is important for proportional development.
An overhead movement like a cable extension, dumbbell french press or modified skullcrusher should be your number one picks though, and contrary to popular belief, they’re not just for the long head.
Shoutout to Max Coleman for the idea and concept on this one! / coleman.et.al

[@rem9367]

As a recent gym goer you really have been a life saver Jeff

[@money657]

No cap. I have a friend out of town who wanted to get into it. Sent him to this channel and dr mike 💪

[@alfiehughes1000]

@@money657good stuff man 🫡

[@money657]

@ don’t worry, we won’t

[@shengshaoyi]

If you're new to the gym then I promise that your triceps isolation exercise selection is completely irrelevant to your physique progress.

[@money657]

@@shengshaoyi nice job hating. It’s more so the fact that newer lifters can learn tons from this channel. Congrats on thinking your smarter than you are 👍👍

[@amapparatistkwabena]

Jeff, you’ve got our support! From Washington DC with love and much respect, bro! 💪🏾

[@ForzaOwnz]

Ever since you started to preach over head presses all that time ago my triceps have blown up so much

[@kaiserfakinaway5909]

mostly my long head, it was lacking before but now my long head is huge. wish i could grow the other head...

[@calebbryant8550]

​@@kaiserfakinaway5909 Big feel.

[@christianmccall4542]

Mine too

[@lilmario0]

​@@kaiserfakinaway5909 No Diddy

[@africanlyricsworld8208]

​@@kaiserfakinaway5909the other head doesn't grow😂

[@cameron5475]

Jeff I want to thank you for solidifying my routines in the gym and giving me faith that the work I’m putting in is worthwhile. So thank you

[@pilo6675]

How are you doing Jeff?

[@patootie3529]

​@DontReadMyPicture089I won't bozo

[@RyanS4747]

Acting like he almost got killed 😂

[@HTrntrs]

@@RyanS4747 He did get hospitalised.

[@TheGuy-ot8of]

I'm not Jeff but I'm doing ok

[@SatoruGojo442]

What happened?

[@christopherrizzo4747]

Glad you’re here and doing this content. You’re an inspiration Jeff! Got big af watching your stuff!

[@adetabiremre]

As a fellow "short king" myself, you are my genuine fitness inspiration and each advice I try out and most of them have worked greatly for me, will definitely try out the triceps workout routine next time!

[@rodolfoecheverria7744]

Best things come in small packages bro

[@johnnyringo2695]

short peasant

[@mynameisazz]

Dwarven king

[@ma0491]

5'5" here but maybe only halfway to Jeff's build. If that

[@Laggatron_]

@@ma0491på P P

[@djsteven07]

So glad to see you back, keep doing your work Jeff!

[@purohit_diaries]

Nothing but respect for you

[@kidyoshi007]

Bro, finally gave some, correct information, TNF and ryjewers said this a long time ago. Thank you for honesty, and info.

[@Gardenahi]

Glad ur doing better jeff, your videos help me alot as im new to working out

[@kyle21843]

I switched to overhead extensions being my main tricep movement about a year or so ago and have definitely seen more growth than i used to

[@Ryan_7389]

What else do you do?

[@kyle21843]

@Ryan_7389 for triceps? I like doing heavy DB french presses at a slight incline or overhead extensions, then for a second movement a simple tricep pushdown. I also do dips for chest so my triceps might get a little bit extra from that but i doubt its much since i always feel it in my chest

[@banjomc3569]

@@kyle21843dips is a tricep exercise

[@ArenaRat-xd8fu]

Its probably because you added a year of lifting lmao not because of anything else

[@Daniel-xu1ii]

A year bro?? Try 6 months

[@mathewrost]

You’re freaking awesome bro, thank you for doing all the hard work while I just hop on the tail end recommended stuff! Just don’t ever stop being awesome !

[@Bulju]

This study also aligns with other recent studies on incline vs flat bench pressing and seated vs standing calf raises. Turns out placing part of a muscle group (long head, upper pecs, gastroc) in a position where it can't contribute to a lift does not, in fact, cause the rest of that group to compensate for its absence and thus grow more. Good point about excercise variety at the end though. Variation is important for hypertrophy, so we shouldn't jump the gun and start erasing a bunch of excersices from our routines just because they aren't the most optimal.

[@Drunken_Hamster]

Do you really have to get variety in, though? Or is it more about the reduced sets when you drop a movement out?

[@mrlokoss]

@@Drunken_Hamster what I found: "Varying exercise selection had a positive effect on enhancing motivation to train in resistance-trained men, while eliciting similar improvements in muscular adaptations." Plus, variation would ensure you to hit all fiber muscle. Example for pecs, I would do incline pec and dips to target upper middle and lower head

[@sakuhakkinen9187]

@@Drunken_Hamster if you only ever do the most "optimal" exercise for each muscle group, training will get boring very quickly

[@Drunken_Hamster]

@@mrlokoss I swear dips don't target pecs. At least not on the dip assist machine which I never got off of in the 2mo I went to the gym. (though I dropped 100lbs of assist by the end of that 2mo timespan) I felt dips all in my tris, but not the pecs. My bench (and pulldowns for that matter) WOULD NOT go up significantly in that time, hence why I quit. Trying to work up the motivation and knowledge to go back and try again, as well as get financially stable, but I'm still not confident I can get my chest strength to grow as I feel benching in my biceps and I could never (in 2mo) get a good mind-muscle connection with either my chest or my lats. Didn't matter if it was DB, BB, Flys, Machines, Cables, or assist machines... Closest was MAYBE the chest press machine but IDK... It was 6 years ago, so my memory has already solidified in its pessimist/realist bias.

[@Drunken_Hamster]

@@sakuhakkinen9187 What do you think is the minimum exercise variation to keep the average person "interested"?

[@Linknelson]

This has been my go too for almost 2 years now, glad to see the movement getting the love it deserves, nicely explained

[@mindyourbody2274]

Im regular follower of yours just happy to see you back at work ❤

[@GTHESNAKEXBOX]

Because of you I started doing overhead extensions and my triceps have grown tremendously!! Thank you very much for the tips!

[@Abrahamokwuadaofficial]

Which of the overhead press movement in particular do you do?

[@GTHESNAKEXBOX]

​@@Abrahamokwuadaofficial About 20 seconds in on this video, that exact exercise. It makes your triceps burn 🔥🔥🔥

[@GTHESNAKEXBOX]

@@Abrahamokwuadaofficial Overhead cable extension 👍

[@Deadberry_Surya]

Overhead extensions keeping you big as hell

[@aurimassakalauskas7319]

hes like 5.2

[@Schulzenberger]

@@aurimassakalauskas7319 r/woosh

[@patootie3529]

​@@aurimassakalauskas7319he's 5'5" and still massive

[@dominusdelupis3045]

@@aurimassakalauskas7319and you’re a string bean

[@Deadberry_Surya]

@@aurimassakalauskas7319 He's 5'5 and has an amazing physique and puts in a lot of hard work, unlike the likes of you

[@GymGarageMan]

Just been using 2 chairs for last 40 years. It works!!!

[@workoutgirl4231]

Proving it on your channel garageman 💪

[@Rd405DlCv]

Nice to see Jeff's doing better

[@gerhardschelbi9939]

Tks God

[@LlamasAreBest]

A guy pushed him over. Jeez. He's not made out of paper.

[@Pencilling]

​He had his neck grabbed and pushed full force that could have been very dangerous he didn't just get "pushed over"

[@LlamasAreBest]

@@Pencilling Exactly, it could have been. It wasn’t. If he got hurt from that he is a pussy.

[@Funniman23421]

@@LlamasAreBesthe literally neck punched him😂 if he did that to you the reaction would be the same or worse

[@m.ridzwan-26]

Glad to see you're doing well Jeff, I hope you get full recovery physically and mentally

[@mattb9664]

The Overhead extension has worked great for me Jeff and thanks for showing the exercise- started it maybe 2 months ago, and it definitely has assisted in making some of the weight feel lighter, along with making my arms show a presence a couple days after exercising. Must be doing something right.

[@farmerBob12]

That overhead is giving you the deepest tricep stretch, so this makes a lot of sense. (Thanks, Dr. Mike!)

[@crangasucatalinandrei366]

Overhead extensions are what really builded my triceps , i tried pressdowns , and they aren’t bad , but nothing is as fatiguing as just doing overhead extensions to failure. I always knew this exercise is superior to press downs and lying skull crushers because the growth i see from doing overhead extensions is noticeable from week to week

[@johnjohntv1195]

Which type of overhead extensions did you do?

[@Ragnar199]

💯 percent

[@Ragnar199]

@@johnjohntv1195I do sitting down on bench at a high incline on cables pulling from floor but need someone to lift it to you, but it is a game changer trust me

[@mattzx003]

>noticeable growth from week to week first month in the gym?

[@banjomc3569]

Fatigue isnt a driver of muscle growth bro😂

[@AresIIIIII]

You know what the funniest thing about this channel is? I’ve been training for 2 years, i bench 292.5lbs (130kgs) and i’m still learning on this channel to do better 👌

[@kozmo7]

I think really loving an exercise can matter too, even if it’s not the “best”. I truly love skullcrushers to my chin, it just feels amazing for my leverages and body and I enjoy doing it.

[@Gabrieldocafe]

Loving an exercise will naturally make you more consistent in it, aswell as pushing it harder, which is way more important than any optimal exercise technique

[@kozmo7]

@@Gabrieldocafe completely agre

[@Tobias-wb7le]

This. I sometimes feel like science based lifters can go a bit too crazy on whatever the new study says, if you have an exercise that you love and go absolutely nuts on, you will most definitly see more results. You are not an average from a study, you are an individual.

[@Alfyoops]

Learnt the overhead extension with a bar from you 🔥 Thanks! For that

[@SHISHIRR2003]

Dear Jeff, absolutely love your work man. Can you please Do a video On back exercises and their progressions. Maybe include some calisthenics too. Also can you include more calisthenics on your research. I mean We need science based calisthenics.

[@ForzaOwnz]

Back - Pull ups Quads - Sissy squats, reverse leg extensions Hamstrings - Nordics Biceps - underhand pull-ups Triceps - close push-ups, dips Chest - deficit push-ups, dips Shoulders - handstand push-ups

[@Kris-ym2zr]

Thanks for this, I've been refining my triceps routine and this is just what I needed to see.

[@PhantomBlend]

The things we do for long head 😊

[@LegitLandon]

pause

[@matiasrodriguezsolis]

It might seem crazy what i’m about to say…

[@NeedNewName0]

Been waiting for Jeff's video on triceps. I was confused about the overhead stuff. As usual, Thank you Jeff.

[@amir.g_26]

old school legends methods>>> If you want to be big then lift heavy!

[@lasagnewolf]

I absolutely love the tricep kickback, but I'm going to add the overhead extension as well! Thanks Jeff!!

[@Gotharn_A]

I do french press for triceps. Which is some sort of overhead press. As soon as I started doing french press I saw my triceps growing much faster.

[@VTHokie]

i do french press in the mornings, it helps me poop

[@Abadchristan]

​@@VTHokie good for you i think

[@rusty5791]

I have had such a hard time picking the right tricep exercise as a new gym goer and ever since i have discovered jeff, i found better ways to make gains and enjoy going to the gym now. Thankyou Jeff, your my “go to” guy for anything i need involving the gym

[@saitamaking324]

Overhead extensions are basically standing skull crushers

[@JohnRambo-t6i]

@@saitamaking324 Well, if you mean skull overs. And the difference is of course in the resistance profile.

[@himbourbanist]

been doing overhead extensions for a few months now and I definitely see the difference, one of my favorite exercises now

[@romainplagnol882]

Glad to see you back there 🔥🔥

[@TexasRaised87-u2y]

I subscribed to the macro factor app, it’s very good thanks for sharing!

[@racc00n_fezz]

Perfect, I needed to see new tricep lifts, I will put these to the test

[@bluebloo9955]

I love this guy, well detailed information on exercises and tips!

[@MaximBartkov]

Love how he comes up with new studies for every shorts video

[@whitewolf-hn2sk]

Looking good Jeff, glad to see your doing will king 👑

[@adityapandey1329]

Thanks man. This is just what i needed

[@jonathanvillalba3214]

I like the kickback… never even knew you could do that but i can see it helping you isolate the tricep easier than other variations of the pull down

[@vedanshchn]

Thanks for the heads-up! I completely replaced overhead extensions with skullcrushers in the past but I'm gonna do them alternatively in different sessions now!

[@paulkorchok6567]

Thanks Jeff, still loving the katana overhead cable press I learned from you.

[@enriqueb9232]

Best fitness influencer imo 💪🏽

[@robbyneuville9845]

Did the kickbacks for the first time today. Thanks for the tip!

[@adamstrachn]

Appreciate the useful information brother 💯

[@fish4souls3]

You are my go to when looking for a new exercise Jeff. I hope you’re doing well

[@PhantomedShazamTheOriginal]

YOU'RE BACK! MY MAN

[@MyToxicGFistheMiamiDolphins]

Awesome brother great clip. I’ve found over head dumb bell extensions, rope tricep extensions along with kick backs developed the crap out of my arms. Also diamond incline pushups on deload weeks are amazing too

[@Nikkye0]

Nice video! My personal favorites are press downs and barbell overhead extensions

[@JaivarthSukhadia]

Cleared the doubt ❤️👍🏻

[@flake8382]

Dude you have got me hooked on overhead cable extension it blows my arms up like nothing else.

[@ReymartHallazgo-r4x]

I’ve been stuck in a rut with my tricep workouts. Definitely going to incorporate more overhead extensions and see how it changes things.

[@PatrickCWalters]

Skull crushers and then finish with overhead press to failure for me was a game changer.

[@GriffinThor11]

Love your content brother

[@VILLAINOFYOURDREAMS]

I always switch it up every session. Like different exercises. And I noticed the kickbacks feel so much better, And I also gained a bit muscle mass on my triceps. Thanks!

[@joshuaehl1481]

I remember in one of your videos you said it was a great strategy to work the muscle group in all different lengths of the muscle when it comes to the shoulders, biceps and triceps.

[@Phnealburger]

Jeff I respect you for dealing with the assault situation so we’ll hop you’re doing good

[@mr.f716]

Overhead extension is my favorite exercise of all time it just feels magical and actually delivers as well

[@Get_Weezered_respectfully]

Glad your back after the incident Jeff

[@aayushnarayanofficial]

As a nearly 40 year old with 38 BMI and pre diabetes, I am thankful to you Jeff for giving out a proper scientific workout regime. You have been a blessing for people like us who cannot seek such guidance otherwise.

[@gehirndoper]

Great. I don't train so much and always felt just doing overhead for triceps isolation would be most efficient, as the other angles are mostly covered elsewhere. Glad to see my hunch was right.

[@shokhrukhabdusalomov5050]

Love these videos so much useful

[@memolibir]

That is why Matt Irving is doing overhead triceps with the DB and has amazing triceps

[@goose0425]

Love the videos but had to especially shout out the ALD NBs! I have the same pair - most comfortable shoe I own

[@IGotSoHL]

That close grip bench press has super beneficial for my tri development as of late.

[@time2gogo318]

I have definitely noticed that my triceps started to really shape up once i started doing overhead extensions! Good to know theres evidence supporting this

[@SamMcinturff]

I really like skullcrushers behind the head, even going well below the level of the bench. You don't get the stretch under load of overhead, but you get the same elbow flexion with humerus elevation as with overhead cable extensions, and I find them much more suited to heavier weights.

[@ScumbariSteve]

I never did overheard extensions until a few months ago, and after three months of incorporating them into my sets, I’ve noticed a HUGE change in my triceps strength and appearance

[@Wiisporter]

Looks like I'm adding overheads in, thanks Jeff!

[@PrasunPalit]

Realised it lately. Can definitely vouch for it

[@Cwahsawnt]

Can confirm about the overhead extension. I'd even recommend the machine where you can sit down, and the handle rests on a platform behind your head. Nothing but your tricep.

[@MarcoPerez-u3s]

Bruh solid like a skykids thumb. Respect

[@decay6591]

I'm doing overhead extensions and kickback for 2 months after watching your videos. People always stare at me. I feel like a nerd and pro at the same time for some reason)

[@disequalone]

Welcome back Jeff.

[@GuyTaylor-ph2hn]

Love seeing your scientific content 😊

[@antoniotejuco]

Diamond pushups or close grip pushups, dips on the bench will also do it. My left wrist been hurting for few weeks now but just doing kneeling diamond pushups helps with the tris. Trying different varities of workout is really good like he said dont stick to just 2 to 3 over and over again.

[@loganwolv3393]

I believe that there is a way to target mostly the lateral head, and that is to do the overhead extensions with no attachment and let the cable pull your arm sideways and down instead of just down.

[@Jumbolub]

How are you Jeff? You were nearly KILLED!

[@RegularGymGuy]

As someone who’s already been doing all these for a while, this makes me feel good

[@TONMOYxMIRZA]

The thing is you're natty but it actually looks like you're muscles function well and you have good inner body strength. I'm a 20 year's old male and I've been skipping and shadow boxing for a few a few months now. You really inspire me to start weight lifting. Keep up the good work.

[@chromatic2321]

Exercise variety... is also good for fun! I tend to stick to certain routines a lot more if they are fun.

[@benjamin.kelley]

Jeff, please do a review of your older programs, like the upper/lower program.

[@mulendrasingh3057]

When i started doin skull crushers i started noticing huge improvement in muscular development of triceps.

[@yo25999]

Pushdowns + overhead extensions are all I really use. Pushdowns get my elbows nice and warmed up for overhead extensions later on in the session.

[@meatsauce12]

never has an exercise made my arms more sore than the overhead press. PLEASE include it in your push/arms days you won't regret it

[@brianchae1871]

every workout video : this one is the best, but are the others suck? NO you have to do the others as well. just do them all all all all DO THEM ALL!!! ITS GOOD!! JUST DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IT!!! YEEEEEEEEEEES

[@WestWalk-x9h]

Ever tried reverse grip (hands down) skull crushers on either a flat bench or incline bench ? Absolutely wonderful!

[@OP_JOKER_FF]

I KNEW IT !!! overhead extensions are too good 🤌

[@unnamed6419]

After two years every vid I watch of his basically just tells me “keep doing what you’re doing” I think that’s probably a good sign.

[@PinkKoalas]

I do this and assisted dips and my triceps are finally growing!!

[@RosyE-e9q]

Been loving the katana extension since you suggested it 💯

[@charliewingate1893]

“Does that mean you should only ….” YES ‼️‼️ That’s exactly what it means

[@GregWhelan-w7n]

Another helpful pro tip from the shire

[@-_--hg9yq]

the variety of exercises is also to have some fun especially the skull crusher I really liked it

[@orion9k]

Hey Jeff, I saw that video with that aggressive dude, what a bully he is, hopefully the police will take care of that!.. Hope you doing great! Cheers

[@dragonslayer7069]

What about reverse grip tricep pushdowns? I do those and that has really increased my muscle growth in the longer head