The most popular triceps exercises are skull crushers, pushdowns, and dumbbell kickbacks—all of which emphasize development of the lateral and medial heads of your tri’s. Those two form the outer part of the muscle, the area most visible when people look at you from the side. But the long head is equally important, and makes up a considerable portion of the upper arm. If yours is lacking, you can target it directly by moving your arms overhead—and that’s where the overhead cable extension comes in.
How To Do It
Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of a cable station and face away from the stack. Grasp the handle overhead and walk forward to put tension on the cable. Allow your elbows to bend so your thumbs point behind you. Bend forward at the hips slightly, then extend your elbows and turn your wrists out at the point of lockout.
Bend your elbows without moving your upper arms to begin the next rep. When your elbows are bent, the stretch becomes so extreme that the long head contracts harder, enhancing gains.
Add 3–4 sets of 12 reps of overhead cable extensions at the end of your arm day or bench-press workout.
Quick Tip
You can also target the long head with the lying triceps extension done on a decline bench. Use an EZ-curl bar and lower it behind your head.
