Barbell Lying extension

Description

How to Do Barbell Lying extension

1. 1
   Setup

   Lie supine on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor, ensuring your head, back, and glutes are firmly supported.

2. 2
   Setup

   Grip a barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width grip and extend your arms straight up, holding the bar directly over your chest with elbows slightly bent to avoid locking out.

3. 3

   Keeping your upper arms stationary and elbows pointed towards the ceiling, slowly lower the barbell by bending only your elbows until it is just above your forehead.

4. 4

   Pause briefly, then forcefully extend your elbows to push the barbell back up to the starting position, squeezing your triceps at the top.

5. 5

   Maintain control throughout the movement, ensuring your upper arms do not move significantly from their vertical position, isolating the triceps.

Tips

• Keep your elbows tucked in close to your body; flaring them out can put unnecessary stress on the elbow joints and reduce triceps activation.
• Control the negative (lowering) phase of the movement by taking 2-3 seconds to lower the weight, which increases time under tension for enhanced muscle growth.
• Don't fully lock out your elbows at the top of the movement; stopping just short of full extension maintains continuous tension on the triceps.
• Breathe in as you lower the barbell and exhale forcefully as you extend your arms back to the starting position.

Common Mistakes

• ×Flaring your elbows out to the sides during the movement shifts tension away from the triceps and can strain your elbows; instead, keep them tucked in and pointed forward.
• ×Allowing your upper arms to swing forward or backward reduces triceps isolation; keep them perpendicular to the floor throughout the exercise to maximize triceps engagement.
• ×Lowering the barbell too far back behind your head can put excessive stress on the shoulder joint; aim for the bar to descend just above your forehead.