Theoretical Triceps exercise....

[Parker]

I have a theoretical triceps exercise that I will do later on tonite, if I get the chance...Imagine doing a triceps pressdown with a triceps bar, yet having the bar at your back, like doing a bench dip, yet the bar represents the bench. Obviously the weight would be light enough so that one can pull it down, then turn around press it down from the back.

Odd?

[benchthis]

whatever works

[Parker]

whatever works

I never tried it..just was thinking of it while I sit here at work

[Painlayer69]

Sounds interesting

[Lucky Lance]

I think you would definitely need to have a training partner pull the handle down to the start position and then you would need to back into the handle in order to grip it.  To do the exercise yourself without a training partner handing the handle to you, you would need to go much too light (probably a weight you'd end up being able to do 30+ reps with) and you wouldn't get any benefit from the exercise.  The "bench dip" position is a strong position that involves the pecs and delts A LOT in addition to your tris, so you'll need to go pretty heavy in order to reach failure by the 10th rep or so.  Also, when you reach failure in the exercise, the bar will be in the high position in back of you and you wouldn't be able to safely release the bar and end the set -- too much of a chance for injury.

[leonp1981]

I think you would definitely need to have a training partner pull the handle down to the start position and then you would need to back into the handle in order to grip it.  To do the exercise yourself without a training partner handing the handle to you, you would need to go much too light (probably a weight you'd end up being able to do 30+ reps with) and you wouldn't get any benefit from the exercise.  The "bench dip" position is a strong position that involves the pecs and delts A LOT in addition to your tris, so you'll need to go pretty heavy in order to reach failure by the 10th rep or so.  Also, when you reach failure in the exercise, the bar will be in the high position in back of you and you wouldn't be able to safely release the bar and end the set -- too much of a chance for injury.

Agreed, at the end of your set, you're gonna be in a tricky position, and would have to drop the weight.

[jpm101]

These have been done on horizontal bars. Either an overhead bar or a regular BB placed in a PR, at the height of your choice. So at the start you are standing on the floor and lifting the knees up and out of the way, to begin.Though mostly these press downs are done in the front of the body, not behind. Are a great tricep/pec exercise that way. Keeping the balance, at first, make take a little adjusting to. Good Luck.

[coltrane]

You're gonna look odd, yes.  And dudes will be laughing.

But, go ahead and let us know.   

[Parker]

I think you would definitely need to have a training partner pull the handle down to the start position and then you would need to back into the handle in order to grip it.  To do the exercise yourself without a training partner handing the handle to you, you would need to go much too light (probably a weight you'd end up being able to do 30+ reps with) and you wouldn't get any benefit from the exercise.  The "bench dip" position is a strong position that involves the pecs and delts A LOT in addition to your tris, so you'll need to go pretty heavy in order to reach failure by the 10th rep or so.  Also, when you reach failure in the exercise, the bar will be in the high position in back of you and you wouldn't be able to safely release the bar and end the set -- too much of a chance for injury.

Thanks, still haven't done them, felt like doing delts, instead...

You're gonna look odd, yes.  And dudes will be laughing.
But, go ahead and let us know.  

Yeah, I know, that's why I'll do them when nobody is there . But if someone was doing  the superman exercise for their erectors, it would look odd...

[coltrane]

Tis true Parker


let us know how it works out.

[Charlys69]

try an ordinary dip-machine and you have a very similar exercise with much better comfort.....

[dyslexic]

Are you really that bored with your workouts?

[pumpster]

Are you really that bored with your workouts?

Not a great way to look at it. Trial and error is the way to find new and sometimes unconventional exercises that are really outstanding in hitting specific areas as opposed to just going by what a book says to do.

It's good to try any exercise that allows facing in either direction as the feel will be different-pushdowns, dip machine, lat pulldowns, standing calf machine, etc.

I'd say try the behind the back pushdowns with different grips and see what's comfortable and works-variations should all be tried. For example:

-Starting with a neutral, palms facing one another lat pulldown bar or rope attachment.
-Elbows out wide vs. by your sides.
-1/2-2/3 rom avoiding the top vs. full ROM.
-Stand directly under the cable vs. standing a foot or more away from it in either direction.

[mesmorph78]

ive seen these done...  ..before and done it once on the lat pulldown machine....
they are ok actually

[dyslexic]

Back to the pulley machine with rope overhead. One foot up, knee bent for leverage. Make it a combo simulated "pullover" plus triceps rope pulley pushdown.

You can burn em up good, and then when you want to use heavy weight, just lean forward with that leg that was up for leverage and let your whole body bring you down enough to extend the triceps slowly. Hold at the contraction for a sec, and then do the negative super slow. You have the choice of either coming up into another pullover position, or just simply extending the elbows for a more isolated tricep extension. Add a few burns and call it good.


I am fortunate enough to have a pad to lean against in the beginning. I never "grip" the rope as much as it rests in between my thumb and forefingers. That way I don't really deal with forearm fatigue.


After this I move on to close grip bench presses.


I was being a little sarcastic earlier (obviously)-- I like to find ways that are not only unconventional, but also effective. Many machines have many uses, some effective, some downright dangerous... for example; I saw a kid sitting backwards on the lat pulldown machine. He was sitting on the piece that leverages your legs and keeps you from coming off the bench. He had his feet up on the pad.


that was an accident waiting to happen-- definitely creative though...

[pumpster]

Back to the pulley machine with rope overhead. One foot up, knee bent for leverage. Make it a combo simulated "pullover" plus triceps rope pulley pushdown.
...

I've been used that for a good while, find it a very good alternative to seated or lying extensions. Once again it's not the typical version of overhead cable extensions but it works better. The way i do it is with the back parallel to the floor and stay closer to the overhead pulley or lean farther away from it for different effects and emphasis.

Myself i like doing them at normal speed, reasonably strict at the beginning, then add a little cheating (moderate, only at the beginning) on the last few reps. Cheating at the end is key to progressing IMO, if you stay strict all the way through the muscle's not as thoroughly worn out.

[dyslexic]

I've been used that for a good while, find it a very good alternative to seated or lying extensions. Once again it's not the typical version of overhead cable extensions but it works better. The way i do it is with the back parallel to the floor and stay closer to the overhead pulley or lean farther away from it for different effects and emphasis.

Myself i like doing them at normal speed, reasonably strict at the beginning, then add a little cheating (moderate, only at the beginning) on the last few reps. Cheating at the end is key to progressing IMO, if you stay strict all the way through the muscle's not as thoroughly worn out.

Don't get me wrong. I do too. Especially when i am using the whole stack. Once I am worn out, I let my bodyweight bring my arms down and then I contract the tri's. Never strict all the way through... NEVER! Those cheat reps and momentum reps plus the insane stretching really do a number on the tri's and the lats. Sometimes the only thing bringing that rope down is the weight of my body as it nears the floor.

I've noticed a lot of folks don't have the ability to bring their shoulders into the position that a good pullover requires. There is definitely something to be said for flexible delt mobility. I just think a lot of people either are not genetically limber, or they have already injured themselves before they've had a chance to realize what damage they are causing before the pain and limitations set in.


Usually the only thing stopping me from over-doing the cheat/burns is that my CNS is already exhausted and it's time to go home, eat and take a nap.