Machine Tricep Extension

What is the Machine Tricep Extension?

The machine triceps extension isolates the triceps on a fixed, cam-driven path with a pin-loaded stack. The guided arc removes any balancing demand and lets you dial the load precisely, so it’s a simple, safe way to overload the triceps and push close to failure, good for beginners and as a finisher.

Muscles worked

Primary: Triceps

The triceps extends the elbows against the machine’s cam resistance while the pad braces the arms, forcing a strict contraction with no help from momentum or the torso.

How to perform the Machine Tricep Extension

1. Sit in the triceps extension machine and set the seat so your elbows align with the machine pivot and the pad supports the upper arms.
2. Grip the handles and keep the upper arms braced against the pad as the fixed pivot for the movement.
3. The fixed path removes stabilizing demands, making it ideal for high-rep burnouts and controlled forced reps.
4. Press the handles by extending the elbows until the arms reach full lockout.
5. Squeeze the triceps at the bottom without letting the upper arms lift off the pad.
6. Return the handles under control to about a 90-degree elbow, resisting the stack the whole way.

Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A single-joint isolation on a selectorized machine: elbow extension along a fixed arc with the upper arms supported. The guided path and pin-loaded stack make it the easiest triceps extension to load precisely and to take safely to failure or into drop sets.

Form cues

• •Set the seat so the upper arms rest on the pad and the elbows align with the pivot.
• •Grip the handles and extend by straightening the elbows along the machine’s path.
• •Squeeze at full lockout, then return under control to a bent-elbow start.
• •Keep your back against the seat rather than heaving with the torso.

Common mistakes

• •Setting the seat so the elbows do not align with the machine pivot.
• •Lifting the upper arms off the pad to cheat with the shoulders.
• •Letting the handles snap back up instead of controlling the eccentric.
• •Cutting the lockout short so the triceps never reach full extension.

Variations & alternatives

• •Triceps pushdown, a cable isolation from the arms-down position.
• •Overhead cable extension: loads the long head’s stretch instead.
• •Skull crusher, a free-weight lying triceps extension.
• •Dip, a bodyweight triceps compound alternative.

Tricep Pushdown

Triceps · Cable

Overhead Tricep Extension

Triceps · Dumbbell

Skull Crusher

Triceps · Barbell

Tricep Dip

Triceps · Bodyweight

Close-Grip Bench Press

Triceps · Barbell

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Program the machine triceps extension in the library’s 10–15 rep range as a strict triceps accessory or finisher. The fixed path makes it safe to push near failure and to drop-set, so chase a full range and a clean lockout over sloppy heavy reps. Run it after your pressing; a few sets is plenty.

Frequently asked questions