The BEST Triceps Hypertrophy Exercise

Summary

A recent study by Mayo and colleagues explored the effects of overhead extensions versus pushdowns on triceps hypertrophy. Over 12 weeks, untrained adults performed overhead cable extensions and pushdowns, revealing significant growth in all triceps regions, particularly the long head, with overhead extensions. The study highlights the importance of achieving a stretch for muscle growth and suggests that overhead extensions are crucial for maximizing triceps development. However, a combination of exercises, such as skull crushers, might be more effective for targeting different triceps regions and optimizing overall growth. Further research is needed to validate these findings.

Takeaways

• 😀 Overhead extensions lead to greater overall triceps growth compared to push downs in a study with untrained adults.
• 😀 The Mayo study found a significant increase in the long head of the triceps with overhead extensions over push downs.
• 😀 The research indicated that both the medial and lateral heads of the triceps grew more with overhead extensions compared to push downs.
• 😀 Stretching a muscle, such as the long head of the triceps during overhead extensions, is a powerful driver for muscle hypertrophy.
• 😀 The long head of the triceps is a two-joint muscle, which is stretched more during overhead exercises, enhancing hypertrophy.
• 😀 The Mayo study's training protocol involved two sessions per week for 12 weeks, gradually increasing training loads from 50% to 70% of one-rep max.
• 😀 A similar study from Greece also found overhead extensions to be more effective at growing the long head, but the results were not statistically significant due to the small sample size.
• 😀 Greater metabolic stress during overhead extensions, possibly due to restricted blood flow, may contribute to increased hypertrophy, although the exact role of metabolic stress remains unclear.
• 😀 For maximum triceps hypertrophy, overhead extensions should be included, but they may not be enough on their own; variation and additional exercises like skull crushers might be needed.
• 😀 Studies suggest that different triceps exercises can preferentially target various regions of the triceps, meaning a combination of exercises (e.g., overhead extensions and skull crushers) is recommended for balanced development.

Q & A

What was the primary focus of the study conducted by Mayo and colleagues?

The primary focus of the study was to compare the effects of overhead extensions versus push-downs on triceps hypertrophy in untrained adults.

How many participants were involved in the study, and how were they divided?

The study involved 21 untrained adults, comprising 14 men and 7 women. One arm was assigned to an overhead extension condition and the other to a push-down condition.

What exercises were performed in the overhead and push-down conditions?

In the overhead condition, participants performed overhead cable extensions, while in the push-down condition, they performed cable push-downs.

What were the key findings regarding triceps volume increases from the study?

The study found that triceps volume increases were 1.4 times greater for the overhead extension condition compared to the push-down condition, and the long head triceps volume was 1.5 times greater for overhead extensions.

Why did the study focus on the long head of the triceps, and what was the result?

The study focused on the long head because it passes over both the elbow and shoulder joints, making it more susceptible to being stretched during overhead extensions. It was found that the long head hypertrophied significantly more with overhead extensions compared to push-downs.

How do overhead extensions compare to push-downs in terms of hypertrophy of the medial and lateral heads of the triceps?

The study found that overhead extensions also led to greater hypertrophy in the combined medial and lateral heads of the triceps, though the exact mechanism for this is still not fully understood.

What role does muscle stretch play in hypertrophy, according to the study?

The study suggests that achieving a stretch during exercise is powerful for evoking muscle hypertrophy, especially in two-joint muscles like the long head of the triceps.

What did Mayo and colleagues' previous research suggest about muscle stretch?

In previous research, Mayo and colleagues found that stretching the hamstring muscles more, like during seated curls versus lying leg curls, led to greater hypertrophy of two-joint hamstring muscles.

What are the possible explanations for why overhead extensions result in more hypertrophy in the triceps?

One explanation is that the long head operates on the descending limb of the force-length curve during overhead extensions, leading to less force production, which might cause stronger contributions from the medial and lateral heads. Another speculation is that overhead extensions might restrict blood flow more than push-downs, creating greater metabolic stress, which could promote hypertrophy.

What does the study suggest for individuals looking to maximize triceps hypertrophy?

The study suggests that incorporating overhead extensions into your training is likely essential for maximizing triceps hypertrophy. However, for those who want to target different regions of the triceps, adding exercises like skull crushers could be beneficial.

Why is regional hypertrophy important, and how does it affect triceps development?

Regional hypertrophy refers to uneven growth across different parts of the muscle. For triceps development, combining exercises like overhead extensions and skull crushers is beneficial to target different regions of the triceps for more balanced growth.