Lying Triceps Press

Lying Triceps Press is a intermediate-level isolation in the strength category that primarily works the triceps. It is performed with EZ-bar.

How to do it

1. 1Lie on a flat bench with either an e-z bar (my preference) or a straight bar placed on the floor behind your head and your feet on the floor.
2. 2Grab the bar behind you, using a medium overhand (pronated) grip, and raise the bar in front of you at arms length. Tip: The arms should be perpendicular to the torso and the floor. The elbows should be tucked in. This is the starting position.
3. 3As you breathe in, slowly lower the weight until the bar lightly touches your forehead while keeping the upper arms and elbows stationary.
4. 4At that point, use the triceps to bring the weight back up to the starting position as you breathe out.
5. 5Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Muscles worked

Primary muscles in filled badges, secondary in grey. Tap for more exercises per muscle.

Tips and common mistakes

• •Focus on the muscle contraction and control the eccentric (lowering) phase.
• •Add load only once you complete all reps with good form — progressive overload.
• •Press through the full range and avoid snapping the joints into lockout.
• •Prioritize full range of motion over heavy weight with partial reps.

Sets and reps

For hypertrophy: 3–4 sets × 8–12 reps with 1–2 reps in reserve (RPE 7–9) and 1–2 minutes rest. For strength: 3–5 × 4–6 with longer rest.