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Triceps Exercise Myth Buster (GET BIGGER TRICEPS!)



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The best tricep exercise is always the one you do right. That said, a lot of people aren’t quite so clear on the right way to perform one very popular triceps exercise – the tricep pushdown. In this video, I show you whether you should be using a supinated (underhand grip) or pronated (overhand grip) to get the most out of this triceps mass building movement.

To start, you have to understand where this argument is coming from. Many people will say that doing the pushdown with the hand turned down will help them feel it more in their outer or lateral head of the triceps. Others will say that doing the tricep exercise with the hand turned upward will help them feel it more in the inner or long head of the triceps. Who is right?

Well, if you look at the anatomy of the issue, both would be wrong! You see, the triceps does not have any attachment to either the radius in the forearm. While it crosses the elbow joint and allows it to extend the elbow, it doesn’t have any impact on the ability of the forearm to pronate or supinate. This is a major point that the keyboard anatomists will use to argue their point that forearm position or grip has no impact on the different heads of the triceps muscle that you feel working during the slightly altered exercises.

That is ok to a point. However it doesn’t explain the real world fact that you can feel the long head and lateral head of the tricep workout differently depending on the grip. That is because when we do supinate we don’t ever do it in isolation. We often get external rotation of our shoulder as well that winds up putting the long head in a better mechanical line of pull out of the three heads of the triceps. This results in a stronger contraction from this head and one we can feel during the variation of this popular triceps exercise.

On the contrary, we perform internal rotation of the shoulder when we do a pronated grip pushdown. This auxiliary movement helps to shift the focus more to the outside of the triceps muscle and lead to a stronger contraction felt in the lateral head of the triceps. So, at the end of the day, the triceps is influenced by grip position but not for the reason you may have thought. Anatomy isn’t enough to explain the feeling you get from the triceps pushdowns variations.

If you want to put science back in everything you do not just how you train your triceps, be sure to head to and get one of our science based training programs. The Ultimate Arms program leads the field in getting bigger arms in just 6 weeks while following some of the most advanced training tactics available.

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38 Comments

  1. Summary:
    Pronated grip works more of the lateral head of triceps
    Underhand grip works more of the long head of the triceps

    When doing pronated pushdowns, we get internal rotation at the shoulder. The underhand grip has alot of external rotation at the shoulder. This position of the shoulder places a better mechanical advantage for triceps heads

  2. This video didn’t sum up the conclusion very well. So there’s no difference regardless of grip but yet there really is because the shoulder moves? So is he saying that as long as you keep good form it doesn’t matter if you do palm up or down? Or is he saying the grips are different and we should do both regardless of having good form?

  3. It happens that on my left arm, the long tricep isn't developed well but the medial head is huge when flexing, but on the right arm, the long head is well developed but the medial head has the half size of the other. Am thinking not to do exercises using both arms, but specifically for the Long head on the one arm, and the Medial head for the other..

  4. Good information but you forgot about the hand being vertical,!
    After I do the rope extentions I disconnect rope and grap the small Round rubber ball just above the cable connection. Grabbing this ball and encapsulating it with your hand in the vertical thumb up pinky down position let's you totally focus on all three heads bringing the details of each of with slow purposeful reps. Great for bringing out all three heads Best detail finishing exercise

  5. its all about the shoulders – external rotation – I have watched must be 50 vids at least – am totally addicted to his style of explanations, they just get through to me and thats saying something – good all american bloke here – you want these kinds of guys in your regiment – not that Im off to the trenches or anything but just saying.

  6. jeff my name is alex, what kind of exercises can i do for my shoulder. I have a small tear in my rotator cuff. I follow all of your videos and they have helped me out alot. I am 48 years old and l lost of muscle mass since I've hurt my shoulders. I am like jesse in a way a hard gain er. Any good tips so I won't tear it any more thanks. Alex

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