Extension of the arms on the block with a cord while standing. Extension of the arm on the upper block while standing. What muscles work when the arms are extended on the block

Block Extension is a formative isolated triceps exercise that will help make your arms more prominent and stronger. Let's take a look at the extension technique, their variations and typical mistakes which should be avoided.

Technique and types of extension

With the correct execution of the exercise, in addition to the triceps, other muscles should not be included in the work. The only exceptions are the static stabilizers of the body and, in fact, the brushes with which you hold the handle. If you feel that some other muscle group is actively working for you, you are doing the exercise incorrectly.

Classic extension

This is the extension of the arms with the handle of the upper block. First, put on a weight of 5 kg and warm up. The exercise can be performed both in a block trainer (extension of the arms in a crossover), and in a back trainer with an upper block (there is a pull on the broadest muscles).

The handle can be different - a short straight, curved, long, with which the pull is performed. Extending the arms on the block where the deadlift is done make sense only when other athletes are engaged in the block simulator.

So let's get started:

Hang up a short, straight handle. Grasp it with a straight grip (palms down). The thumb is on top, not below.
The effectiveness of the load depends on the position of the elbows - the elbows must be pressed against the body. Bend your arms slightly more than 90 degrees.
The position of the feet can be either on one straight line, or one leg slightly forward and the other slightly back. Your task is to stand as stable as possible. The feet are already apart from the shoulders, the distance between them is 15–20 cm, if you put them on one straight line. In the event that one is in front and the other is behind, this distance will be less.
The loin is arched, the chest is straightened, the gaze is straight. With the weight of the body, we press the handle from above, as if hanging over it. This is to ensure that you are not holding the weight with your latissimus dorsi. Therefore, we fix the body in this way. Due to the fact that the elbows are pressed to the body, and you hang over the handle, arching the lower back, you will pump only triceps in isolation.
From the “arms bent” position, lower the weight down with the effort of the triceps. The elbows should not part to the sides, they are pressed against the body all the time.

Do 10-15 warm-up reps while standing at a medium pace. Then hang desired weight and work 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps, depending on your training goals.

Ladder on the block

When you come to the gym with friends, you can arrange a competition at the end of the workout - a ladder in which everyone will do the maximum number of repetitions per triceps on the block for several approaches. At the same time, the competition begins with 50-60% of your working weight, and each next approach, reduce the weight by 5-10 kg and increase the number of repetitions. Thus, by the last set, your muscles will reach complete failure.

Attention! Keep your triceps warm so you don't get stretched.

And don't forget - pulling during extension is undesirable. Only the triceps work.

Curved Bar Extension

The exercise is performed while standing. Use the curved handle to work the outside of the triceps. With its help, you turn your hands: the right - clockwise, and the left - counterclockwise. In this position, the load goes more to the external triceps bundle.

It is better to alternate the extensions as follows: once a week you do an exercise with a straight arm, the next week with a curved arm. This will help you work your triceps from all sides.

You should not do the extension of the arms on the block twice in one week - it makes no sense. It doesn't matter which bar you use, only your hands work. For the back, there is a pull of the upper block.

Other options for extending the arms

In addition to the usual option, there is also a single extension of the arms in the crossover. This machine has 2 lower blocks that can be used to simulate the dumbbell press from behind the head.

The technique is as follows:

Attach the one-handed horseshoe handle to the lower unit.
Sit on the bench so that the cable handle from the lower block is behind your head.
Raise your elbow up, with your hand behind your head.
The cable should not be pressed against your back. To prevent this from happening, move your hand back a little further than in the usual version of the exercise with dumbbells.
Movement begins at the level of the back of the head, straighten your arm. Then bend again.

Repeat the movement 10-12 times in 3 sets.

This version of the exercise may be needed if you want to do a dumbbell press from behind your head, but the required dumbbell is busy. The block version of such a press is not as convenient to do as with a dumbbell, but it is worth knowing about it in any case.

Place of exercise in the program

Triceps extension alone will not be enough to effectively work this muscle group. This is usually the final exercise at the bottom of the triceps.

If you are doing the classic program, combining work on the chest muscles with triceps training, then tricep extensions are performed at the very end. First, for example, there is a basic bench press, then the dumbbell raises, parallel bars, and finally the extension of the arms on the block.

If you combine the back and triceps, then you can do a heavier workout for the extensors of the arms, but leave the work in the block machine until the very end of the session.

Before you start exercising

Despite the fact that the exercise is relatively simple, pay attention to a number of contraindications to its implementation.

If your elbows hurt, it is not recommended to do the exercise until the acute pain syndrome passes. It is advisable to do an MRI of the elbow joint to clarify the etiology (origin) of pain.
If your wrists hurt, you should also let them heal. You can try using a medium hard hand retainer. If doing the extension with them is painless, exercise calmly.
After fractures, you need to wait several weeks from removing the cast and start doing extensions with small weights per amount. This will help restore the ligaments and tendons weakened from the load, prepare the joint for further weights.

Frequent mistakes when extending the arms

Knowing what mistakes most people make will help you better control your own technique.

The most popular ones are:

Flexion of the brushes. The hand should be in line with the elbow. Usually, beginners bend them downward, increasing the stress on the wrist. Naturally, it can hurt after exercise.
The elbows are set wide apart. In this position, to fix the hands in the starting position, the latissimus dorsi muscles are connected. Concentrating on triceps training will no longer work. And you won't be able to do the exercise with the right weight.
You do the exercise while standing absolutely straight. Now your body is fixed in its original position by the muscles of the press and lats of the back. Again you are not making quality sets.
Often, beginners will slouch while doing the extension. Poor posture while weighed down can help you develop back problems. In this case, it is not critical. Still, develop a habit of doing all the exercises in gym with correct posture.
You got too close to the block. In this case, a lot of weight will pull you up, and to perform the extension, you will take your elbows back. And again, the fixation of the case is lost.
You are far away from the block. Therefore, you will need to lean forward too much, overloading the lower back. From the outside it looks very funny, so do the exercise in front of a mirror. If something is wrong, you will immediately notice.
The head is down, or looks to the side. If the mirror is on the side, keep an eye on the technique, but do not keep your head in the wrong position all the time. The correct position of the head is strictly straight.
Some first pull the handle from above with their backs, then lower it with their triceps down. It's not craving. You don't need to do this.
It also makes no sense to do the exercise while sitting - you have to work while standing.

Among other things, remember about correct breathing: the effort is always made during exhalation. We return the weight back on inhalation.

This exercise can be performed with different grips and using different handles. We recommend doing it in different ways, for a more complete study of the triceps muscle of the shoulder (triceps). This way you can also diversify your workout. Let's look at the options and techniques for performing hand extensions on the lower block with a photo demonstration.

Watch your elbows, they should be firmly pressed against the sides of the body. Perform movements at maximum amplitude. Concentrate and try to feel the muscles working. When moving up - inhale, when moving down - exhale.

Grasp the handle of the upper block with a straight grip (palms facing down), slightly narrower than shoulder level. Pull on the handle and press your elbows against the sides of your torso. Inhale, and as you exhale, extend your arms completely. Slowly return the handle to its original position.

Extension of the arms on the block with a reverse grip is a unique exercise for "drawing" the lateral head of the triceps. This exercise puts an increased load on the thumbs, so you may need to strengthen your hands with special exercises if they fail.

Grasp the handle of the upper block with a reverse grip (palms up). Pull on the handle and press your elbows against the sides of your torso. Inhale, and as you exhale, extend your arms completely. Slowly return the handle to its original position.

The rope handle will provide perfect isolation and powerful triceps contraction.

Grasp the top pulley rope handle. Pull on the handle and press your elbows against the sides of your torso. Inhale, and as you exhale, fully extend your arms (while unbending your arms, you need to spread the ends of the rope). Return smoothly to the starting position.

4. Extension of arms on a block with a rope handle with one hand

This exercise option will allow you to even out muscle imbalances, if any.

Grasp the top pulley rope handle with one hand. Inhale, and as you exhale, fully extend your working arm. Return smoothly to the starting position. Execute required amount times and repeat the exercise for the other hand.

Strength exercises are divided into basic and isolated. The first are those in which flexion-extension occurs in several joints and therefore several different muscle groups work. In the second case, movement occurs only in one joint and, accordingly, the block of muscles that are attached to it works. A feature of training for arm extension on top block in a standing position is that the entire emphasis falls only on the triceps.

Muscles worked and the benefits of exercise

This mini-workout is aimed at working out only one muscle group, namely the triceps. It, in turn, consists of:

external (or lateral);
middle (or medial);
internal (or long) muscles.

It is they who work with the correct technique for performing a seemingly simple task. The rest of the muscles - the back, the press, the wrist - work statically, that is, they only provide stabilization.

Triceps as such occupies two-thirds of the volume of the arm, therefore, maintaining it normally makes the limb visually beautiful by increasing the relief and shape. Women are especially worried about the situation when the triceps sags and the impression is created that the whole body is flabby.

The following can be said about the benefits of working on triceps:

muscle strength develops;
the triceps brachialis muscle is isolated and targeted;
muscle relief improves;
the hand visually looks larger;
bench press performance increases when performing basic exercises.

How to do it right

For all the seemingly simplicity of the task, many, and especially beginners, do not always do it technically correctly. Because of this, very often the desired effect is not achieved. Therefore, further we will focus specifically on the technique of performing the extension of the arms on the vertical block downward and on some of the tricks of the execution.

Important! If you feel tension in any other muscle,except triceps, the workout is not being performed correctly!

Choice of handle and grip

You can train triceps on the vertical block and in the block trainer. Many fitness trainers prefer the latter due to the fact that the roller is lower and therefore it is more convenient to distribute the load on the triceps.
Depending on which holder is used during execution, certain muscles work or the load on them varies:

if you use the classic version, namely a straight handle and a regular grip, then the lateral and medial muscles of the triceps work;
holding the handle with a reverse grip, the long muscle of the group is worked out more.

The V-plank is very popular to use, but it reduces the scope of the exercise, so a load of no more than sixty kilograms is usually chosen for it.

Did you know? The largest chest muscles belong to the American Isaac Nesser. The chest in girth has two meters less than ten centimeters. Heregularly has been in the gym since the age of eight.

If you use the rope as a holder, it complicates the exercise by a third and makes its amplitude wider, therefore such a grip is recommended only for athletes with decent experience. Next, we will talk about the technique of performing the classic regular grip.

Execution technique

To do the exercise correctly, you need:

Go to the simulator, select the desired handle holder and set it and the desired weight.
Stand at the projectile so that the holder is approximately at the distance of the arms bent at the elbows.
The leveling holder should be positioned so that the upper arm and forearm form a right angle.
Bend your arms at the elbows, grab the handle with your palms from above so that they are shoulder-width apart. The thumb is at the bottom.
Press your elbows to the body, align your back, “unfold” your chest and lean forward a little.
Choose such a position of the body to feel its stability. To do this, you can move one leg forward a little.
Extend the arms at the elbow so that the handle touches the femoral surface in front, while exhaling.
Hold for a couple of seconds in this position.
Important! Avoid doing vertical block exercises if you have had a recent injury to your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.
Bend your arms up to the starting position - inhale. This should not be done very quickly, but about twice as slow as the speed with which the arms were extended downward.
For men, perform three approaches up to fifteen times each with a weight of up to twenty kilograms. Women do the same amount of exercise, but with half the weight.

Video: technique for performing arm extension in a crossover

It is very important to pay attention to the fact that it is the triceps that work, and for this you first need to do the exercise at a slow pace. This will help you find the optimal body position and feel the work of other muscles if you are doing the exercise incorrectly.

From the very beginning, you need to try to perform the exercise technically in order to avoid mistakes, which will be discussed later.

Typical mistakes

When doing this, at first glance, very simple exercise, nevertheless, mistakes are made, namely:

The elbows are not close to the body, but wide apart. With this setting, not only the triceps you need works, but also the dorsal lats, which is not correct. In addition, you cannot work with the right weight.
Flexion of the brushes. It must be remembered that in this exercise, the bend occurs only in the elbow joint. If the hands are bent, this is incorrect, since there is a load on this joint and other muscles begin to work.
Straight stand. If the body is not tilted, it will not be possible to make the right approach, since the latissimus dorsal muscles will be involved in the work.
Slouching during execution. It does not lead to an error in technique, but in the future it threatens with problems with the spine. When performing any strength exercise, posture must be correct.
Staging too close in relation to the machine. If you use such a stand, then when unbending the elbows will go back and the stabilization of the body will be lost.
Staging too far in relation to the simulator. In this case, you will lean forward strongly, which will overload lumbar and uses other muscles.
Back pull. Many people make the initial effort using the back muscles. This is fundamentally wrong. The bend goes only at the elbow and only the triceps works.
The gaze is directed sideways or downward. The head should be neither tilted nor turned - you only need to look straight ahead, focusing on the technique.
Doing the exercise while sitting. This exercise is performed only while standing.

Secrets and subtleties

Experienced athletes and coaches pay attention to some aspects that will help you master this exercise, namely:

the first few times, do the exercise slowly, focusing as much as possible on the technique;
do not choose too much weight;
choose the correct position of the body: the upper part should only be slightly tilted;
the forearms should be straightened at the lowest end point;
watch your elbows - they should be pressed against the body without winding back;
for better workout the lateral muscle can be extended with one hand;
bend your arms up slowly;
legs should not be straight, but slightly bent at the knees;
it is imperative to stay at the peak of the load for a couple of seconds;
do not exercise if shoulder pain is present.

How to replace at home

There are a number of triceps exercises you can do at home. The most popular of them are the press from behind the head with the use of dumbbells with both one and two hands, the press from a lying position with a narrow grip, the French press with weights. However, only the first of them is isolated.
You can try to make something like a vertical block using materials at hand.

For this you need:

Take a tight rubber about two meters long.
Fold in half and secure with the ends - for example, on the Swedish wall.
Sew up the middle with a thread so that the bar, located like in the simulator, goes there; it should be at the height of bent elbows.
Then perform the exercise in the same way as in the gym. Tightening the rubber will replace weight.

Exercise for triceps should be given due attention, because the relief, and therefore the beauty of your hands, depends on it. This is especially necessary for the fair sex. It is better to perform it in the gym, as a final refinement of the muscles of this group.

Extension of the arms on the block while standing is an isolated exercise for the triceps, which engages the lateral and medial heads of the given muscle. This exercise can be performed both at the beginning of training to warm up and warm up the triceps, and at the end of the session to finish off a muscle or get a pumping effect. Extension of the arms on the block can be performed with different grips and with different levers. When performing the movement, it is very important to follow the technique so as not to get injured.
Extension of the arms from the upper block with a direct grip
Execution technique
Approach the simulator, grab the handle with a grip slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart, straighten your back and bend your knees slightly, feet shoulder-width apart. Lean forward slightly. Hands are pressed tightly to the body.

Inhale and as you exhale, straighten your arms completely, at the end point of the amplitude, pause for a second to feel the peak muscle contraction.

Return to the starting position smoothly and under control. Make sure that the movement occurs only in the elbow joint. When lifting, do not raise your arms to the end, but only to the middle, when a right angle forms between the forearms and shoulder.

This exercise is best done at the end of the session in order to finish off the triceps.

Reverse grip allows you to emphasize the load on the lateral head of the triceps. There is also a static load on the forearms. The exercise is recommended to be performed immediately after extending the arms on a block with a straight grip.
Execution technique
Approach the simulator, grab the handle with a reverse grip, elbows pressed to the body.

On exhalation, the arms are unbent, and on inhalation, they bend.

Movements occur smoothly, without jerking, so as not to get injured in the elbow joint.

The weight on the apparatus is selected so that the athlete can perform about 10-12 repetitions.

The movement takes place at the maximum amplitude.

Extension of arms on a block with a rope handle
This type of standing block extension is considered the most effective by many professional athletes, as the rope handle provides the ideal isolated robot and maximum triceps contraction. The lateral head is most stressed.
Execution technique
Walk up to the machine and grab the rope handle with a straight grip. Press your elbows against your torso and begin to unbend your arms. At the lowest point of the amplitude, you need to spread the ends of the rope and pause for a second to obtain a peak muscle contraction.

Return smoothly to the starting position. Exhale while lowering the handle and inhale while lifting.

Make sure that your hands are tightly pressed to the body, and the movement occurs only in the elbow joint.

Triceps workout with arm extension at the block
To get the best stimulation of the growth of the muscle group, we must first warm up the muscle, then perform a few heavy basic exercises, and after them a few isolated ones. This approach is considered the most effective in modern bodybuilding. Let's see how this would look like for example triceps training:
Extension of arms on the block for warming up with a straight handle (2 X 15-20);

(3-4 X 8-12);

(3-4 X 8-12);

Extension of arms from the upper block with a rope handle (3-4 X 8-12);

Extension on the block with a reverse grip (3-4 X 8-12).

Now you know everything there is to know about triceps block extensions and you can apply this exercise to your workouts. If you have any questions, or want to see how to perform live extensions, we recommend that you read the video below.
Video with the technique of performing arm extension on the block while standing

Extension of the arms on the upper block is designed to train the triceps. It is done to shape the arms and strengthen the muscle, which opens the door to more challenging exercises and allows you to level up. training process... For more information about the rules and technique of execution - read the article.

What muscles are working?

One of the most popular triceps exercises is the block machine extension. This exercise is an isolated (or isolating) exercise, as it involves only one joint and targets only one muscle group.

Extension of the arms with a block trainer has two main functions:

forms muscle relief;
trains the strength of the triceps.

Triceps, which is worked out during arm extension, is a good two-thirds of the muscle mass of a person's arms. Given this fact, it is easy to understand that thanks to its shape, athletes achieve a beautiful shoulder relief.

Triceps work is equally popular among both male and female athletes. But if men seek to train the triceps for the sake of volume and to perform subsequent heavier exercises that require additional strength, then women who train triceps fight fat deposits in this area and form an expressive silhouette.

Despite the fact that the block exercise is aimed exclusively at working out the triceps, other muscles are also involved in the work. Indirectly, they also receive their share of the load and develop successfully.

In the list of these muscles:

triceps muscle of the shoulder;
the broadest muscles of the back, which have a stabilizing function;
large round;
back delta;
large chest;
small chest;
bottom of the trapezoid;
abdominal muscles;
flexors of the wrist;
the extensor muscles of the spine.

Exercise about which in question in this material, it will help to solve several problems:

deep study of the triceps brachialis muscle;
increase in muscle mass - if there is such a goal and the athlete eats accordingly;
the ability to do more presses while exercising through basic exercises.

Place in the program

As effective as the exercise is, it is done in combination with others. Also with the extension of the muscles in the block.

Regardless of which muscles are being worked out on the day of training, muscle extension is performed in the final part:

in the "chest-triceps" training scenario, you must first do all the chest exercises;
in the "back-triceps" scenario, do the back exercises first, and only then work in the block.

Before you start working with a block trainer, the triceps must be warmed up. To do this, you need to perform several approaches:

Men should aim for two to three sets of 10-15 reps with a weight of 15-20 kilograms.
women need to achieve two or three sets of 10-15 repetitions with a weight of 5-10 kilograms.

Execution rules

Like most popular exercises, the arm extension has many variations, but all of them are based on the classical technique.

Classic extension

The exercise is performed in a block type simulator, as well as on simulators designed to work out the back muscles, but equipped with an upper block. Extensions are performed on the handles different forms- straight, curved or long, for one arm. All of them slightly change the vector of force application, so athletes use all of them, but in different training complexes.

For the classic extension of the arms in the simulator, a short straight handle is best suited. It must be fixed in the simulator.
Hold the handle with a straight grip, putting your thumb over the handle.
Press your elbows to the body.
Bend them more than 90 degrees.
Put your feet next to each other, take a pose as stable as possible.
Bend the back in the lumbar region.
Straighten your shoulders, raise your chin.
The handle of the block should be pressed by the weight of the body, not by the muscles of the back, since it is necessary to isolate the spinal muscles, and work exclusively on the triceps.
With the effort of the triceps, lower the weight by unbending the elbows.
Control the position of your elbows while doing the set.

Ladder

The ladder is not a specific modification of the exercise, but a way to achieve a muscle condition close to failure.

Several athletes can perform the ladder, competing in the number of repetitions.

The trick of the exercise is to start at half your usual weight. Each subsequent approach should be done with even less weight. The step can be from 5 to 10 kilograms. But at the same time, the number of repetitions should increase from set to set.

Curved neck

This exercise will make it possible to work out the outer part of the triceps or, in other words, the muscle bundle.

Performance:

Attach the curved handle first.
Turn your right hand clockwise, your left counterclockwise.
Perform the exercise in the same way as the classic ones.
After completing the standard number of repetitions, change the direction of the arms and work the muscles again.
Alternate between a curved bar and a straight bar for weeks to achieve even triceps.

With one hand

Extension of the arms with the help of the block trainer becomes even more effective for the triceps if you perform the exercise first with one and then with the other hand. During the execution of this option, the triceps is fully loaded, and the posterior deltoid muscle also receives the load.

Sequence:

Place one hand on the frame post and grab the bar with the other.
Extend the trained arm, slightly moving it to the side.
Repeat 10-15 times and change hands.

Possible mistakes and ways to avoid them

In the process of performing the extension of the arms in the block, it is easy to understand whether the exercise is being performed correctly. You should feel tension in your triceps and not in other muscles. If you notice that the muscles of the back or chest hurt after the exercise, then you need to look for a mistake.

The most common mistakes are:

You should not bend down strongly when doing the exercise. This will engage your back muscles.
Hands must be straightened to the end.
Maintain your posture throughout the exercise. A slack back can cause injury.
Keep your hands and forearms in line.
Do not come close to the block while performing the exercise.
When working with a block trainer for the first time, control your body position and movement in the mirror.

How to properly extend the arms on the upper block, which muscles are involved in this, possible options exercises and mistakes can be seen in the video:

Contraindications

The triceps exercise is safe enough. Since it is performed only with the help of the elbow joints, the main contraindications for this exercise are:

elbow joint injury;
injuries to the ligaments or tendons of the hands;
injuries of the wrist joints.

If the damage is not a big concern, you can reduce the load by reducing the usual weight by 30-40 percent.

Many athletes go to the gym even if they experience joint pain. With such determination, it is necessary to get the advice of a specialist in advance, who will determine whether a specific exercise will be harmful for a specific violation.