Machine Triceps Extension

What it is

This isolation exercise effectively targets your triceps, the muscles on the back of your upper arms. You will extend your elbows against the machine's resistance, building strength and definition.

Technique tips

• Keep your upper arms firmly against the pads to isolate the triceps.
• Exhale as you extend your arms, and inhale as you return to the start.
• Pause briefly at full extension to maximize your triceps muscle contraction.
• Maintain constant tension by not letting the weight stack touch down.
• Focus on controlled movement, avoiding any jerky motions or momentum.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.