What bench angle should I use?

Around 45 degrees, as shown, works for most people, and 30 to 45 degrees is the common range. A steeper bench brings the arms closer to straight overhead, which asks more of the shoulders.

How is this different from an incline skull crusher?

A skull crusher lowers the bar to the forehead with the upper arms held more upright. Here the bar goes behind the head, so the elbows bend further and the triceps finish in a longer stretch. The forehead version is covered by the Barbell Skull Crusher.

Is the incline version better than the flat lying extension?

Not proven. The incline holds the long head of the triceps at a longer length at the bottom, but no study has compared the two directly, so treat it as a useful variation rather than an upgrade over the EZ Bar Lying Triceps Extension.

Why use an EZ bar instead of a straight bar?

The angled handles turn the palms slightly inward, which many lifters find easier on the wrists and elbows. The triceps do the same work either way, so a straight bar is fine if it feels comfortable.

Can I do this without a spotter?

Yes, with a load you control, since you can lower the bar to your chest and sit up at the end of a set. Stop a rep or two short of failure when training alone, because a failed rep leaves the bar stuck behind your head.

EZ Bar Incline Triceps Extension

What Is the EZ Bar Incline Triceps Extension?

EZ Bar Incline Triceps Extension is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the triceps and also engages the lats, shoulders and forearms as stabilizers. It is an intermediate-level movement performed seated on an incline bench, lowering an EZ bar behind the head by bending only at the elbows.

Its main job is building triceps size and strength, and it usually sits after the main pressing work of a session as an accessory in moderate to higher rep ranges. Because the torso is reclined, the upper arms finish much closer to overhead than on a flat bench, so the long head of the triceps, the only head that crosses the shoulder, works from a long, stretched position. That arm position matters: in a 12-week study of 21 adults, cable elbow extensions done with the arm overhead grew the long head by about 29%, against about 20% for the same exercise with the arm at the side.

Compared with the flat EZ Bar Lying Triceps Extension, the incline takes the arms further toward overhead at the bottom of each rep. Compared with the EZ Bar Seated Overhead Triceps Extension, the bench supports the back and head, which makes it easier to keep the spine still while the arms do the work. The Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension uses the same bench setup with a neutral grip, and the EZ bar's angled handles sit between that and a straight bar for wrist comfort.

It suits lifters who already handle basic triceps work and can raise their arms overhead without pain. If it feels awkward or too heavy, build up first with the Cable Triceps Pushdown with Rope and the flat lying extension, then move to the incline with a light bar.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Primary
Triceps Brachii (Lateral Head): High
Triceps Brachii (Medial Head): High
Deltoid: Low
Latissimus Dorsi: Low
Teres Major: Low
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Minimal
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Minimal
Rectus Abdominis: Minimal

Instructions

Set an adjustable bench to about 45 degrees and sit with your back and head against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.
Hold an EZ bar with an overhand grip on the inner angled sections, hands a little narrower than shoulder width.
Bring the bar to your chest, lean back against the pad and press it up until your arms are straight with the bar above your head.
Brace your core, keep your ribs down and keep your lower back against the pad.
Keeping your upper arms still and your elbows pointing up, bend your elbows and lower the bar in an arc behind your head.
Lower slowly until you feel a deep stretch in the back of your arms, keeping your elbows about shoulder-width apart.
Extend your elbows to bring the bar back over your head until your arms are straight, without snapping into lockout.
Breathe in as you lower and out as you press up, and repeat for the planned reps.
To finish, bring the bar down to your chest with your elbows bent before sitting up.

Common Mistakes

Flaring the elbows
Letting the elbows drift wide as the bar lowers shifts stress onto the elbow and shoulder and takes work away from the triceps.
Moving the upper arms
Swinging the upper arms toward the chest on the way up turns the lift into a pullover and lets the lats move the weight.
Arching off the bench
Lifting the lower back or ribs off the pad to finish heavy reps strains the lower back and shortens the stretch on the triceps.
Dropping the bar too fast
Letting the bar fall behind the head loads the elbow tendon abruptly at its longest length and risks hitting the head or bench.
Bending the wrists back
Letting the wrists fold back under the bar strains the wrists and makes the weight harder to control.
Going too heavy
A load that forces short, jerky reps usually breaks elbow position and is a common cause of elbow pain on this lift.

Injuries

EZ Bar Incline Triceps Extension is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The elbows take most of the stress, especially where the triceps tendon attaches behind the elbow, because the muscle is loaded hardest at the bottom of the rep when it is most stretched. The bottom position also takes the shoulders into deep overhead flexion, and the bar travels close to the back of the head on every rep.

Warm up the elbows and shoulders with a few light sets before working sets, and choose a load you can lower slowly and stop under control. Keep the head and upper back on the pad, the ribs down and the lower back against the bench, and lower only as far as your shoulders allow without pinching at the front of the joint.

To make it easier, lower the bench angle, shorten the range, or switch to the Cable Overhead Triceps Extension or the Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension, whose neutral grip many elbows tolerate better. To progress, add a slower lowering phase or a short pause at the bottom before adding weight, and add weight in small steps.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain at the elbow or the front of the shoulder, a pinching sensation overhead, or numbness or tingling in the hands. Elbow pain that lingers after training is a sign to cut load or volume and choose a more comfortable triceps exercise for a while.

Overview

Primary Focus: Triceps
Equipment: Ez bar and bench
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What bench angle should I use?: Around 45 degrees, as shown, works for most people, and 30 to 45 degrees is the common range. A steeper bench brings the arms closer to straight overhead, which asks more of the shoulders.
Q: How is this different from an incline skull crusher?: A skull crusher lowers the bar to the forehead with the upper arms held more upright. Here the bar goes behind the head, so the elbows bend further and the triceps finish in a longer stretch. The forehead version is covered by the Barbell Skull Crusher.
Q: Is the incline version better than the flat lying extension?: Not proven. The incline holds the long head of the triceps at a longer length at the bottom, but no study has compared the two directly, so treat it as a useful variation rather than an upgrade over the EZ Bar Lying Triceps Extension.
Q: Why use an EZ bar instead of a straight bar?: The angled handles turn the palms slightly inward, which many lifters find easier on the wrists and elbows. The triceps do the same work either way, so a straight bar is fine if it feels comfortable.
Q: Can I do this without a spotter?: Yes, with a load you control, since you can lower the bar to your chest and sit up at the end of a set. Stop a rep or two short of failure when training alone, because a failed rep leaves the bar stuck behind your head.