Tip The Gagné Triceps Extension Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip The Gagné Triceps Extension Want bigger guns Slap a horseshoe onto the back of your arms with this forgotten exercise by Gareth Sapstead April 2, 2020April 6, 2020 Tags Training Years ago, Charles Poliquin wrote about an unusual arm workout performed on a Swiss ball. He described an exercise called the Gagné triceps extension. Just like many of Charles' concepts, it was somewhat unheard of at the time, yet brilliant. Unfortunately, a scan of the web will reveal nothing else of this masochistic triceps-building move. It's kind of a ghost of an exercise... so let's bring it back. Gagné Triceps Extension These can be done on a stability ball or on the edge of a bench as shown. The ball acts as a useful pivot point and nothing more; it has nothing to do with working your stabilizers or proprioception or whatever. If you're using a ball instead of a bench, a standard 55 cm ball will do for most. To get set up, position your upper back on the side of the bench (or ball), then get in a bridged position making sure your torso is as parallel to the floor as possible. Hold two dumbbells overhead using a hammer grip, or a single dumbbell between two hands. An EZ-bar would also work. Starting with your torso parallel to the floor and dumbbells overhead, here's what to do next... Drop your hips allowing your upper back to hinge off the bench or ball. Get your torso as perpendicular to the floor as possible. Do the eccentric or negative portion of a triceps extension. Get as much range of motion as you can while keeping good elbow alignment. Once you've lowered the dumbbells to their fullest, bridge your hips back up. Lift the dumbbells overhead again. Repeat steps 1-5 for the prescribed number of reps or until you reach concentric failure. Why They Work Gagné triceps extensions manipulate body position in order to overload the eccentric portion of the lift, which stretches the muscle. The concentric or lifting portion of the lift is done in an easier position, while the eccentric is done at a relative mechanical disadvantage. These work by applying a greater eccentric overload to your triceps' long-head in particular. This occurs when you've dropped your hips, while tension is also maintained at the top when your hips are bridged up. Maximal tension on your triceps is also better maintained throughout the exercise. Eccentric training involves higher muscle forces, which can produce a large amount of mechanical tension and muscle damage. They also better activate high-threshold motor units, which have a greater capacity for growth. Good luck putting on your jacket the next day! Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training The Growth Surge Project - Part 3 The Recovery Stage Training John Berardi, PhD & Chris Shugart November 23 Training Tip Build Your Consistency Muscle There's only one way to be consistent in the gym. And the delicate snowflakes out there don't want to hear it. Here it is anyway. Tips, Training Chris Shugart July 12 Training Tip 4 Hamstring Exercises for Athletic Performance Prevent hamstring injuries. Sprint faster. Build better looking legs. Add a couple of these exercises to your plan. Athletic Performance, Legs, Tips, Training Nick Tumminello October 22 Training How to Do the Perfect Push Press The mighty push press builds full-body strength and power. Problem is, most lifters aren't doing the push press right. Here's how. Powerlifting & Strength, Shoulders, Training Eric Auciello October 16