Band Overhead Single Arm Triceps Extension

Isolation exercise, Free weights

This article is verified by 4 studies/publications.

Overview

Movement sequence: One-arm overhead triceps extension with a resistance band anchored beneath the foot.

Difficulty

Easy

Required equipment

Main muscles

  • Triceps: Three-headed arm muscle
    (Musculus triceps brachii)

Training plans

Band Overhead Single Arm Triceps Extension is a suitable substitute for similar exercises in or as a supplement to various training plans.

Band Overhead Single Arm Triceps Extension: Basics and alternatives

: Involved main muscle groups Band Overhead Single Arm Triceps Extension

Involved main muscle groups:
Band Overhead Single Arm Triceps Extension

The one-arm overhead band extension uses a simple band setup to train each triceps separately. Raise your upper arm beside your head and straighten your elbow against the band, working the back of your upper arm.

The movement is pretty much the same as in one-arm overhead triceps extensions, just with a band in place of a cable station. If you’d prefer to lie down, band skull crushers let you train your triceps with a band while your back rests on a bench.

Correct execution

Working one arm at a time lets you find a shoulder position you can hold. The band should then allow the elbow to bend and straighten without pulling your upper arm out of place.

Secure the band beneath the foot on the same side as the working hand, ideally with that foot slightly behind you, and bring the working hand behind your head. Use a staggered stance if that helps keep the band secure and your body steady. Your upper arm points upward, but you don’t need to squeeze it hard against your ear. Find a position in which your shoulder feels comfortable.

Leave enough band length to straighten your arm overhead. The band’s pull increases as it stretches.[1] This can make the last part of straightening your elbow difficult. Reduce the resistance if you have to arch your back or push the whole arm forward to finish. Keep your ribs comfortably over your pelvis.

Use your free hand to help position your working arm before the first extension. After that, it can rest lightly against your upper arm as a guide, but it shouldn’t pull your elbow inward or help straighten it. Keep the band beside your head, not across your neck.

Keep the foot holding the band flat on the floor, with the heel down as your hand rises, to help keep the band in place under your shoe. Try a small extension first to check your hand’s path, then straighten and bend your elbow through a comfortable range while your upper arm stays still.

Video tutorial

Banded Single Arm Overhead Tricep Extension

Step-by-step instructions

Check the band and secure one end beneath the foot on the same side as your working arm, leaving enough length for the overhead movement.

Take the other end in one hand and bring that hand behind your head, with your elbow pointing upward.

Stand steadily and keep your wrist aligned with your forearm. Your free hand can lightly guide your upper arm.

Straighten your working elbow to raise your hand overhead while keeping your upper arm relatively still.

Bend your elbow slowly to bring your hand back behind your head through a comfortable range.

Finish the set, release the band tension with control and repeat on the other side.

Common mistakes

Your hand can appear higher when you push your ribs forward and arch your lower back, even if your elbow doesn’t straighten farther. Use a lighter band or more band length between your foot and hand.

Also watch out for letting the band pull your hand down suddenly behind your head. Keep hold of it and control the return. If the band starts slipping under your foot, lower your arm under control until the band is slack, then secure it again. And only raise your arm as far overhead as your shoulder comfortably allows.

It can be tempting to wrap extra turns around your wrist mid-set to shorten the band. Instead, lower your arm under control, release the tension and reset your grip before changing sides or resistance.

What the science says

Very little research examines this band exercise directly. Studies using cable and dumbbell overhead triceps extensions offer evidence on the effect of raising your arm overhead.

In a 12-week study, 21 adults trained one arm with one-arm overhead triceps extensions on a cable and the other arm with the upper arm down by their side. MRI scans showed that the whole triceps grew more in the overhead arm (19.9% vs. 13.9%), especially the long head that crosses the shoulder (28.5% vs. 19.6%). Strength gains in each arm’s own exercise were similar, despite the overhead arm consistently lifting 34–39% less weight.[2]

A lab study with 10 healthy adults (8 men, 2 women) measured each triceps head during elbow extensions at 5 different arm angles. With the arm down by the side, the long head was the most active, and a computer model estimated that it also produced the most force. At arm angles of 90 degrees or more, the medial head had the highest estimated force in the model.[3]

In 21 resistance-trained men, overhead and lying dumbbell triceps extensions with a light load showed similar activity patterns in the long and outer heads. Activity was higher in the first two-thirds of the lift, while the elbow was more bent, than in the last third. This applied to both heads in the overhead version and to the outer head in the lying version. On this basis, the authors advise against including both exercises in one routine.[4]

Single-session activity measurements don’t establish how much a muscle will grow: in the training study, the long head grew most in the overhead position.

Sources

  1. Thera-band® elastic band tension: reference values for physical activity. Uchida MC, Nishida MM, Sampaio RAC, Moritani T, Arai H. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2016;28(4):1266–1271. doi:10.1589/jpts.28.1266. Study.
  2. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, Sakurai H, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, et al. European Journal of Sport Science. 2023;23(7):1240–1250. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279.
  3. The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension. Kholinne E, Zulkarnain RF, Sun YC, Lim S, Chun JM, Jeon IH. Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica. 2018;52(3):201–205. doi: 10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005.
  4. Effect of shoulder position on triceps brachii heads activity in dumbbell elbow extension exercises. Alves D, Matta T, Oliveira L. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 2018;58(9):1247–1252. doi: 10.23736/s0022-4707.17.06849-9.