Lying Triceps Press
The lying triceps press has you flat on a bench, lowering a loaded EZ-curl bar from straight arms down toward your forehead, then pressing it back up. It isolates the triceps through elbow extension while your shoulders stay mostly fixed, making it one of the more direct ways to build pressing strength in the back of the upper arm. It works well for lifters who already bench or overhead press and want extra triceps volume without more shoulder-joint fatigue.
Why it works
Pressing movements like the bench press train the triceps, but they also load the chest and shoulders heavily, so the triceps rarely reach true fatigue before the bigger muscle groups do. The lying triceps press fixes your upper arms in place, pointed toward the ceiling, so the elbow is the only joint doing meaningful work. That isolates the triceps' job of straightening the arm against resistance, letting you push the muscle closer to fatigue than a compound press usually allows.
Set up
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet planted on the floor for stability.
- Hold the EZ-curl bar with a shoulder-width grip, arms extended straight up over your chest.
- Angle your upper arms slightly back, toward your head, rather than straight up.
- Keep your elbows close together as your starting position.
How to do it
- Bend your elbows to lower the bar toward your forehead, keeping your upper arms still.
- Stop the bar a few inches above your head, not resting it on your skull.
- Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement.
- Press the bar back up by straightening your elbows, without locking them out hard.
- Keep your elbows pointed toward the ceiling throughout, not flaring outward.
- Repeat for the set at a controlled, even pace.
Form cues
- Upper arms stay still, only the forearms move.
- Elbows point up, not out to the sides.
- Lower to just above the forehead, not onto it.
- Stop short of locking the elbows out hard.
Breathing: Inhale as you lower the bar toward your forehead, exhale as you press it back up.
Common mistakes
Letting the elbows flare outward as the bar lowers.
Fix: Keep your elbows pointed toward the ceiling and close together throughout the movement.
Moving the upper arms back and forth instead of keeping them fixed.
Fix: Lock your upper arms in place from the setup and move only from the elbow joint for the entire set.
Lowering the bar too fast and losing control near the head.
Fix: Slow the descent down, especially in the last few inches, and stop the bar well clear of your face.
How to program it
- Three sets of 10 to 12 reps is enough to build meaningful triceps size and strength, since this isolates a single joint and doesn't need heavy loading to be effective.
- It fits well after a pressing movement like bench press, when your triceps still have work left even though your chest is done.
- Because it's a lighter isolation exercise, most lifters can include it in two sessions a week without it interfering with pressing days.
- Progress the range of motion and control before adding weight; a shorter, sloppier range with more plates trains less triceps, not more.
Safety notes
- Keep a spotter nearby or use lighter weight when you're new to this movement, since the bar travels directly toward your head.
- Stop the set if your elbows start flaring wide or you lose control of the bar path; that's a sign the load is too heavy for this movement.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Push
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many sets of lying triceps press should I do?
Three sets of 10 to 12 reps twice a week is a solid amount for most lifters. This isolates a single joint, so it recovers quickly and doesn't need heavy loading to build strength.
Lying triceps press vs triceps pushdown, which is better?
The lying press loads the triceps through a longer range with the arms overhead, which many lifters find builds more size. The pushdown uses a fixed cable path that's easier to control and a good option when you'd rather not lower a bar toward your head.
Where should I stop the bar on a lying triceps press?
A few inches above your forehead, not resting on it. Stopping too high cuts the range of motion short, while going too low risks losing control near your face.
Can I do this exercise with dumbbells instead of a bar?
Yes, a dumbbell skullcrusher trains the same lying triceps extension pattern and lets each arm move independently, which can help even out strength differences between sides.
Why does this exercise sometimes get called a skullcrusher?
Because the bar lowers toward your forehead if you let it travel too far or too fast, the movement earned that nickname as a warning, not a description of correct form. Done right, the bar stops well short of contact, and the name is more about respecting the setup than describing what should actually happen.