Arm Position During Tricep Extensions
Comparing the effect of overhead vs neutral arm position on muscle growth during tricep extensions.
This study, conducted by Maeo et al., investigated the effects of different arm positions during elbow extension training on triceps brachii hypertrophy. It also examines how muscle length during resistance training can influence muscle growth.
Key Findings
Hypertrophy Differences: The study revealed that triceps brachii hypertrophy was significantly greater when training was conducted in the overhead position compared to the neutral position. Specifically, the biarticular long head of the triceps (TB_Long) showed a 28.5% increase in muscle volume in the overhead position versus a 19.6% increase in the neutral position, which is a 1.5-fold difference.
Overall Muscle Growth: In addition to the long head, the lateral and medial heads of the triceps also exhibited greater hypertrophy in the overhead position (14.6% vs. 10.5% for TB_Lat+Med) and overall triceps growth (19.9% vs. 13.9% for Whole-TB), indicating that training at longer muscle lengths benefits overall muscle development.
Training Protocol: The study involved 21 healthy adults who performed elbow extensions with one arm in an overhead position and the other in a neutral position over 12 weeks. Each participant trained twice weekly, gradually increasing their load based on their one-repetition maximum (1RM).
