How Different Forearm Positions and Grip Types Affect Tricep Muscle Activation During Push-Downs
A guide for building bigger triceps.
The study "Forearm Position Influences Triceps Brachii Activation During Triceps Push-Down Exercise" by Villalba et al. (2024) investigated how different forearm positions (supinated vs. pronated) and grip types (handle vs. standard padded pulley strap) affect the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the triceps brachii and related muscles during the triceps push-down exercise.
Key Points
Aim
The study aimed to determine how the forearm position influences muscle activation in the triceps brachii (lateral and long heads), flexor carpi radialis, and extensor carpi radialis during the tricep push-down exercise.
Methods
Participants: Twenty-two adults (11 men and 11 women, mean age 25.4 years) participated, with varying levels of strength training experience.
Design: A within-subjects randomised design was employed, where participants performed unilateral triceps push-downs in four conditions:
Pronated forearm with handle (PRON-H)
Supinated forearm with handle (SUP-H)
Pronated forearm with standard padded pulley strap (PRON-S)
Supinated forearm with standard padded pulley strap (SUP-S)
Data Collection: Surface electrodes were placed on the dominant side to record EMG activity. Participants underwent familiarisation, warm-up, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) tests before performing dynamic contractions across conditions.
Analysis: EMG data were processed using a Butterworth digital bandpass filter, and statistical analyses included ANOVAs to assess differences in muscle activation across conditions.
Results
The triceps brachii long head (TLO) showed significantly higher EMG activity in the SUP-H condition compared to all other conditions. With that said, the absolute difference in EMG amplitude was small (~4% of MVC).
The flexor carpi radialis (FR) exhibited greater EMG activity in the PRON-H condition.
The extensor carpi radialis (ER) had higher activity in the SUP-H condition.
Participants performed fewer repetitions in the SUP-H condition compared to PRON-H, indicating that this position may be more challenging.
