Lying Triceps Extension

[ronpaek100]

Dear Mark,

I have been doing lying triceps extensions how you advocate in your video and in your SS book with full ROM behind my head, but after doing these for about two months i'm starting to get some elbow tendentious, it seems like it's a common occurring thing for people who do this exercise, is there any other exercise that can be done in place of lying triceps extensions that is comparable but stresses the elbows less?

Thanks,
Ron

[Mark Rippetoe]

It may be that the way you're doing the exercise is causing the problem. Without any information about frequency, load, volume, grip, equipment, other aspects of the program, your age/height/bodyweight/previous training history, or a video from different angles that would allow an analysis of the situation, I'm unfortunately unable to help. When you get these data together, post it in the technique forum, and we'll get right on it.

[quad]

Skullcrushers cause elbow tendonitis for me, not LTEs. Maybe a form issue?

[andrewtac]

I got it too from LTEs, I had actually accidentally been doing LTEs well prior to reading ss. They caused much less elbow stress. Anyways I was doing 135 for 3 sets of 8 once a week when I quit about a month ago. I've been doing close grip now. It has gotten very painful in the past, usually some time not doing them, and the using an elbow wrap/sleeve when I start them again I can go for a while.

[hamburgerfan]

I get elbow pain sometimes when I do them. I do a similar exercise with dumbbells twice every week though and it never hurts.

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

Isolation tricep work is not something that agrees with everyone (especially post 40) even if you are doing everything right.

Try and do everything with an EZ curl bar and not a straight bar. I wouldn't drop reps below 8 except on rare occasions. Really heavy isolation work can be effective but problematic too.

[Paul1]

That movement esp with dumbbells killed my triceps tendon, but when I started doing 12 rep sets with the EZ curl bar it got a lot less painful. I have been able to actually progress quite a bit on the weight of that lift just with 12x3 sets once a week. They make me sore as hell, but at least the elbow feels better.