Lying Triceps Press

How to do the Lying Triceps Press

1. Lie on a flat bench with either an e-z bar (my preference) or a straight bar placed on the floor behind your head and your feet on the floor.
2. Grab the bar behind you, using a medium overhand (pronated) grip, and raise the bar in front of you at arms length. Tip: The arms should be perpendicular to the torso and the floor. The elbows should be tucked in. This is the starting position.
3. As you breathe in, slowly lower the weight until the bar lightly touches your forehead while keeping the upper arms and elbows stationary.
4. At that point, use the triceps to bring the weight back up to the starting position as you breathe out.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	triceps
Equipment	ez curl bar
Difficulty	intermediate
Type	isolation

No ez curl bar? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Body-Up Bodyweight Body Tricep Press Bodyweight Standing Towel Triceps Extension Bodyweight Band Skull Crusher Resistance Bands Speed Band Overhead Triceps Resistance Bands Bench Dips Bodyweight

Easier than the Lying Triceps Press

Same movement pattern, lower entry difficulty — work up from here.

Band Skull Crusher beginner · Resistance Bands Body Tricep Press beginner · Bodyweight Cable Incline Triceps Extension beginner · Cable Machine

Harder than the Lying Triceps Press

Bench Press with Chains expert · Barbell

Superset the Lying Triceps Press with

Opposing biceps work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Reverse Barbell Preacher Curls biceps Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl with Band biceps EZ-Bar Curl biceps Spider Curl biceps

Common questions

What muscles does the Lying Triceps Press work?

The Lying Triceps Press primarily works the triceps. Band Skull Crusher, Body-Up, and Body Tricep Press train the same muscle, across 9 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Lying Triceps Press?

An EZ Curl Bar. Without an EZ curl bar, Body-Up, Body Tricep Press, and Standing Towel Triceps Extension train the same muscle, and 11 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Lying Triceps Press suitable for beginners?

It is rated intermediate. Start with Band Skull Crusher, Body Tricep Press, and Cable Incline Triceps Extension and work up.

Where should the Lying Triceps Press go in a workout?

Late — the Lying Triceps Press is isolation work, so it follows your compounds. Supersetting it with Reverse Barbell Preacher Curls and Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl with Band cuts session time without extra rest.

Similar exercises

Band Skull Crusher Resistance Bands Body-Up Bodyweight Body Tricep Press Bodyweight Cable Incline Triceps Extension Cable Machine Cable Lying Triceps Extension Cable Machine Cable One Arm Tricep Extension Cable Machine