Effect of Hand Position on Tricep Involvement During Extension and Pressing Exercises
I recently read an article on a bodybuilding web site about arm training that recommended performing various tricep exercises using both underhand and overhand grips. While different hand positions will have an effect on the involvement of the muscles in the forearms due to differences in the demand on grip and wrist stabilization, they will have no significant effect on triceps involvement.
Hand pronation and supination are accomplished by rotation of the radius at the elbow, crossing over the ulna during pronation and returning to a position parallel to the ulna during supination. The triceps, which extend the elbow by pulling on the olecranon process of the ulna, are not affected by this.
You can’t isolate or emphasize the medial, lateral or long heads of your triceps by varying hand position.
What hand position does affect is the strength of the grip, and as a result the safety of the exercise when performed with a relatively heavy weight. When a supine grip is used during tricep extension, the strength of wrist extensors and grip become a limiting factor. You can handle far more weight during elbow extension than wrist extension, and the further the wrists flex as the extensors fatigue, the more difficult gripping becomes due to muscular insufficiency of the wrist/finger flexors and poorer leverage of the thumbs. During either bench or standing tricep extensions with a barbell a failed grip can have disastrous results. None of these problems occur if a pronated grip is used, or if a neutral grip is used with handles designed for it, in which case the handle or part of it is pressed against by the palm or edge of the hand.
Hand position is even more important during pressing exercises which are typically performed with much heavier weight. While the forearms remain parallel to the pull of gravity the bar or handles will be supported by the heels of the palms, but if the elbows are allowed to flex too far, the same problems occur as during extension.
During almost all upper body pressing and tricep exercises, either a pronated or neutral grip should be used. Exceptions to this include some pressing movements such as planche push ups from the floor where the angle between the forearm and the floor precludes supination. I should also mention the degree of shoulder flexion will have a slight effect on the contribution of the long head of the triceps to elbow extension, since unlike the medial and lateral heads which originate on the humerus and only act on the elbow joint, it originates on the infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula. Extreme shoulder extension places the long head of the triceps in a position of muscular insufficiency, reducing it’s ability to contribute to elbow extension.
3 Comments to Effect of Hand Position on Tricep Involvement During Extension and Pressing Exercises
Good article Drew!
I probably argue this point with other trainers more than anything else. It is amazing how an intelligent person can read for themselves the anatomy and biomechanics of the upper limb and choose to disregard it. Usually, the best comeback is something like, “well, I can feel a difference.”
Thanks Joseph, I’m glad you like the article.
It is unfortunate so many people calling themselves personal trainers believe such nonsense. They should know better. The author of the article mentioned is actually highly knowledgeable - the recommendation for varying hand position came from the editors of the web site, who are more interested in selling supplements than providing sensible training information.
Drew,
Great Article!
Sincerely,
Craig Murway
July 30, 2008