Standing Towel Triceps Extension
Trains the Long Head.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner

How to do it
- Hold one end of a towel in both hands overhead, letting the rest hang down behind your back.
- Have a partner hold the hanging end behind you and provide resistance, or hold it yourself with the free hand behind the back.
- Set the upper arms beside the ears with the elbows bent and pointing up.
- Straighten the arms overhead against the resistance until the elbows are locked.
- Lower the forearms behind the head under control while the resistance stays on.
- Keep the resistance steady rather than yanking; it should feel like a slow weight.
Common mistakes
- Uneven resistance. A partner who pulls harder on some repetitions than others makes the movement jerky; the pull is steady on both the way up and the way down.
- Letting the elbows flare. They point up and stay close together; elbows that drift out let the shoulders join the press.
- Arching the back against the pull. The pull comes from behind, and the stomach braces against it rather than the spine bending.
- Skipping the lowering. The way down is half of the work, and the resistance stays on while the forearms fold back behind the head.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Long HeadTriceps