How to Do the Seated French Press for Triceps Size
Learn how to do the seated French press for bigger, stronger triceps. The post How to Do the Seated French Press for Triceps Size appeared first on Legion Athletics.
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The seated French press is a top-drawer exercise for adding mass to your triceps.
It’s effective because it emphasizes the most voluminous part of the triceps—the long head. It’s also easier to set up and perform than most comparable exercises, making it suitable for weightlifters of all experience levels.
In this article, you’ll learn how to perform the EZ-bar French press with proper form, which muscles it works, the best French press alternatives and variations, and more.
- How to Do the Seated French Press
- Seated French Press: Muscles Worked
- Seated French Press: Benefits
- Common French Press Mistake
- The Best Seated French Press Alternatives & Variations
Table of Contents
+How to Do the Seated French Press
To master seated French press form, split the exercise into three parts: set up, descend, and ascend.
1. Set up
Sit up straight on a flat bench. Grip a loaded EZ-bar with your hands 6-to-10 inches apart and lift it overhead so that your arms are straight.
2. Descend
While keeping your back straight and your upper arms as close to perpendicular to the floor as possible, lower the EZ-bar behind your head by bending your elbows. Go as far as you comfortably can or until you feel a deep stretch in your triceps.
3. Ascend
Push the EZ-bar toward the ceiling by straightening your elbows and return to the starting position.
Try to minimize your upper-arm movement as you lift the weight, as shifting your arms increases the chances of knocking your noggin with the bar.
Here’s how it should look when you put it all together:
Seated French Press: Muscles Worked
The seated French press trains all three heads of the triceps:
Seated French Press: Benefits
It emphasizes the triceps long head.
The triceps have three heads: The lateral head, medial head, and long head. The long head is the largest of the three and thus contributes most to the overall size of your triceps.
Unlike most compound exercises that train the triceps, the French press emphasizes the long head over the medial and lateral heads. This means it’s particularly well suited to helping you add size to your upper arms.
It trains your triceps while stretched.
Research shows that training a muscle in a stretched or “lengthened” position results in more growth than training it in a shortened one.
However, most triceps exercises only stretch the medial and lateral heads of the triceps because they don’t place the arms overhead, which is necessary to fully lengthen the long head.
The French press is different because it positions your arms overhead, fully stretching all three heads of the triceps. This makes it highly effective for adding mass to your upper arms.
It’s easy to set up and perform.
Using an EZ-bar for the French press makes it easier to set up and perform compared to other similar exercises.
For example, while cable and dumbbell overhead triceps extensions are equally effective, the cable version can be tricky to set up since it often pulls you off balance, and the dumbbell variation can be challenging because you’re more likely to hit your head or lose your grip.
As a result, the EZ-bar French press is often more suitable for new weightlifters who may not yet have the coordination and balance required for these other exercises.
Common French Press Mistake
The most common mistakes to avoid while performing the French press exercise are:
1. Flaring your elbows.
Allowing your elbow to flare out to the sides can lead to elbow pain. Instead, aim to point your elbows toward the ceiling throughout each rep.
2. Gripping too wide.
Gripping the EZ-bar too wide (hands more than 10 inches apart) makes it more challenging to point your elbow toward the ceiling, which increases the odds you’ll experience shoulder pain. To fix this, grip the bar with your hands 6-to-10 inches apart for each set.
3. Arching the lower back.
If you lack shoulder mobility, arching your lower back can make it easier to keep your upper arms perpendicular to the floor. The problem with doing this is that it can stress your spine, especially when the weights get heavy.
An effective workaround is to perform the exercise on an incline bench set to around 60 degrees. This reduces the mobility demands of the exercise and makes it easier to perform correctly without compromising your back.
The Best Seated French Press Alternatives & Variations
1. Seated Dumbbell French Press
The seated dumbbell French press (more commonly known as the overhead triceps extension) is a viable alternative to the French press if you don’t have an EZ-bar. The only potential downsides of using a dumbbell are that your grip is less secure, and you may be more likely to hit your head with the weight.
2. Standing French Press
The standing French press is much the same as the seated variation, except you perform it on your feet. Both versions train the triceps to the same degree, so choose whichever you find most comfortable and stable.
3. Incline French Press
The incline French press requires less shoulder mobility than the regular French press, making it an excellent variation of the French press for those who find holding the arms overhead challenging or uncomfortable.
4. Skullcrusher
The skullcrusher (sometimes called the lying French press) trains the triceps muscles similarly to the regular French press, especially if you lower the bar behind your head until it’s almost touching the bench. The benefit of the lying variation is that many find it easier to perform since you don’t have to stabilize your core as much.
5. Triceps Pushdown
Like the French press with an EZ-bar, the cable triceps pushdown trains the long head of the triceps to a high degree, particularly if you keep your elbows slightly behind your torso. It also trains the triceps through a full range of motion, which is ideal for muscle growth.
The post How to Do the Seated French Press for Triceps Size appeared first on Legion Athletics.
