10 Best Barbell Lying Extension Alternatives for Triceps Strength

If you can't or won't perform Barbell Lying Extensions, use close-grip bench presses, EZ-bar skull crushers, cable triceps pushdowns, overhead dumbbell extensions, or weighted bench dips. Keep your elbows fixed and upper arms vertical to emphasize the triceps long head. Choose based on equipment, elbow comfort, and desired triceps head activation.

Original Exercise: Barbell Lying Extension

Barbell Lying Extension
Primary Muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Shoulders
How to Perform Barbell Lying Extension
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Best Barbell Lying Extension Alternatives

Best Match
Barbell Lying Close-grip Triceps Extension

1. Barbell Lying Close-grip Triceps Extension

99.9% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing up.
  3. Extend your arms fully, lifting the barbell above your chest.
  4. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
Ez Bar Lying Close Grip Triceps Extension Behind Head

2. Ez Bar Lying Close Grip Triceps Extension Behind Head

99.9% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
  2. Hold the ez barbell with a close grip, palms facing up, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press

3. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press

95% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
  2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
  3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
  4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Barbell Lying Close-grip Press

4. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press

95% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing towards your feet.
  3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
  4. Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press

5. Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press

94.4% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Grasp the ez barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
  4. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press

6. Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press

94.2% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Grasp the ez barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward.
  3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
  4. Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press

7. Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press

94.2% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar loaded to an appropriate weight.
  2. Using a narrow grip lift the bar and hold it straight over your torso with your elbows in. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now lower the bar down to your lower chest as you breathe in. Keep the elbows in as you perform this movement.
  4. Using the triceps to push the bar back up, press it back to the starting position by extending the elbows as you exhale.
  5. Repeat.
Barbell Close-grip Bench Press

8. Barbell Close-grip Bench Press

94.2% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Grasp the barbell with a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  4. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
  5. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Ez Bar French Press On Exercise Ball

9. Ez Bar French Press On Exercise Ball

93.1% Match
Triceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an exercise ball and hold an EZ barbell with an overhand grip.
  2. Extend your arms straight up, keeping your elbows close to your head.
  3. Slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press

10. Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press

91.7% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
  4. Slowly lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your chest.

Why You Might Need a Barbell Lying Extension Alternative

You may substitute Barbell Lying Extensions for several reasons: elbow pain from end-range loading, lack of a barbell or bench, or a need for different triceps head emphasis. Overhead variants shift load to the long head, while pressdown and dip variations emphasize the lateral and medial heads. If you have elbow irritation, pick cable or band pushdowns that allow a neutral wrist and gradual tension. Technique cue: hinge only at the elbow and avoid shoulder extension to minimize unnecessary anterior deltoid involvement and reduce joint shear.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the substitute to your goals, equipment, and symptom profile. For hypertrophy with heavy axial load use close-grip bench press—keep wrists stacked over elbows and drive through the palms. For isolated long-head stretch choose overhead dumbbell extensions and maintain a slight shoulder flexion to lengthen the long head. If you have tendon issues, use cables or bands to control tension across the range; cue: move slowly, pause at mid-range to confirm triceps activation and avoid rapid recoil. Also consider progressive loading and reproducible setup for consistent overload.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Barbell Lying Extension work?

Barbell Lying Extensions primarily target the triceps brachii, especially the long and lateral heads. The exercise isolates elbow extension, so the anterior deltoid and chest contribute minimally when you keep the elbows fixed.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Lying Extension?

Weighted or bodyweight dips are the best bodyweight alternative; they load elbow extension and shoulder position while allowing heavy progression. Cue: keep the torso slightly upright and elbows close to the ribs to bias the triceps rather than the chest.

Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Lying Extension?

Yes—you can build triceps mass with multiple effective alternatives such as close-grip bench presses, cable pushdowns, skull crushers, and overhead extensions. Focus on progressive overload, full range of motion, and strict elbow control to ensure consistent triceps activation.

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