5 Alternatives to EZ Barbell Incline Triceps Extension for Home Gyms

If you can't perform the EZ barbell incline triceps extension, use exercises that preserve strict elbow extension and long-head loading. Good options include incline dumbbell skull crushers, cable overhead extensions, close-grip bench press, triceps pushdowns, and weighted bench dips. Cue: keep your upper arm vertical and lower with a controlled 2-0-2 tempo to maintain triceps tension.

Original Exercise: EZ Barbell Incline Triceps Extension

EZ Barbell Incline Triceps Extension
Primary Muscle
Triceps
Equipment
Ez-barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Shoulders
How to Perform EZ Barbell Incline Triceps Extension
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Sit on the bench with your back against the pad and hold the ez barbell with an overhand grip.
  3. Extend your arms fully overhead, keeping your elbows close to your head.
  4. Lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
  5. Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Best EZ Barbell Incline Triceps Extension Alternatives

Best Match
Barbell Incline Close Grip Bench Press

1. Barbell Incline Close Grip Bench Press

89.7% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Grasp the barbell with a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

2. Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension

88.4% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
  2. Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  3. Lower the dumbbells down towards your forehead, 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.
Exercise Ball Supine Triceps Extension

3. Exercise Ball Supine Triceps Extension

87.9% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an exercise ball with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
  2. Hold a dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms straight up towards the ceiling.
  3. Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head, keeping your elbows close to your ears.
  4. Pause for a moment, then raise the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Decline Triceps Extension

4. Dumbbell Decline Triceps Extension

86% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie on a decline bench with your head lower than your feet and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
  2. Extend your arms fully, keeping your elbows close to your head.
  3. Lower the dumbbells slowly behind your head, bending your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment, then raise the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Incline Reverse-grip Press

5. Barbell Incline Reverse-grip Press

85.9% Match
Triceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lie back on the bench and grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Unrack the barbell and lower it towards your upper chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
  4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Lying Close-grip Triceps Extension

6. Barbell Lying Close-grip Triceps Extension

85.4% 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

7. Ez Bar Lying Close Grip Triceps Extension Behind Head

85.4% 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.
Barbell Lying Extension

8. Barbell Lying Extension

85.4% 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. 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.
Cable Incline Triceps Extension

9. Cable Incline Triceps Extension

84.4% Match
Triceps Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the cable machine to a low pulley position.
  2. Attach a straight bar to the cable.
  3. Stand facing away from the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  4. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip and extend your arms straight overhead.
  5. Lean forward slightly, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press

10. Dumbbell Lying Elbow Press

84.4% Match
Triceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other and arms extended straight up over your chest.
  2. Lower the dumbbells towards your shoulders by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
  3. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then press the dumbbells back up to the starting position by extending your elbows.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a EZ Barbell Incline Triceps Extension Alternative

You might swap the EZ barbell incline triceps extension due to equipment limits, wrist or elbow pain, shoulder discomfort from the incline angle, or a training preference for different loading patterns. The EZ bar places wrists in a semi-supinated position that can aggravate creaky wrists; switching to dumbbells or cables lets you neutralize wrist position and alter torque. For rehab, pick a cable or band option that reduces peak load at end range. Technique cue: choose an alternative that lets you keep elbows tucked and upper arm fixed so the triceps perform pure elbow extension.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, joint tolerance, and which triceps head you want to emphasize. For long-head emphasis pick overhead variations (cable or dumbbell) that place the shoulder in slight flexion; cue: maintain a vertical upper arm and avoid flaring elbows. For lateral/medial focus use pushdowns or close-grip presses with a controlled eccentric to increase time under tension. Also consider loading progression—cables allow continuous tension, dumbbells demand more stabilizer work, and bodyweight variations scale with leverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does EZ Barbell Incline Triceps Extension work?

The exercise primarily targets the triceps brachii, with strong emphasis on the long head because the shoulder is flexed on an incline. It isolates elbow extension, so you should feel the load at the back of the upper arm; cue: keep your upper arm fixed and extend only at the elbow to maximize triceps activation.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to EZ Barbell Incline Triceps Extension?

Weighted bench dips or parallel-bar dips are the best bodyweight substitutes because they load elbow extension under a vertical torso to emphasize the triceps. Cue: depress the shoulders, keep elbows close to the ribcage, and stop at a depth that doesn’t flare the shoulders to protect the joint.

Can I build muscle without doing EZ Barbell Incline Triceps Extension?

Yes. You can develop triceps size with a mix of compound presses (close-grip bench), dips, and isolation work (rope pushdowns, overhead extensions) provided you apply progressive overload. Cue: progressively increase load or reps and control the eccentric for 2–3 seconds to increase mechanical tension and hypertrophy.

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