After struggling to activate my triceps for nearly 2 years, I've found something that works. It's an exercise that I tried long ago, but I didn't use the form I'm using now. They're called Skullcrushers or lying triceps extensions. What led me toward them is triceps kickbacks. I noticed when I fully extend my arm, the long head of the triceps gets a good contraction if the weight is on it from a decline angle. I found it impossible to increase my weight on kickbacks, and so I stopped doing them.
I had been looking for a triceps move that you can use a lot of weight, and something that's not a machine or cables. I don't like close-grip barbell bench press. Dips don't make my triceps grow (not even heavy weighted ones). I experimented with standing overhead triceps extensions, and I really had to fight to perform the move as it's not a very natural movement with a straight bar. I wanted to use the straight bar because I hadn't had any success with shorter bars and curved ones. I never like EZ curl bars for biceps, and still don't thus far. Yesterday, I tried Skullcrushers with a straight bar, and it made me hate the exercise. I couldn't get my triceps to contract fully as I can with the EZ curl bar.
I chose Skullcrushers over an over-head lying extension because it felt more natural. I don't need to bring the behind my head, only to my forehead (more specifically eyebrows/bridge of nose). Also, bringing my arms merely straight upwards doesn't get the triceps contraction. I need to go farther forward to the decline angle I mentioned earlier that I experienced with triceps kickbacks.
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