TORQ UK Fitness Consultancy

Purpose: This exercise strengthens, tightens and tones the muscles of the back of the upper arm, providing greater control of and power to any movement where the elbow joint is opening.

Muscles Used: Triceps (back of arm).

Start Position: Hang resistance band over the top of a door leaving an even amount of band hanging either side. Grasp the free ends of band and with elbows firmly against your sides and fully flexed, take up the slack. Stand with a straight back and knees slightly bent (softened).

The Movement: Slowly straighten the arms, extending at the elbow, whilst maintaining the elbow’s position in space (keep your elbows anchored into the sides of your body).

Finish Position: Your arms should be straight, but not hyper-extended so that your hands are in your lap. Your back should be straight and your elbows should remain firmly fixed into the sides of your body.

Return to Start Position: Slowly close the elbow joint, allowing the band to spring back to its original length.

Additional Information: The most important part of this movement is to maintain the elbow’s position in space. This is best achieved by ensuring that your elbows are pushed hard into the sides of your body throughout the movement. Failure to do so will result in muscles, other than the desired ones, being exercised, reducing the effectiveness of this particular exercise. To increase the resistance/weight, either select a thicker resistance band or take up more slack on your existing band.

Do you want to buy some exercise bands? TORQ resistance bands are available in a variety of resistance strengths from the TORQ shop.

© Matt Hart. TORQ 2004