Positions of Flexion is a powerful hypertrophy training method created by Steve Holman, one of my training mentors.
The basic idea with POF is to hit the muscle in three specific positions to maximize hypertrophy... mid-range (this is generally the strongest exercise that loads the muscle with the largest amount of resistance), stretch (which is the anatomical position of greatest stretch on a muscle), and peak contraction (the anatomical position of the greatest contraction on a muscle).
Normally, you would do three exercise separately, targeting each different phase, however in our case, we'll going from one straight into the next, plus, we're also going to change the order around a little to better reflect the available exercises and their relative strength.
Instead of going mid-range to stretch to contraction, we'll put the stretch exercise first since in our case, it's actually the most demanding. This method has been used by Steve before as well, and very effectively.
All three of these exercises use only bodyweight and the end of a flat bench. You won't be taking your hands of the bench and you'll only be shifting your feet minimally.
Exercise 1 - Stretch - Bodyweight Tricep Extensions
First, make sure your bench is butted up against something solid or is on a surface that isn't slippery. You don't want the bench sliding out while you're doing the exercise.
Set your hands on the end of the bench, the step your feet back. The further back you set them, the more challenging the exercise will be. This allows you to adjust resistance very easily and effectively.
Now, keeping your elbows tucked in (not flaring out), lower yourself down, bending only at the elbows until your head is under the bench.
The trick I like to use to ensure the elbows stay tucked is to first set your hands on the bench, then externally rotate your shoulders until the insides of your elbows are facing up. Then come down. The keeps the "hinge" of the elbow bending in the way you want it to bend to best put stretch-loading on the long head of the triceps (the biggest one with the most growth potential).
This position is (or very nearly is) the maximum anatomically-possible stretch position for the triceps, especially the long head.
Use a controlled movement, holding the stretch position at the bottom. When you come out of the bottom, use a strong push to activate more fibers.
Perform reps until you almost hit failure...stay a rep short of that point. We're looking for at least 6-8 reps, but more is fine, too.
Exercise 2 - Mid-Range - Bench-End Close-Grip Push-Ups
Normally, this exercise is the one you can load most heavily and wouldn't be great for hypertrophy, however, in this case, the triceps are pre-exhausted from the previous exercise so even with your hands elevated, this variation will be a nice challenge to the triceps.
Your hand and foot position stays about the same...the only difference is you now straighten your body and do a close-grip push-up to hit the mid-range tension.
Keep the elbows tucked in close and focus on pushing against the bench with the heels of your hands.
Perform as many reps as you can of this...normally, you'd be able to do probably quite a lot but with the pre-exhaustion from the previous exercise, it will be a lot less.
Exercise 3 - Contraction - Partial Vertical Close-Grip Push-Ups
This one isn't a "normal" exercise...it's more specific to this combination and setup.
Once you've finished the previous exercise, move your feet in closer and kneel in front of the bench.
Now, push your body up vertically (knees come off the ground so your bodyweight is the resistance) and SQUEEZE the triceps hard at the top. This is similar to the tension you get at the bottom position of a pushdown.
It's not the absolute-most peak anatomical contraction you can get on the triceps...for that, you'd need to get your arms behind your body...but it's very close and very effective.
When you come back down, don't let your knees touch the ground...keep the tension on the triceps and just do the short movement, focusing on the contraction.
That squeeze at the top should be downright painful. Do as many reps as you can of this until your triceps give out. This last exercise should be done to failure.
How to Perform This Positions of Flexion Triceps Tri-Set in a Workout
I would recommend performing 2-3 total giant sets of this for your tricep training, with about 90 second to 2 minutes rest in between sets.
Your triceps are smaller muscles but they will need some recovery, especially if they're not used to the bodyweight extension exercise...that stretch is an eye-opener.
Overall, this is a fantastic combination for hitting the triceps for mass when you don't have much equipment. This could even be done with a chair or other low surface that you can set your hands on.
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