Triceps

[whoa4]

Please name your favorite tricep exercises and tips/techniques to each one. I'm trying to get a little bit more back there. mainly to get the bigger. I just wanted to see if anyone else has any advice/techniques that most people don't know about.

[Big H]

Close-Grip Bench Press
Skull Crushers with an Olympic 45 lbs. bar brought to bridge of nose
30 rep Tricep pull-down

Close-Grip is my basic Tricep builder. The key is to 1.) go with a thumbless grip to put more stress on your Triceps and to lock your Forearms 2.) experiment with different widths. Most will say use a grip that is 6-10 inches wide, but in the end it comes down to an individual choice. You can also try these lying flat on the floor.

My variation on Skull Crushers is different too. I bring the bar to the bridge of my nose to totally eliminate any potential Elbow movement. The key to an effective set of Skull Crushers is to keep your Elbows in a locked position. I also use a Thumbless grip for this to put more stress on the Tricep. Too many times I see people lowering the weight to the actual Forehead, this often leads to Elbow movement.

The 30 rep pull-down is my favorite one though. Basically find any cable machine, like the ones used for the rope pull-down, and find either the straight-bar attachment or the Upside down V attachment. Start off with 10 fast reps, then without resting, do 10 reps slowly while contracting the Tricep at the bottom of each rep, then without resting bang out a quick 10. This workout usually kills the Tricep so I save these for last. ALWAYS keep your Elbows in a locked position and bring the bar up to a 90 degree angle and back down to maintain tension.


You may want to change your split too if your not seeing gains. Some people do Chest and Triceps on the same day, but others find it better to work Triceps on a seperate day to ensure a FULL workout load for the Triceps. Also look over your diet and recovery tactics to ensure your eating for mass while getting enough rest after each workout.

[houston911]

i like the reverse bench press

[KnokStaR]

yo...may be different for everybody....but i've been liftin off and off for 6 years...and the most effective tricep excercise for me has been 1 handed tricep pulldowns with the pulley machine....i use the one hand grips and alternate arms doing 3 sets each....my arms have gotten where i've wanted them to be all these years...real effective...

This is the only focused excersize i do for triceps....but ofcourse the benchpress and even dumbell curls define your triceps too...

[whoa4]

Ok, I've been trying a few things, but I haven't seen any minor results in my triceps. They're cool, but I want them to have a more hardened, define, but a "pop out" type of look to them. Like you know, where I can clearly see them from the front or from behind. Should I do more rear-deltiod raises to get the cuts within the shoulder? Should I lockout alot more on my exercises?

[Big H]

Ok, I've been trying a few things, but I haven't seen any minor results in my triceps. They're cool, but I want them to have a more hardened, define, but a "pop out" type of look to them. Like you know, where I can clearly see them from the front or from behind. Should I do more rear-deltiod raises to get the cuts within the shoulder? Should I lockout alot more on my exercises?

I think one overlooked aspect of Tricep training is steady and controlled movements. Too many times I'll see cats doing Tricep work and they speed through it like nothing; this brings NO results. You have to do it steady and most importantly with proper form. Don't worry about having a lil speed, the key is that your not sacrificing form and control over speed.

Also, if your having doubts. Try training Triceps on a separate day. You hit your Triceps when you do chest and shoulders, but sometimes you need to dedicate an entire day to your arms alone.

[whoa4]

I think one overlooked aspect of Tricep training is steady and controlled movements. Too many times I'll see cats doing Tricep work and they speed through it like nothing; this brings NO results. You have to do it steady and most importantly with proper form. Don't worry about having a lil speed, the key is that your not sacrificing form and control over speed.
Also, if your having doubts. Try training Triceps on a separate day. You hit your Triceps when you do chest and shoulders, but sometimes you need to dedicate an entire day to your arms alone.
Thats what I was thinking about doing this week. Just cut out all the heavy workouts with benching and squats and just focus on the smaller ones, like my arms, rotators, forearms, calves, lower back, etc.

I dtarted doing those 30's you suggested. Those things are killer. So should I lock out on my tricep extensions/exercises?

[Big H]

Thats what I was thinking about doing this week. Just cut out all the heavy workouts with benching and squats and just focus on the smaller ones, like my arms, rotators, forearms, calves, lower back, etc.
I dtarted doing those 30's you suggested. Those things are killer. So should I lock out on my tricep extensions/exercises?

Yea just try messing with your split a lil bit to make sure your not ignoring any muscle groups. The Tricep is a complex muscle with different heads that require special attention.


Haha, the 30-rep joint I got from the football team. On those you can choose to lockout if you want. Just make sure your squeezing the Tricep when you start the 2nd set of 10 reps (the slow ones) at the bottom of each rep. Try playing with your grip a lil bit too, hand position determines which part the Tricep your training.

[whoa4]

Yea just try messing with your split a lil bit to make sure your not ignoring any muscle groups. The Tricep is a complex muscle with different heads that require special attention.
Haha, the 30-rep joint I got from the football team. On those you can choose to lockout if you want. Just make sure your squeezing the Tricep when you start the 2nd set of 10 reps (the slow ones) at the bottom of each rep. Try playing with your grip a lil bit too, hand position determines which part the Tricep your training.

It sounded like some football type of exercise.

like, can you give me an example of which hand grip works which muscle group? I'm trying to work the outer portion of my tricep..infact, everything.

[Big H]

It sounded like some football type of exercise.
like, can you give me an example of which hand grip works which muscle group? I'm trying to work the outer portion of my tricep..infact, everything.

Well one way to help this is to change your grip every set. For example, with the 30-rep one I usually start out with my hand wide near the end of the bar and bang out 10, then I move in a lil bit to get it even and bang out another 10, and then to finish I go close-grip and finish it off.

One easy way to remedy this is to use the Tricep Rope. You can do the same 30-rep exercise for example, but using the Rope will hit every head of the Tricep since you bring it down, but then you move your hands out at the bottom (flare) to you finish hitting all the heads. The Rope has been the common cure for training the entire Tricep for a while.

But with the bar, just grab a longer one for the pulldown, and play with the grips a lil bit. Theres not really a certain way to position the hands; it depends on the individual.

[whoa4]

Well one way to help this is to change your grip every set. For example, with the 30-rep one I usually start out with my hand wide near the end of the bar and bang out 10, then I move in a lil bit to get it even and bang out another 10, and then to finish I go close-grip and finish it off.
One easy way to remedy this is to use the Tricep Rope. You can do the same 30-rep exercise for example, but using the Rope will hit every head of the Tricep since you bring it down, but then you move your hands out at the bottom (flare) to you finish hitting all the heads. The Rope has been the common cure for training the entire Tricep for a while.
But with the bar, just grab a longer one for the pulldown, and play with the grips a lil bit. Theres not really a certain way to position the hands; it depends on the individual.
ok, i'm gonna try all this. Thanks for the help. I'll update this after I try the various grips and the rope