The best exercises for pumping up the triceps. Triceps exercises. Triceps at home

Few of the novice male athletes know how to pump up their triceps? Therefore, we decided to help and show the most effective exercises for triceps.

If you really want to achieve great results in the gym, follow these instructions.

At the end of the article there is a small fitness program for women and men who want not so much to pump up their triceps, but rather to tighten weakened muscles.

How to pump up your triceps? And also the best set of effective exercises and exercises for triceps

Despite the fact that those who want to pump up their arms focus mainly on the biceps, there is an unimaginable variety of exercises that allow you to increase the volume and get the triceps into great shape.

If you put together all the basic movements, and then add modified versions of the most popular exercises, you could practice for almost an entire year without ever repeating a single workout. However, some elements are considered more effective than all others. These are the exercises presented in the following triceps program.

A modified version of classic push-ups allows you to work deeper and pump up the muscles you are interested in. These movements are not particularly difficult, and to perform them in the gym or at home you will need a minimum set of equipment, namely a special exercise machine or two ordinary flat benches. It is enough to find balance, leaning on both benches, then lower your torso down until you form right angle at the elbow joint, then return to the starting position.

If such a load on the triceps seems trivial to you, add any weighting material, placing it on the hips. During vertical push-ups, you must carefully monitor the straight position of your back. If you lean forward during your workout, you will stop working your triceps and shift your focus to your chest muscles.

Plank push-up

Take a prone position, then modify it like a classic plank. The body weight should be balanced on the toes and forearms. The torso remains straight. Hands are spaced shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.

With your palms firmly planted on the floor, tighten your arms so that the load passes through your elbows and lift your torso off the floor. When training the triceps through this element, make sure that the abdominal muscles remain tense throughout the exercise.

Slowly lower your forearms back to a position parallel to the floor, allowing your elbows to bend. Repeat as many times as you see fit.

Triceps push-up

This modified version of the traditional exercise doesn't just target your shoulders—by repeating the steps below, you'll learn first-hand how to pump your triceps to maximum effect.

Lie on a special mat on your stomach, place your hands closer to each other than if they were shoulder-width apart. Make sure your torso is raised above the floor at arm's length.

Lower your torso as you inhale until your chest partially touches the floor.

Using your triceps and partly your pecs, lift your shoulders and chest back to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles. Exhale.

If you're new to the traditional push-up, try using your knees instead of your feet. In this way, you will eliminate unnecessary resistance that makes this element difficult to perform. In addition, experienced athletes and bodybuilders advise starting to do push-ups from the wall, not from the floor.

As soon as such a triceps workout seems simple enough to you, try to place your feet on a high surface (for example, on a bench) and thereby, on the contrary, increase the resistance.

French press with narrow grip

Choose a flat bench and lie on your back on it. Using a close grip (hands approximately shoulder-width apart), grab the barbell. Extend your arms above your chest, holding the apparatus straight. This is the starting position.

To target your triceps and shoulders rather than your chest, lower the bar slowly and be sure to keep your elbows as close to your torso as possible. This position of the hands distinguishes this exercise from a regular bench press.

Rest for a couple of moments and return the bar to the starting position, exhaling and maximizing the use of each triceps, not just the shoulder muscles. Straighten your arms, wait a couple of seconds, and slowly lower the barbell again. The downward movement must last at least twice as long as the upward movement of the projectile.

This strength element is perfect for beginners in sports and bodybuilding who have not developed enough strength, but are determined to pump up their arms. However, it should be remembered that with relatively little experience strength training you need to be very careful when choosing the optimal weight. In addition, do not forget that the bar should go down to the middle of the chest - in no case further. Following technique and due care will ensure that you avoid sports injuries and have powerful triceps.

The exercise can be performed with a pair of dumbbells instead of a barbell. In this case, the palms face inward.

Bench press with one dumbbell

With your back resting on a flat bench, place your feet on the ground and grab a heavy dumbbell.
After making sure that the apparatus is parallel to the bench, lie down perpendicularly so that only your shoulders remain on the surface. Your hips should be below the level of the bench. Bend your knees and press firmly into the floor.
While contracting your triceps, lift the dumbbell directly above your ribcage. Both palms should support the lower sides of the projectile. This position will be the starting position.
Begin the movement by lowering the dumbbell toward your chest.
Return to the starting position with your elbows straight.

Cobra triceps press

Starting position: Lie on the floor on your stomach, bending your elbows and placing your fingertips in line with your chest.
Straighten your elbows and lift your upper body and hips off the floor.
Once your elbows reach full extension, bend them again and lower back to the floor.
Repeat.

Isolated triceps extension with dumbbell

Grab a dumbbell and sit down on a military press bench that will provide support for your back, or stand up straight.
Raise the apparatus to shoulder level, then lift it above your head. To pump up the right muscles, the entire arm should be in a perpendicular position relative to the floor. Extend your other hand to the side, either rest it on your side, or grab a stable surface with it. One way or another, it should provide sufficient support for the dumbbell arm, ensuring optimal triceps load.
Rotate your wrist so that your palm faces forward and your little finger points toward the ceiling. This position is the starting point.
Slowly lift the dumbbell behind your head, avoiding excessive movement in the shoulder area. Inhale and hold the tense position to tone your triceps.
Return to the starting position by extending your triceps and exhaling. It is extremely important that only the forearm moves when performing this element. The shoulder should remain motionless.
Repeat as many times as you deem necessary for your individual training. Change your hand. You can pump up your arms with this exercise using a ski expander.

Bilateral isolated triceps extension

Stand up straight and grab a heavy dumbbell. Your feet should be approximately shoulder-width apart from each other. Slowly lift the dumbbell over your head until your arms are fully extended.
Resistance should be felt in your palms, which should be turned upward towards the ceiling. This is what the starting position looks like.
Making sure to keep your forearms as close to your head as possible, your triceps tight, and your elbows turned inward and perpendicular to the floor, lower the dumbbell behind your head in a semicircle shape until your forearms touch your biceps. Inhale at this stage and remember to always keep your shoulders still.
Return to the starting position, using your triceps to lift the dumbbell from its current position. Exhale and repeat.

Place your palm and knee on the bench, then take the free hand dumbbell so that the palm faces inward and the shoulder is parallel to the body.

Pull the bar back, squeezing your triceps, straightening your elbow and allowing it to slowly return to the starting position after a short pause.
Keep your shoulders straight and motionless throughout the exercise.

Bent over unilateral triceps extension

Sit on the edge of the bench, lean forward a little and take the apparatus (dumbbell), bending your elbow at a classic angle. The palm should face inward.
Move your hand back. Raise the apparatus until your arm forms a line parallel to the floor. Hold the achieved position, then slowly lower your arm, relaxing the triceps. The shoulder should remain motionless. Do ten repetitions. Change your hand.

Lying triceps extension

To pump up not only your arms, but also your chest muscles, lie on your back on a bench and grab a pair of dumbbells. Hold them at your sides, just above your chest, with your palms facing inward.
Raise the dumbbells up, keeping your arms straight but not fully extended. Before reaching full straightening, stop the movement, hold in new position, and then slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position, providing optimal load on the triceps.
Exhale, straightening your arms and lifting the implements, inhale for a short pause. Exhale again, returning the dumbbells to the starting position.

Ideal triceps exercise for women

Before the onset of summer, almost every woman begins to seriously worry about her own figure - after all, she will soon have to wear more revealing clothes, go to the sea, sunbathe and be the involuntary object of many male gazes. Girls try to pump up their abs, do squats and push-ups at home; some even dare to visit the gym.

But only a few, in pursuit of a flat tummy and toned hips, pay attention to an equally noticeable part of the body - the arms, the lack of tone in which can lead to unsightly sagging skin, excess fat and flabby muscles. It must be said that overly plump arms do not look very attractive even in long sleeves of autumn-spring clothes.

If you really care about your appearance, remember: it is important not only to reduce your waist and tighten your chest, but also to pump up your triceps - only in this case will your figure look harmonious. A universal set of simple, but surprisingly effective exercises is offered to the attention of all those interested.

They will not only allow you to gain beautiful triceps, but also strengthen your core muscles, which means they will strengthen your abs and reduce your waist. Add these simple elements to your daily workout routine, and within a couple of months you'll be proud to show off your slender, sexy arms while sporting trendy sleeveless summer clothes.

Professionals recommend doing triceps exercises three times a week for three sets. Focus on maintaining the technique and do not try to complete the workout as quickly as possible: it is better to work through the described movements slowly. If you usually train without equipment and apparatus, do not forget to purchase or simply prepare a couple of kilogram dumbbells and a jump rope in advance. These are fairly inexpensive equipment that will allow you to pump up the necessary muscles without much difficulty.

Arm raise with dumbbells

To ensure even load on the triceps, this exercise is done separately for each arm. Hold the dumbbell with your right hand and spread your legs wide so that your left foot points forward. Bend your left knee and lower your torso until it is parallel to the floor. The right leg should remain straight and the shoulders should look forward.
Tightening your triceps, raise your right arm to shoulder level, pointing the dumbbell up at the ceiling. In this position, alternately raise and lower your arm several times, but not to the full height, but only two to three centimeters - up and down, respectively. The line from the shoulders to the wrists is perfectly straight.. Do 25 of these mini-lifts, then change your arm to pump it up too.

Simple triceps push-ups

Get into the starting position of a traditional push-up, then place your palms directly under your shoulders and feet waist-width apart. Slowly lower your lower body towards the floor. Elbows point back. Don't put them too far from the body.

As soon as your chest touches the floor, push back up into a classic plank position. Throughout the entire exercise, the triceps, core and legs should be constantly tense. If such an element is difficult for you, modify it to suit yourself and lean not on your toes, but on your knees. Do ten repetitions.

Triceps extension

Hold one dumbbell in both hands. Carefully lift it up above your head. Roll your shoulders down and back, engaging your core muscles, not just your triceps. Keeping your elbows pointing exclusively forward, bend them, allowing the barbell to drop down and behind your head. Straighten your arms, returning the dumbbell to the starting position above your head. The abdominal muscles should be in constant voltage. Repeat 20 times.

Side plank with dumbbell raise

This exercise allows you to pump up not only the problematic triceps, but also your core at the same time as your back muscles. Grasp your projectile with your left hand. Take a side plank position, resting on your right elbow, which should be strictly under your shoulder. Bring your feet together. Raise your legs (hips) so that your torso forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Straighten left hand, without leaving shoulder level. Then lower it along with the dumbbell so that your arm is parallel to the floor. Make sure that your hips and chest are at their maximum position throughout the exercise. high level. Repeat ten times on each side.

After the side plank with dumbbell raises, you can organize a cardio interval. The load on the triceps is still insufficient, but the muscles easily get tired from concentrated training, and therefore it is advisable to alternate strength sets with intervals of cardio exercises. The proposed triceps exercise can also be made more effective. To do this, every few exercises, take a jump rope and jump on it for one minute, maintaining the highest possible frequency and speed of jumping. When working with a jump rope, try to use not so much your arms as a whole, but your wrists - modifying the movement will increase the load on the triceps.

Lateral arm raise with dumbbell

Take the projectile in your right hand. Spread your feet wide, placing your left leg forward. Bend your left knee; lower your torso until it is parallel to the floor. The right leg should remain straight. Shoulders should be kept straight and triceps tense.
Raise your right arm with the dumbbell to shoulder level and move it back behind your torso. The palm faces the floor. From this position, forcefully pull your entire right arm towards your body. Repeat this movement, moving your arm closer and further away from your body, until you have completed 25 repetitions, then switch arms.

2 in 1: abs and triceps with a ski expander

To successfully pump up your abs while paying proper attention to your arms, purchase a ski expander and include this simple exercise in your regular workout.
Take the handles of the expander; Step on the middle of the cord with both feet so that your ankles are directly under your hips. Lean forward slightly, bending at the waist. You can bend your knees a little.
Pull your elbows back and focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together. While holding the handles of the resistance band, slowly extend your arms behind your back. Palms face up, triceps maintain tension. Perform this movement slowly. Then bend your elbows again. Adjust the length of the ski band to increase or decrease the load on your triceps accordingly. Perform three sets of 12 reps each.

Lying Triceps Extension (Women's Version)

Take a pair of dumbbells (such a weight that your arms are tired after twenty repetitions this exercise), then take the starting position lying on the fitness mat.
Hold one apparatus in each hand and raise your arms above your chest. Make sure your elbows remain level but not completely straight.
Slowly move both hands behind your head, bending your elbows at a classic angle. The dumbbells should lie on your sides on the gymnastics mat.
Raise your arms, squeezing your triceps and returning to the starting position. Repeat twenty times.

Simple press

To perform this element, pick up some weights (light weight dumbbells) and kneel down. Press your toes into the floor. Lean forward from your knees and bend your elbows at a classic angle.
Straighten your elbows and extend both arms back, palms facing inward and towards each other. Squeeze your triceps, then return to the starting position.
Repeat ten times. Perform three sets.

Back push-ups (female version)

Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the seat of a stable chair or bench.
Slide off the seat so that your pelvis is in front of the bench. Your knees should be bent. The feet are spaced waist-width apart and rest on the floor.
Straighten your arms, but keep your elbows slightly bent so that the tension goes to the triceps and not to the elbow joints.
Now slowly bend your elbows and lower your torso toward the floor until your arms form a traditional 90-degree angle. You need to make sure that your back is in close proximity to the bench.
Once you complete the movement, slowly push yourself back up, resting your palms on the seat of the chair or bench, and return to the starting position for 12 reps.

Bent over press

To pump up your arms, take a starting position with your feet shoulder-width apart, bending your knees and bending forward at the waist so that your back is almost parallel to the floor. Pull your stomach in, but don't round your lower back. The spine should be in a neutral position.
To engage your triceps, hold the weights in both hands. The palms face inward, the elbows are straightened, and the hands are directly under the shoulders.
Keep your knees bent and your back straight. Bend your elbows back and lift the dumbbells toward your chest, placing them on the corresponding sides of your torso. Focus on maintaining complete control of the movement while trying to squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Slowly, slowly lower the exercises to the starting position, without relaxing the triceps - it is at this moment that you will develop problem muscles. They can only be pumped up if the principle of being as slow as possible during exercises is observed.
Do twenty repetitions.

Extension on a gymnastic ball

Although this exercise was invented specifically for those who want to pump up their triceps in the shortest possible time, it can tone almost all the muscles of the upper torso and core.
Sit on an exercise ball while holding a medium to heavy dumbbell. Slowly walk your feet forward until your shoulders, neck and head are resting on the ball. Feet should be waist-width apart, knees bent over ankles. Tighten your abs and keep your pelvis elevated so your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Maintain this stable position using your lower torso. Bend your elbows slightly and keep your arms raised above your head. This is your starting position, which allows you to pump up not only your triceps, but also your core muscles.
Exhale to fully engage your abs. Lower the apparatus down towards the ball, bending your elbows (this movement is known in Russian sports slang as a “French press”, but in English-speaking countries it is called a “skull crusher”), so be careful where exactly your ball is lowered. dumbbell). Stop before you feel changes in the position of all parts of the body. With extreme care, raise your arms back to the starting position. The slower you move, the faster you can pump up your abs and triceps.
Do 12-15 reps. On the day of arm training, it is advisable to perform three sets.

Triceps press on fitball

To pump up problematic muscles, including not only the arms, but also the chest muscles, you can replace the traditional bench press with a modified exercise on a gymnastic ball or fitball. Such exercises will allow you not only to achieve your initial goals for pumping, but also to improve your ability to maintain balance. The triceps, chest and back will tighten almost simultaneously.

Sit on an exercise ball or exercise ball, holding dumbbells in each hand. Your feet should be firmly planted on the floor. Slowly lean back while simultaneously “walking” your feet forward so that your head, shoulders and upper back remain on the exercise ball. You can pump up your triceps on a bench, but an initially unstable ball will ensure ideal training of the necessary muscles.
Bend your knees to the traditional 90 degrees and be sure to keep your thighs parallel to the floor and your feet waist-width apart. Hold both dumbbells at chest level.

Inhale and tighten your abs, and as you exhale, slowly straighten your arms, placing them above your head and engaging your triceps. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart from each other.

Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells until they are level with your chest. To pump up problematic triceps, try to keep the exercises parallel to each other. The wrists should be kept in a neutral position (straight, not bent).

Perform three sets of 12 repetitions.

How to Incorporate Triceps Exercises into Your Daily Workout

If you want to follow the example of successful bodybuilders, try to set yourself not only realistic and achievable goals, but also practical ones. Pumping up most muscles is not difficult, but to develop the perfect “horseshoe” (as triceps are sometimes called in professional slang), you need to carefully consider your training schedule. We offer you three options for the sports schedule. All three contribute to achieving the main goal: to harmoniously pump up all the muscles that matter.

First option

Monday: arms (including triceps), abs.
Tuesday: legs, buttocks.
Wednesday: deltoids, arms (biceps), back.
Thursday: no training.
Friday: arms (mainly biceps, triceps), abs.
Saturday: no training.
Sunday: no training.

Second option

Monday: chest, core, triceps.
Tuesday: buttocks, legs.
Wednesday: back, abs, maybe arms.
Thursday: chest, core, triceps.
Friday: legs.
Saturday: back, biceps, abs.
Sunday: rest.

Third option

Monday: back, legs, core.
Tuesday: quadriceps, chest, triceps.
Wednesday: no training.
Thursday: back, legs, core.
Friday: quadriceps, triceps, chest, deltoids.
Saturday: closed.
Sunday is a day off.

You can vary the types of workouts yourself, modifying them according to individual preferences. If you have become familiar with the types of arm exercises, you already know how to pump up your triceps both in a specialized gym and in the comfort of your own home. Add the movements you like to your arm day routine, or add triceps exercises to any other activity - the results will become obvious in the foreseeable future.

Many experienced athletes, coaches and fitness instructors advise against performing excessive repetitions of each triceps exercise - even if you would like to tone these muscles as quickly as possible. It is better to limit yourself to nine to twelve repetitions, since if you exceed this figure and exercise too vigorously, you will have every chance of experiencing own skin such an unpleasant phenomenon as overtraining.

In addition, with each repetition your efficiency will decrease due to fatigue and the need to repeat the same movement over and over again. If you don't know how developed your triceps are and how quickly you can pump them up, it's best to start with nine sets of each exercise. The quieter you go, the further you will go: don’t overexert your arm muscles and risk detection characteristic symptoms overtraining. Even though the triceps may not seem particularly important to you, excessive load on even such an inconspicuous muscle can be a trigger for depression, a sharp decrease in the effectiveness of training in the gym, and even weight gain. excess weight due to the instinctive deposition of additional fats under the influence of stress on the body.

You should rest between sets for 30-90 seconds. Powerlifters rest for 3-5 minutes to maximize results and build triceps worthy of the cover of a sports magazine. Choose one exercise for every three sets.

This approach ensures proper attention to problem areas and guarantees full load on all three heads of the muscle - they definitely need to be properly pumped up if you are worried appearance your shoulders. If you constantly change the type and intensity of the load, the triceps and other muscles of the upper body will not have time to get used to the monotonous workout and will finally begin to develop harmoniously.

We recommend that you read a very informative article on how to build broad shoulders. In this publication, you can see the technique of performing exercises from the best trainers in Russia. Also, if you have any questions, ask them in the comments below the article! We hope we have answered all your questions about triceps curls. See you soon…

The triceps is the triceps muscle of the shoulder and is twice the size of the biceps. It is better to pump up your triceps two or three times a week; the muscles need sufficient rest to recover. Any workout should begin with a light warm-up, otherwise there is a high risk of injury.

A basic exercise for training triceps is the close-grip bench press. The narrower the grip, the more the triceps are involved in the work; it is important to choose the optimal distance, on average it is 20-30 cm between the thumbs.

It is better to perform the barbell press with the help of a partner who will insure you and help you overcome the dead point in the last repetitions. An experienced gym partner is 50% of success in any training, especially in basic exercises, where the weight of sports equipment is quite large.

For the most effective training triceps muscle, pump the triceps together with the biceps. To do this, you can alternately use different exercises for both muscles, for example, alternating the triceps bench press and biceps curls. Antagonist muscles, working in pairs, will provide maximum gains in strength and mass.

An effective exercise for working the triceps is the French press. You can do it standing, sitting or lying down. Depending on the position of your torso, you will work out different bundles of the triceps muscle. To perform this exercise, 4-6 approaches are required, 8-12 repetitions each.

You can also pump your triceps on the parallel bars, do push-ups with a reverse wrist grip, and do deep bends. Here you can use additional weights attached to the belt. The number of repetitions is from 6 to 12, the number of approaches is from 3 to 6, depending on the degree of your fitness.

Exercises to do at home

You can do triceps training not only in the gym, but also in. So, alternating exercises on the horizontal bar and parallel bars will strengthen and make not only your triceps, but also your biceps massive and prominent.

Push-ups on the floor or between two chairs are quite effective exercises for developing the triceps muscle. Do 6-8 sets, 12-15 reps each.

You can also train your triceps using exercises with dumbbells, which are available both in the gym and in the gym. For example, extending one arm with a dumbbell from behind the head, straightening an arm with a dumbbell in an inclined position with the knee resting on a chair or bench, etc.

It is worth noting that in any training, the correct technique is important, without which there will be no maximum result from the work done. Make sure to perform the exercises cleanly and complete the movement to the end.

Pay attention to your diet; it should contain sufficient quantities of proteins and carbohydrates - the former ensure growth muscle mass, the latter give the body the necessary energy.

How to pump up triceps if you are not a genetic mutant

Looking at arm workout for weight through the prism of dry mathematics, it can be noted that triceps are much more important than biceps for increasing the visual volume of the arms. The triceps muscle makes up 60% of the mass of the arm; it responds well to training and recovers quickly. But despite this, large triceps are rare among ordinary gym goers. Let's try to figure out what mistakes in triceps training interfere with its growth, and how to correct them. The most interesting things about training and sports nutrition on my telegram channel https://t.me/bestbodyblog

Introduction

In this article I will not touch on the topic of hands or talk about the need for sufficient rest. The importance of these fundamentals is decisive for muscle growth, and there is no point in discussing them. Today I want to talk about how to pump up triceps for an ordinary person who does not have crazy genetics and does not use “magic” pills. So…

Wrong priority for arm training

Working out at the gym is great, but none of us wants to spend all our time at the gym. We want to get results as soon as possible. From the point of view of the ratio of the effort expended to the final result (growth of muscle mass in the arms), the priority development of the triceps is of primary importance.

Just look at huge hands Rolly Winklaar to understand that their incredible size is based primarily on their huge triceps. Increased attention to the development of this muscle group provides arms with a volume of 60 cm for most of the stars of modern bodybuilding. The triceps assist in all pressing movements without exception. The increase in his muscle mass and strength immediately affects the increase in working weights in exercises for the chest and shoulders.

There are three most common triceps training schemes in which they are pumped:

after biceps
after a large muscle group (chest, back)
or after the shoulders

This is a completely logical, but completely wrong approach to building big arms. Because if our goal is to quickly increase the volume of the triceps, we need to pump it differently. Depending on the level of development of the triceps muscle, I suggest using two training schemes:

Start pumping your arms not from the biceps, but from the triceps

This style of working is called the principle of priority. The main resource we have during training is energy, and with every minute spent in the gym it becomes less and less. Starting an arm workout for mass with triceps exercises, you can increase the working weight in each of them, directing all energy reserves to its growth.

Set aside a separate day for triceps training.

This scheme of work is called. It requires a serious level of training and is a real shock to this muscle group. I don’t recommend pumping your triceps in this way more than 1-2 times a month. But even one specialized training is an almost 100% guarantee of arm mass growth. And in order to enhance the effect of it even more, you need to exclude any load on the triceps (direct and indirect) for 7-10 days, thereby bringing it to a state of slight detraining.

This method of pumping up arms can be used for all muscle groups without exception, both small and large. And every time it is guaranteed to give results.

Training triceps for mass according to the principle of priority - a guarantee of its growth

Conclusion: the most common mistake in arm training for weight- This is work on the triceps according to the residual principle. Using the priority principle or the specialization method helps to gain triceps muscle mass in a short period.

The Triceps Exercise Nobody Does Correctly

The good thing about triceps is that there are a huge number of exercises for it. There are only about a dozen varieties of the French press. But most of them are present only in the arsenal of professional bodybuilders, and the average gym goer makes do with a more modest assortment. Everyone knows that the best exercises for triceps are:

close grip barbell press
dips
French bench press

This is true. The best exercises for the arms for mass are simple, basic, multi-joint movements that involve not just any individual muscle bundle, but the entire mass of the arm at once.

But research conducted by Bret Contreras in 2010 on the topic of defining best exercises from a scientific point of view, a completely different movement was called the most effective: extension of the arms to the bottom with a rope handle on a block. True, under one important condition: you need to not only straighten your arms to the bottom, but at the same time spread them as far as possible to the side, turning your hands around their axis.

This movement of the hand is called pronation, and it is analogous to another super technique for gaining muscle mass in the arms - supination, used in biceps exercises. But don’t think that since this triceps exercise is performed on a block and not with free weights, it needs to be performed in a “walking style.”

Conclusion: performing extensions on a block with pronation allows you to achieve peak contraction of the triceps, which is the strongest stimulus for the growth of muscle mass for the triceps.

Lack of triceps exercises performed with a reverse grip

There is a lot of information out there about exercises for each individual triceps band. But as science says, it is impossible to load a single muscle segment in isolation like triceps, biceps or another muscle group.

When pumping up the triceps, you will have to include three of its muscle bundles at once, however, some of them will still have a large load. When performing a reverse grip extension, this happens to the outer (lateral) head of the triceps, forming its so-called horseshoe shape.

This exercise for arms for mass is mandatory for all professional bodybuilders. They understand that a large, but shapeless triceps is visually inferior to a smaller, but better shaped one. In addition, reverse grip triceps extensions help separate the triceps from the brachialis and biceps, making the arms look more massive, developed and detailed. What reverse grip exercises can you do in the gym?

Reverse grip arm extension

Why curved? Because the grip strength in this case will be higher than when working with a straight bar. And to further enhance the grip on the handle, you can use regular wrist straps. This will allow you to use more weight in the exercise without worrying about losing control over it.

One-arm extension on a block with a reverse grip

This is a more difficult version of the triceps exercise, but it allows for a more complete contraction of the triceps due to the slight lengthening of the trajectory. And one-arm extensions on a block with a reverse grip make it possible to perform the exercise with greater mental concentration.

Frenchbench pressreverse grip

A very rare and dangerous triceps exercise in the gym. Its essence is that the barbell is held not with the usual straight grip, but with a reverse grip and is lowered not to the forehead, but behind the head. It can be performed standing, sitting and lying down. Common sense dictates that this variation of the French press should be performed only with the support of a reliable training partner.

However, despite all its complexity, it does its job perfectly because it allows you to use free weight and perfectly stretches the triceps in length.

Barbell bench presslying with a narrow reverse grip

It’s also an unusual exercise that can be safely included in a triceps training for mass. The working weight in this version of the press is slightly less than in the classic variation, but the external triceps bundle is loaded much more heavily. It can be done with a regular barbell, but doing it in a Smith machine can put more stress on the triceps.

Conclusion: performing exercises with a reverse grip helps both in gaining muscle mass in the triceps and in giving it the coveted horseshoe shape.

Triceps workout with narrow arms

This may seem like a mere trifle, but when it comes to gaining muscle mass in your arms in a natural way, there can be no trifles. The effectiveness of triceps training depends on the working weight used in the exercises. And although you can gain weight in your arms by working with relatively light weights, the problem does not go away.

Grab. Positioning your hands too narrowly while performing barbell presses with a narrow grip, French presses, and even cable extensions overloads the wrist joint. The more weight used in triceps exercises, the higher the chances of injury. Even the slightest discomfort in the wrists puts an end to all pressing movements. According to the same studies looking for the best triceps exercises, the second most effective exercise is the cable extension with a regular medium comfortable grip. This position of the hands allows you to avoid injury to the wrists and makes it possible to pump the triceps with more weight. for performing bench triceps presses, it reduces the load on the wrist joint to a safe level.

Elbows. Losing control of the elbows during triceps exercises, firstly, removes the load from it, and secondly, overloads the elbow joint. Most often, the elbows “start dancing” while working with an inadequately selected weight. Weight on the bar is an important, but not the main aspect of the effectiveness of any arm exercise for mass. It is much more important to direct the load exclusively to the triceps, and not to spray it on other muscle groups. Total control over the position of the elbows during triceps exercises allows you to cope with this task.

Conclusion: the correct technique for performing exercises when training triceps for weight allows you to avoid joint injuries and significantly increases the chances of increasing muscle volume.

Low intensity triceps workout

If you analyze the arm training programs for mass used by professionals, you can draw an unambiguous conclusion: it occurs against the backdrop of progression of weights. In order for your arms (and not only) to grow, the working weight in the exercises must be constantly increased. The idea is good, but only for a competitive athlete who constantly uses pharmacological support.

Using increasingly heavier weights each workout to ordinary person– this is a well-worn path to injury. I know this for sure. An injury I sustained while doing overhead curls with a heavy dumbbell radically changed my perspective on gaining muscle mass in my arms.

The key to muscle growth is a constantly increasing load, here I agree with the adherents of “chemical” bodybuilding. But in my opinion, the progression of the load should not consist of an increase in the number of plates on the bar, but in completely different parameters.

But since we are talking about pumping up the triceps, which consists of three bundles, the ideal method of training it would be trisets (performing three exercises in a row without rest). If you wish, you can use any combination of triceps exercises that comes to mind, and they will all be correct. Two conditions will allow you to pump your arms for mass using trisets more effectively.

Condition 1. The difficulty of triceps exercises decreases with each stage. That is, the most complex and difficult exercise is performed first, the easier, stretching exercise is performed second, and the isolated movement on the block closes the cycle. For example, like this:

Close-grip bench press 7-8 times
French bench press 8-10 reps
Extension of arms on a block with a rope handle 10-12 times

Condition 2. Triset exercises can be selected in such a way that each of them is aimed at a different muscle bundle. For example, like this

Bench push-ups with weights (internal triceps) 10-12 times
Seated barbell French press (long triceps bun) 8-10 reps
Extension of the arms on the block with a reverse grip (external triceps) 7-8 times

Conclusion: constant progression of weights is the simplest, but most traumatic way to pump your arms for weight. The principles of intensifying the training process allow you to increase the load on the muscles and minimize the risk of injury.

Insufficient trajectory of triceps exercises in the gym

At first glance, it seems that there is little in common between training triceps and biceps. But, in fact, doing exercises for them has two very important similarities.

Peak muscle contraction. For each muscle group, you need to find a movement that involves the maximum number of muscle fibers. For triceps, this is an exercise performed with pronation of the hands (extension of the arms on the upper block), and for biceps, these are exercises with supination of the hands ( various options lifting dumbbells).
Maximum range of motion. Any lengthening of the trajectory in exercises is the strongest stimulus, both for the growth of muscle mass and for improving muscle shape. For biceps, these are barbell raises on a Scott bench and dumbbell raises on an incline bench. But for the triceps, these are various options for extensions with a barbell and some other exercises.

The idea behind lengthening the triceps movement path is that the various variations of the French press are exercises for the long head of the triceps. The larger it is, the greater the total mass of the triceps. But there are two exercises that help stretch the triceps much more than all others:

Reverse Incline French Bench Press

The whole point of this triceps exercise is to tilt the bench down. This position of the bench will deprive the triceps of the “dead” zone of movement, the load in the stretched arm muscles will now remain constant. And to further lengthen the trajectory and further stretch the triceps, you can lower the barbell or dumbbells not to your forehead, but behind your head. The reverse French press is the best exercise for the long head of the triceps.

Barbell push-ups

According to its biomechanics, this movement completely repeats the previous exercise. Only, in the first option, the bar moves, and in this case the body itself serves as a burden. This is a rather difficult exercise that requires high concentration and constant body stillness.

But the lowest point of the trajectory will allow you to stretch your triceps like no other. You can adjust the load level by changing the height of the bar. The lower it is located, the more difficult it is to perform the exercise. With a little modification, this exercise can be done at home. I talked about how to pump your arms without iron in the article.

Conclusion: lengthening the trajectory of movement, along with peak contraction, are the two most important conditions for increasing muscular arms.

And at the end of the story, I suggest you listen to what Rich Piana thinks about pumping up the triceps. He, as always, has his own special opinion on this matter.

pumping triceps:

I hope my article will be useful and help in the struggle to create large arm muscles and ideally shaped arm muscles. May the force be with you. And the mass!

The triceps, like the blue-collar big brother, toils in obscurity in the shadow of its little brother the biceps, carrying its own load and providing assistance to the other muscles (chest and shoulders). In fact, the triceps are a larger muscle group than the biceps, and therefore, they need to be given special, “correct” attention. So how to properly pump up your triceps? Below you will find 5 main mistakes made when training triceps and, of course, new and effective ways his pumping.

#1 Not using all three heads of the triceps enough

As the name suggests, the triceps consists of three heads: long (upper inner), medial (lower inner) and lateral (outer). All three areas of the triceps always work together, so it is impossible to isolate one from the other. However, the angle of the palms changes the emphasis, loading the heads differently. Many athletes do not know how different exercises pump their triceps and, thus, they overestimate their lateral part and underestimate their long and medial parts. Therefore, in order to properly pump up your triceps, Appropriate grips must be used.

With a straight and neutral grip (extension on a block), the lateral parts are loaded to a greater extent.
When the grip is reversed, the medial parts are worked more strongly. In fact, regardless of arm position, the medial heads are engaged in all triceps exercises as soon as the arms are fully extended. But to properly pump up the medial heads, be sure to include “reverse grip cable extensions” in your workout.
When the forearms are moved overhead (French presses), the long heads are loaded.

#2 Ineffective exercise order

There is no wrong order of exercises! However, it may not be effective. Changing their order can “shock” the triceps, which means pushing it to grow. For example, this is performing an isolating exercise first, after which you move on to the basic one. However, try to start most of your workouts with exercises where you can place the most stress on your triceps with the most resistance. Executing the "base" at the very beginning of your training, at the moment when you are strongest, will allow you to properly and effectively pump up your triceps.

Do the basic exercises first, such as close-grip barbell presses and dips.
Then move on to double arm extensions with free weights.
Finish the program with one-arm or cable exercises.
You can change the order of exercises to overcome plateaus, but stick to this order for the majority of your triceps workouts.

#3 Paying too much attention to exercise equipment

Many athletes rely too much on various machines, including cable curls, to build their triceps. For example, bodybuilders often include 4 sets of “V-bar and rope extensions” in their triceps training program. But these two similar exercises stress the triceps in an almost identical way, emphasizing your laterals.

Do compound exercises (which also work your chest and shoulders) in every triceps workout. Examples include “close-grip barbell press,” “dips,” and “vertical push-ups.”
Do at least one triceps exercise with a curved bar or dumbbell. These could be “French bench presses with a curved bar” and “one-arm overhead extension with a dumbbell.”
If you are doing two exercises on the block, then one should be performed with an overhand or neutral grip (to emphasize the lateral parts), and the other with a reverse grip (to emphasize the medial sides).

#4 Incorrect technique

To properly pump up the triceps and concentrate the load on it as much as possible, you need to lock your elbows in place. As soon as you begin to move your elbows forward, backward, or outward, you are transferring some of the load to your shoulders. This allows you to use more weight or do more reps, but it makes it easier on the triceps instead of targeting the triceps exclusively.

Lock your arms in place for all reps until you reach failure. For example, when performing “block extensions”, it is enough to press them to the body and not allow them to deviate from this position.
Once you reach the point of failure with strict form, you can loosen up your form to get through a few extra reps. This can be done by moving your elbows slightly forward during the negative part of the repetition and back during the positive part.

#5 Overtraining

Unlike other muscle groups, triceps are the most prone to overtraining. Most bodybuilders know that the triceps are larger than the biceps, so in pursuit of arm size, they believe that if they do 12 sets for the biceps, it is only logical to do more sets for the larger muscle group. In addition, unlike the biceps, which only help when training the back muscles, the triceps provide indispensable support when training the chest and shoulder muscles. If you are training your chest, shoulders and triceps in different days, That Your Triple Muscle Gets a Triple Hit and probably doesn't get enough time to recover.

Compared to other large muscles, such as the back and chest, the triceps is a small muscle. As a rule, to pump up the triceps, 12 approaches will be enough. If you're using a chest/triceps or shoulder/triceps split, consider doing even fewer sets of triceps because they've already received some load during the presses.
Rest should be a minimum of 48 hours, and ideally 72 hours, between training your chest or shoulders and training your triceps. Use the appropriate split.

Engage different areas of the triceps - long, lateral and medial.
As a general rule, do the base first, then move to free weights using two arms before moving on to one-arm exercises and cable machines.
Be sure to include free weights on your triceps day.
Lock your elbows in place until you reach muscle failure.
Perform no more than 12 triceps sets per workout, and always rest at least two days between the chest or shoulder workout and the triceps workout.

Triceps training program

This triceps training program can be included in your split in several ways: 1) After bench presses, i.e. after chest or shoulders 2) Set aside a day for arm training, i.e. biceps along with triceps 3) Set aside a day to train triceps alone.

NOTE: For the first and last exercises, increase the weight with each set.

Since the triceps make up 2/3 of the arm's volume, you shouldn't forget about it. Most people mainly pump their biceps, because... he is always in sight and almost immediately they try to lift up their sleeves and show him off. There won't be a big triceps and your arm will remain a straw.

The triceps is the three-headed muscle of the shoulder. The main function of this muscle is to straighten the arm at the elbow joint.

How to pump triceps?

For maximum development of the triceps, it is necessary to train all three bundles. Basically, they train in the same way, which ultimately results in a disproportion in development.

Basic triceps exercises

Development of all bundles

Dips

Close grip press

Emphasis on the long head (when arms are raised)

French press

Extension of arms from behind the head

Emphasis on the lateral head (side beam)

Extension of arms on a block with a rope handle

I did not list all the exercises, because... any of them fully loads all 3 heads. Some exercises simply help to shift the emphasis to a certain part, but I repeat, all 3 beams will work. If you see a lag in the development of a certain head of your triceps, then simply focus on the appropriate exercise.

1. If you do push-ups to develop the triceps, rather than the pectorals, then keep your arms pressed as close to your body as possible and your body position should be vertical. As soon as you spread your arms to the side and bend forward, most of the load will immediately go into your chest.

2. I don’t know why this happened, but all those who chase heavy weights in the French bench press have problems with their elbows. Place this exercise second or third so that your triceps are already tired and you don’t have to work with heavy weights.

3.Only full range of motion. Extend your triceps as much as possible and contract as much as possible (extending your arm fully).

4. If you do the bench press with a narrow grip, then, just like with the parallel bars, keep your elbows pressed as close to the body as possible, and do not lower the barbell completely to your chest (leave a gap of 10 cm), but work within the amplitude. If, as with a normal bench press, you lower the barbell, touching your chest, then thanks to the chest muscles you will squeeze the barbell and then it will move by inertia, but we need to load the triceps, not the chest.

5. The triceps is a strong muscle and, according to my observations, it loves power loads in the range of 6-10 repetitions. Regularly try to progress in the load. If you can do dips with 50kg of extra weight, your triceps will look decent.

My secret set of the best triceps exercises

Of course, there are no secrets, but personally, I have not seen anyone except me do these exercises, and I have done them in many gyms.

1.French bar press.

The great Arnie loved to do this exercise. The advantage of this exercise is that here you can stretch your triceps to the maximum by diving your head behind the bar. This exercise simply gives the most powerful pumping (blood pumping).

2. French bench press in a crossover with a lower handle.

Unlike a regular French press, due to the fact that the cable is constantly pulling back, a maximum, constant load is created without dead spots and rest.

3. Bent-over arm extension in crossover.

Again, due to the cable, the peak reduction. Perfectly details the triceps, gives a completely different feeling from regular exercises, and pushes your “horseshoe” up.

How to combine triceps with other muscles?

1. An excellent option to load the triceps after training the pectoral muscles. Because the triceps works in all pressing exercises, it has already done a great job, and now two exercises are enough to finish it off. In this option, he will rest for a week before the next training session.

2.You can train after the back, so there will be more strength on one side, because the triceps are fresh, and on the other hand, in the weekly cycle he will have fewer rest days.

3.Train on a separate day with biceps. Great for advanced levels.

Try all 3 options and find the one that suits you. You shouldn't copy someone else's diagram; most likely it won't suit you, because... The speed of recovery and structural features are different for everyone.

I also advise you to read the article “how to train your hands”, there are a number of useful recommendations there.

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