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How to build triceps: 6 workout programs
Strong, sculpted horseshoe-shaped triceps will give any hand a harmonious, proportional and voluminous look. Use these exercises and you will see the difference.
Who the hell needs big triceps? Judging by the efforts made in our gyms, then no one! In most programs, triceps are given either very little or no attention at all, and the main emphasis is on the biceps.
Show your muscles! – every now and then I hear in the gym, and then the sleeve of a shirt is lifted up, and someone is trying to strain his hand and demonstrate the top of the biceps, while the triceps is left to the side – forgotten and invaluable by everyone. What should a bodybuilder do?
As you may have heard many times, triceps make up the bulk of the upper arm mass – if trained properly, of course. Triceps (three means three heads) need to be developed and developed as intensively and systematically as the biceps. An impressive view of the muscles on the arm is the developed biceps and triceps.
As an antagonist muscle of the biceps, triceps indirectly promotes biceps development and development by improving circulation and nutrient absorption in the upper arm.
Your goal should be to target the triceps from all angles with a variety of exercises of the required intensity. Then you too can boast a full set of impressive muscles. Strong, sculpted horseshoe-shaped triceps will give any hand a harmonious, proportional and voluminous look.
Earlier, I talked about how to pump up impressively sculpted biceps. Now it’s the turn of the next part – the forgotten brother of the biceps – the triceps.
I hope I can shed some light on how to safely and maximize this problematic area for most coaches. When designing a complete, high-quality program, you need to consider such points as high and low repetitions, complex and isolated exercises, weight adjustment and angle selection.
With the right tools, ingenious techniques and the right training intensity, anyone can take their triceps development to the next level. So stop your workout for a few minutes and read the story on how to build even bigger muscles!
A little anatomy
The triceps brachii consists of three heads that connect the humerus, scapula, and ulna (in the forearm). The lateral, medial and long heads make up the triceps.
The lateral head, which is located on the outer face of the humerus, is most responsible for the horseshoe shape of the muscle. The medial head is located towards the midline of the body, and the long head (the largest of the three) is located along the lower part of the humerus.
Stretching the elbow (straightening the arm) is the main function of the triceps. The long head has an additional function: along with the lats, it participates in arm adduction (bringing the arm down along the body).
Pumping up horseshoe shaped triceps!
Now that you know about the anatomy and mechanisms of movement, let’s figure out how to get outstanding triceps. The movements and exercises presented are designed to maximize your performance every time you go to the gym. Remember to always use the correct technique and not lift too much weight so as not to jeopardize your safety.
Upper Block Pull
No program for training triceps can be considered complete without the time-tested deadlift on the block. Done correctly with a straight bar, V-bar or rope hitch, pulls are invaluable in achieving the desired muscle contraction and contraction.
Stand in front of a vertical block machine with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp the selected hitch and press your elbows tightly to your sides. Without moving your elbows, pull the bar or rope down towards your upper thighs and fully extend your arms to engage your entire triceps.
Return to the starting position (make sure you complete the movement), still keeping your elbows close to your sides. It is also important to maintain proper posture during this exercise and not bend your back. Stand straight all the time.
There is one point that might interest you – try to imagine that you are pulling the weight in an arc towards the wall behind you instead of pulling straight down. This will help you make sure not to use too much weight. Also, try training with different grip weights. When using a straight bar, the inner long head is tensed, while doing exercises with a grip with the thumbs pointing up, as when working with a rope hitch, more involves the outer lateral head, which gives the triceps a horseshoe shape.
Council. To achieve maximum contraction without using too heavy a weight, try doing a reverse grip extension on a curved (EZ) bar. You will have to use a little less weight, but the muscles will contract incredibly!
Grasp the bar as if you were doing curls with a curved bar (thumbs above the little fingers), and do the curls in the same way as with a regular block.
French press lying, sitting and standing
One of the main exercises for triceps is the French bench press while lying down. Lie on a flat bench, grab a straight or curved bar and lift the weight directly over the top of the body using straight arms.
Bring your arms at the shoulder joint a little back towards your head, keeping your elbows straight. This will keep your triceps in constant tension.
To begin the exercise, bend your arms only at the elbows and lower the bar towards your head, constantly maintaining the angle of your upper arms. Stop the barbell about three centimeters above your head, then straighten your arms, returning it to its original position.
To do the French press in a sitting or standing position, stand or sit, hold the weight straight over your head and gently lower it to achieve an intense stretch. Make sure your elbows are facing up – they can be pulled apart a little, just make sure they are not too far apart. When the weight is lowered, reverse the motion and straighten your arms over your head again.
Council. For some variation on the French press, try this exercise on a bench. Make sure you perform the movements exactly as indicated above.
You may be using slightly less weight on a bench with a negative incline than on a bench with a positive incline. Continue to vary the incline angles during each workout for more triceps development.
Extension of arms overhead with dumbbells or on a block
As with the French overhead press, dumbbell or block extensions stretch the muscles to help them grow further. You may find it more comfortable to work with dumbbells or a rope harness, since this places the wrists and forearms at a more natural angle.
When doing two-handed dumbbell extensions, grab one dumbbell by pressing the palms of both hands against the inside of the pancakes. Keeping the weight straight overhead, lower it behind your head to feel the stretch in your triceps, then return your arms to their original position.
You can also do this exercise with one hand using a lighter dumbbell. However, in this case, you will lower the dumbbell to the side, and not straight back. The elbow will point outward and the dumbbell will go behind the head to achieve an intense stretch.
Follow the technique described above when performing rope extensions overhead. Take a rope harness from a low pulley and perform the exercise rhythmically, making sure you use an appropriate weight to allow you to safely complete the required number of repetitions.
To diversify the exercise, rope extensions can also be performed horizontally when the machine with blocks is approximately at shoulder level, in the upper body is located with a slight lunge parallel to the floor. When you pull the rope over your head, you lift the block perpendicular to the machine and squeeze your triceps.
Council. Many trainers in gyms often set the pulley too low for rope overhead extensions, which can sometimes make it difficult to get the correct posture.
My advice is to position the pulley at about belt level, so it will be easier for you to get into the desired position. In addition, in this case, the load on the back, shoulder and other joints at the beginning and end of each exercise will be much less.
Push-ups on the bars
Push-ups on the uneven bars are simply irreplaceable when pumping up triceps. They not only effectively contribute to building muscle mass, but also allow you to apply a large load, because they are complex exercises and involve several muscle groups.
This article describes two types of dips. The first is a parallel bar push-up. Many gym trainers use this exercise for development, but it’s also effective for the triceps.
Grasp the bars about shoulder-width apart, keep your arms straight – your body should be as perpendicular to the floor as possible.
Press your elbows to your sides, keep your legs straight and lower your body as vertically as possible. The upright position ensures that the load is on the triceps – if you lean forward too much and / or the arms are spread out to the sides, the load will shift to the chest.
Lower your body to a comfortable level and avoid shoulder pain. A great proven method is to lower your body to a 90-degree angle at the elbow.
Make sure you can do the parallel bar push-ups the required number of times with the appropriate range of motion before donning the weight belt. Too often, coaches try to lift too much weight, compromise on technique and risk injury.
Another option for bar push-ups is a bench push-up. To complete this exercise, you will need two benches next to each other. Sit on one bench and grasp it with your hands on either side of your hips.
Place your feet on the second bench so that only the heels touch it and straighten your legs. Get off the bench you are sitting on and lower your pelvis down to an angle of approximately 90 degrees at the elbow. Climb back up, straightening your arms and contracting your triceps, then repeat the exercise.
Council. When the muscles are stronger, a good way to make the triceps work even harder is to add a few pancakes to your knees while doing the bench push-up.
When you have reached muscle failure, ask your partner to remove one pancake, then continue the approach. Depending on how many pancakes you have, continue to shoot one at a time so that you only perform the last set with your own weight.
Bench press with a narrow grip
And finally, the last, but no less important component of a comprehensive approach is the bench press with a narrow grip. Again, since this exercise involves multiple muscle groups, more stress can be applied to the triceps, so be careful not to be overconfident, lift too much weight, and always stick to the exercise technique.
Lie with your back on a flat bench as for a bench press and grab the barbell about shoulder-width apart (less distance will increase the load on the wrists).
Lift the bar off the rack, keeping your elbows close to your sides to ensure that most of the load is on your triceps and not your chest. Place the barbell against your chest or lower it to about three centimeters from your chest, then straighten your arms again.
Pull your triceps hard when the bar is raised and concentrate on contracting them. Repeat the exercise, making sure your elbows are not out to the sides – keep them pressed to your sides.
Council. To add some variety to your favorite exercise, try a narrow grip bench press on a negative incline bench. This is a bit like doing a free weights press and will allow you to use the bar with a lot of weight.
Performing these exercises on a bench with a negative slope will also relieve some of the load on the shoulder joints. Make sure you adhere to the exercise technique and safety precautions described above.