If you
want powerful, well-defined, titanic arms, building a strong set of tricepsneeds to be your number
one priority. They’re even more important than biceps, given that they make up
roughly 2/3 of the muscle mass in your arms.
Triceps
Anatomy
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The reality is that
developing a set of horseshoe-esque, toned-up triceps is ridiculously
impressive; impacts performance on lifts like the bench press & military
press; and projects Hulk-like power and strength. Building them also requires
precise, well-rounded training that emphasizes the entire triceps muscle.
In fact, the triceps
isn’t one muscle, it’s actually comprised of three different heads — the
lateral head, medial head, and long head — which together form the larger
“triceps” muscle group. In order to build fully-developed, cut-up triceps and
that incredible horseshoe-shaped look, it’s essential to hit each of the three
heads as hard as possible in every single triceps workout (otherwise you get
imbalanced, awkward looking arms).
Here are our top
5 exercises for building ginormous, powerful, chiseled triceps. Each exercise hits
all three heads to a certain degree, but some are better than others at
activating each part. Incorporate these exercises into your routine and not
only will your triceps pop out with enhanced definition and size, but they’ll
also improve your bench press and other chest/shoulder exercises.
The Big 5 Triceps
Exercises
1. Triceps Dips.
Form:
Make sure to lower slowly all the way down until your triceps
are parallel with the ground. At the top of the movement, squeeze your triceps
hard for 1 second.
Below are two different variations. The bench dip (right) is
significantly easier and a much better option for beginners. The bench dip is
also a great exercise for building up endurance and really blasting your tris
hard at the end of a workout. Traditional dips (left) allow the body to handle
more weight, and thus are much better for building overall muscle mass. Once
you’re able to get 12 reps in a set increase the weight by using a weight belt
and weight plates
2. Closed-Grip Bench Press.
The Closed-Grip Bench Press is another great exercise that destroys all
three heads of the triceps at once. Closed grip bench presses are also
phenomenal for adding definition to the inner chest and creating that really
nice line of separation between the two pecs. The CGBP allows the triceps to
handle a huge amount of weight, which results in quick muscle and strength
gains.
Form:
Your hands should be spaced close together at the middle of the
bar, about 1 foot apart. Your elbows should be tucked in close to your torso
throughout the movement and should not stick out to the sides at all. Slowly
lower the weight down until your triceps are parallel to the ground, hold for 1
second at the bottom, and accelerate back upwards.
3. Skull Crushers.
Skull Crushers, aka
Barbell Lying Triceps Extensions, work primarily the long and medial heads of
the triceps. Building up the long head adds size to the inner-bottom portion of
the arm, which helps add overall height to your arms.
Form:
Load an EZ bar with weight plates, lay down on a flat bench, and
extend your arms straight overhead. Without moving your upper arms at all, slowly bend your arms at the elbow and lower the EZ
bar back beyond your head until your arms hit a 90 degree angle. Forcefully
extend your arms upwards and hold the contraction at the top for 1 second.
Some people like to lower the weight directly to their forehead.
I prefer (and recommend) lowering the weight behind your head because it’ll
take a lot of stress off of the elbow joint and displace it all onto the
triceps.
4. Overhead Lateral Triceps Extension.
Overhead Lateral Triceps Extensions are awesome for smashing the lateral
head of the triceps, which is critical for building up a dense, well-shaped
horseshoe (they also hit the long head hard, the other half of the horseshoe).
I love overhead lateral triceps extensions because they really allow you to
feel a nice stretch on the way down and a powerful contraction on the way up.
Form:
Start by raising one arm vertically overhead. Slowly bend your
arm at the elbow and lower the dumbbell sideways behind your head. Make sure to
keep your upper arm completely stationary and locked in placed! Lower slowly
for 2 seconds, hold at the bottom for 1 second, and then squeeze your triceps
hard at the top of the movement.
5. Reverse One-Arm Cable Triceps Extensions.
Reverse One-Arm Cable Triceps Extensions emphasize the medial head, which adds length
to the triceps and helps builds size around the elbow joint. I also find that
it’s easy to pump out an insane squeeze at the point of contraction.
Form:
Set up a cable station with a one-arm handle attachment so that
the handle is as high as possible on the rack. Tuck your arm and elbow
tightly into your torso and keep it there throughout the entire movement. Your
upper arm should NOT move at all! Grab the handle with a reverse grip
(underhand grip, palm facing upwards), bend at the elbow, and squeeze your
triceps hard at the bottom of the movement. Hold the contraction for 1 second.
On the way up slowly raise
the cable all the way to the top and repeat the movement.
JUST REMEMBER: "FITNESS FIRST."
