The triceps brachii, often simply called the triceps, is a horseshoe-shaped muscle on the back of your upper arm. It’s responsible for extending your elbow, playing a crucial role in pushing movements. Strong, defined triceps not only enhance your overall physique but also improve pushing power in exercises like bench presses and overhead presses.
A Hardcore tricep workout will build the necessary strength you need to keep pushing yourself in the gym. That’s because your triceps take up nearly 60 percent of your upper arm mass, thereby providing a literal foundation for your continuing muscle growth, definition, and improvement.
To put it another way: “Your overall upper arm strength is only as good as the strength of your triceps. Furthermore, no fitness freak would really argue with horseshoe triceps, a veritable sign of modern fortitude. If all this isn’t enough to pivot your focus toward this oft-overlooked muscle group, then you just keep on with bicep workouts and see how far it takes you. Go ahead. We dare you”…
The best tricep exercises are a surefire way to help get you to the nearest gun show (figuratively speaking, of course). And while bulging triceps aren’t as visible as bulging biceps, don’t take that to mean they’re any less important.
Use these triceps exercises to hit every head when you train your arms.
This article dives deep into the best tricep exercises for building muscle mass and achieving that sculpted, shredded look. We’ll explore compound and isolation exercises, proper form, and training tips to maximize your tricep development.
Compound Exercises for Building Tricep Mass
Compound exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, stimulating greater muscle growth. Here are some of the best compound exercises to build tricep mass:
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Close-Grip Bench Press: This variation of the bench press targets the triceps more intensely than a wider grip. Lie down on a bench with your hands positioned slightly closer than shoulder-width apart on the barbell. Lower the weight to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body. Press the weight back up explosively, focusing on extending your triceps.
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Dips: Dips are a fantastic bodyweight exercise for triceps. You can perform them on parallel bars, a dip station, or even using sturdy chairs at home. Start with your arms straight and shoulders above the bars. Lower yourself down until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle, keeping your core engaged and back straight. Push back up to the starting position using your triceps.
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Overhead Triceps Extensions: This exercise can be done with dumbbells, a barbell, or a cable machine. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and core engaged. Hold the weight directly overhead with your arms straight. Keeping your upper arms stationary, bend your elbows to lower the weight behind your head until your forearms almost touch your biceps. Extend your arms back up to the starting position, squeezing your triceps at the top.
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Skullcrushers: Skullcrushers are another effective dumbbell exercise for triceps. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand held directly above your shoulders. With your elbows tucked in close to your head, lower the dumbbells down towards your forehead until your forearms are almost parallel to the ground. Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, extending your triceps.
Isolation Exercises for Tricep Definition
Isolation exercises focus on a single muscle group, allowing for targeted development and sculpting. Here are some top isolation exercises for defined triceps:
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Tricep Pushdowns (Rope/Bar): This versatile exercise can be done with a variety of attachments on a cable machine. Choose a rope or straight bar attachment and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your upper arms stationary and your core engaged. Push the cable down until your arms are fully extended, squeezing your triceps at the bottom of the movement.
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Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extensions: Similar to overhead extensions with a barbell, this exercise uses dumbbells and allows for more independent arm movement. Hold a dumbbell in each hand directly overhead with your arms straight. Keeping your upper arms stationary, lower the dumbbells back behind your head until your forearms touch your biceps. Extend your arms back up to the starting position, emphasizing the tricep contraction.
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Seated Tricep Pushdowns: This variation of tricep pushdowns is performed while seated on a bench with a weight stack machine. Set the appropriate weight and grip the handles. With your arms bent at a 90-degree angle and elbows close to your body, extend your arms to straighten them fully. Squeeze your triceps at the bottom of the movement and slowly return to the starting position.
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Overhead Tricep Dips: This challenging exercise requires good upper body strength and balance. Find two sturdy benches or boxes of equal height. Place your hands on the edge of one bench with your fingers pointing forward. Lower your body down between the benches until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle. Push yourself back up to the starting position using your triceps.
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Triceps Exercises to Hit Every Head
Compiled by Jeff from Athlean X, they will help you take your arm sessions to the next level.
“In order to get bigger triceps you have to be sure that you are doing triceps exercises that hit every one of the three heads of the muscle in your tricep workouts. In this video, I show you some examples of exercises for your triceps that do just that. I am going to demonstrate how to get bigger triceps by attacking the long head, medial head, and lateral head of this muscle for maximum size.”
“First, it is easiest to concentrate on the long head of the triceps since it is unique in its origin. This head of the tricep muscle doesn’t originate on the upper arm bone but actually on the shoulder blade or scapula. This means that it crosses the shoulder joint and can have actions on the motion at the shoulder joint. In the case of the long head, it can extend the arm behind the body when maximally contracted. This is important since you want to know how to stretch it and place more tension on the muscle when picking exercises to favorably target this head.”
Triceps Exercises to Hit Every Head
“In order to do this, you want to find exercises that allow you to place your arms up overhead (which will stretch the long head of the triceps slightly and increase the tension that it can generate because of this). Tricep exercises like push aways or even lying dumbbell extensions and french presses are going to put your arm in this position safely. An overhead dumbbell extension is not as ideal however since it does jeopardize the health of your shoulder due to excessive internal rotation while performing it.”
“Before moving on to the other two heads, however, I do want to address the concept of active insufficiency. This happens when you maximally shorten the muscle that crosses the two joints by putting both joints at their end range. In the case of the long head, you would extend the elbow at the same time that you extend the arm behind the body. This position, while generating less tension does generate an incredible contraction as the muscle fibers are maximally shortened. Some argue to not train here, while I totally disagree. This position is very helpful for getting people to feel a contraction and improve mind-muscle awareness which will carry over to better workouts overall.”
“Feel free to include the triceps kickback and cobra pushup as exercises that you can do in the beginning of your tricep workouts to wake up the muscles and help you establish a strong mind-muscle connection from the outset.”
“Next you have to cover the medial and lateral heads of the tricep muscles. The key difference in exercises for each of these tricep heads is the position of the arms and elbows during the extension of the elbow. Just like with the quads in leg extensions, if you turn your arm in during a pushdown or similar exercise, you will focus more on the outer or lateral head of the triceps. On the contrary, if you turn your arm out our underhand, you will focus more of the attention on the medial head.”
Video – Triceps Exercises to Hit Every Head
Learn More – The “6 Best Exercises” To Build A Massive And Thick Triceps
Add these Perform These “5 Exercises” To Build A Ripped Triceps and The “5 Best Exercises” For Massive, Thick, And Shredded Forearms into your training.
Maximizing Your Tricep Workouts
Here are some key tips to get the most out of your tricep workouts:
- Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the weight, sets, or reps over time to continuously challenge your muscles and stimulate growth.
- Mind-Muscle Connection: Focus on feeling your triceps working throughout each exercise. This helps in proper form and muscle activation.
- Form Over Weight: Use a weight that allows you to maintain proper form throughout the entire rep range. Sacrificing form for heavier weights can lead to injuries and hinder progress.
- Rest and Recovery: Give your triceps adequate rest between workouts. Aim for 48-72 hours of recovery for optimal muscle growth.
Wrapping Up
Building big, strong triceps and achieving a shredded look requires dedication and a two-pronged approach: building muscle mass and then reducing body fat. By incorporating the exercises mentioned above, a well-designed workout routine, a healthy diet, and proper rest, you’ll be well on your way to achieving those horseshoe-shaped triceps you desire. Remember, consistency is key!
More About Building Big, Strong Triceps Contents
- Triceps Development: Science Reveals “The Best (And The Worst)” Triceps Exercises
- The “6 Best Exercises” To Build A Massive And Thick Triceps
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