The best triceps exercises unfortunately are not as popular as the bicep exercises. People craving big arms tend to think of the bicep as the key to seeing visible definition and to an extent its true, the triceps are less visible in the mirror and for many people that is what is important. However, the triceps are an extremely important muscle group and most importantly - they account for 2/3 of the muscle mass in the arm. It is difficult to talk about sculpted arms without properly shaped triceps.
The most important basics of triceps training
- Precision
- Variety
- Plan
Training the arm muscles requires a lot of concentration and accuracy. Any change in the position of the elbow in relation to the body has an impact on the effect and safety of the exercise. A well-known example is the French bench press. The positioning of the elbows in relation to the body and face determines how we engage the triceps during this exercise. Moving them a few centimeters behind the chin line towards the forehead gives a noticeably different effect. This is a muscle group that takes time, precision, and commitment to train effectively.
Like any muscle consisting of several parts, the triceps need a variety of training. By doing the same or several very similar exercises repeatedly, you are not engaging all of the triceps’ heads and are therefore not working the whole muscle group. Change your exercises, grips (underhand grip, overhand grip, intermediate position) and equipment to make sure that you train comprehensively.
As discussed, the triceps are engaged in many exercises, especially those relating to the chest. Plan your training well. Perform multi-joint exercises first, such as bench press, where you engage your triceps, followed by triceps-focused exercises. Or schedule them on a different training day.
trainierte Muskulatur: Beinbizeps, Gluteus (primär); Rückenstrecker, Latissimus, Trapez, hintere Schulter, Unterarme (sekundär)
- Push-ups on parallel dip-bars
- Depending on the position of the torso during an exercise, we use slightly different muscle groups. The most engaging position for targeting the triceps is as close as possible to vertical in relation to the ground. That being said some kind of inclination should be maintained so as not to injure the shoulders. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly. In short, the more you lean forward, the more you engage your chest muscles
- Control the position of your elbows. They cannot be directed outwards during movement - this not only weakens the work of the triceps, but also increases the risk of injury.
- During this exercise, the strain on your body should be for as long as you can manage. It is better to focus on precision, slow down the pace of repetitions (especially in the eccentric phase - descending) than to add weight. Once you have become proficient in this and can maintain a slow steady pace, THEN add more weight.
- Triceps Pull-downs
- French bench press with a barbell
- When looking into this exercise, people often find that you are told not to straighten your elbows during the return phase. In this way, you achieve so-called ‘constant muscle tension’. To an extent this is true but doing the exercises like this also increases the risk of injury to your elbows. A safer solution is to change the starting position. Don’t position your elbows above the shoulders (i.e., the arms perpendicular to the surface of the bench) but point them towards the head instead.
This can be a very demanding exercise, but ultimately very rewarding. Popular with bodybuilding, gymnastics, martial arts and, of course, strength sports, it engages all the triceps heads simultaneously as well as the pectorals and deep stabilization muscles. It requires not just strength but also precision to train effectively.Attention!
This is an exercise that many more experienced gym regulars give up because they think it is only good for beginners. In fact, a good personal trainers should show their pupils the upper pulley and teach them how the triceps should work with the help of ropes, a barbell or other specialized grip. This exercise isolates the triceps perfectly and no-one should dismiss it from their training. They can also be easily modified by changing the grip or by using different types of barbells and ropes. If you want to completely isolate the muscle, do not allow yourself to move your torso - rest your back on the straight back of the training bench and do not allow it to move from the bench, even a moment. We guarantee if you try this, you won’t think it’s just for novices.
These can be performed in a sitting position, but much more often we use a training bench and do them lying down for better support. The movement performed is simple - as in all single-joint exercises, but the details are important, such as controlling the position of the elbows and the range of motion. Do we lower the barbell to the height of the forehead or maybe behind the head to the surface of the bench? Any such change will have an impact on how well you can target the individual triceps heads Attention!