There's no wiggle here: let your arms wave free with these five triceps-tightening exercises - Home work

It's the one part of our bodies that we know we can do something about -- the back of our arms, or to the M&F HERS reader, the tricep. Making up approximately two-thirds of the upper arm mass, the triceps remains a major trouble spot for women. Images of matronly school teachers writing on chalkboards as their untoned arms jiggle and sag would make anyone want to train her tri's 24/7. Like anything else, overtraining the muscle isn't the key, but a little confusion may do it some good.

One way to keep this muscle group tight and toned is to perform a regular triceps routine at home using dumbbells and your own bodyweight. Do a triceps workout twice a week using four of the five exercises presented here. Bach time, change the exercises and the order in which you do them. This will confuse the muscle and therefore stimulate it. The result: tight and shapely arms that you'll be proud to wave, and the confidence of knowing that nothing is flapping in the wind.

exercise            sets     reps

Close-Grip Push-Up   3      10-15
Triceps Kickback     3      10-15
Overhead Extension   3      10-15
Lyint French Press   3      10-15
Side-lying Push-Up   3    to failure

Side-lying push-up

Lie on your left side with your left arm holding your right side. Place your right hand on the floor slightly in front of you so your arm makes a right angle. Press through your right arm until it's nearly straight. lifting your left shoulder off the floor. Slowly lower yourself back to the floor. Repeat to failure, then switch sides.

Triceps kickback

This isolates the triceps on each arm; you can work one arm at a time or both simultaneously (minus a bench for support). Place one hand and knee on a bench or flat surface, keeping your back flat and abs tight. Look about 6 inches ahead of you for proper neck alignment. Hold your working arm alongside your torso and pin your elbow there. Extend your arm only at your elbow to press the weight up toward the ceiling, squeeze your triceps at the top and lower slowly. Make sure your upper arm doesn't leave your side. To increase the intensity, turn the palm of your hand up at the top of the range of motion.

Lying french press This is similar to the overhead triceps extension. Lie faceup on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, and raise your arms straight up. Bend your elbows to bring the weight down behind your head toward the floor, then squeeze your triceps to straighten your arms. Start by doing one arm at a time; once you can complete three sets of 15, try it with a dumbbell in each hand.

Close-grip push-up

Do this first since it's the hardest of the five exercises within this home program. Position yourself on your hands and knees so your arms and body are almost perpendicular. Your hands should make a diamond shape on the floor using your thumbs and forefingers. Make sure your abs are tight and your back is completely flat. Slowly lower yourself until your nose almost touches the floor, then push back up to the start position. Look about 6 inches in front of you to keep your neck aligned with your back (don't flex your neck forward). Start with three sets of 10: increase to 15 and then 20 reps. Once you're able to do this amount with ease, come up onto your toes and drop back down to 10 reps.

Overhead triceps extension

This exercise can be done with both arms or one arm at a time. Sit erect with your shoulders rolled back and down. Hold a weight in your hands by cupping the inside of the dumbbell plate. Extend your arms overhead, squeeze at the top, then bend your elbows to bring the weight down behind your head. Make sure your elbows point upward and your arms stay close to your head (keep your upper arms over your ears throughout the exercise). When you can do three sets of 20 reps, try the one-arm version (shown), taking the weight behind your head toward the opposite shoulder, then extending it straight overhead.

Kim Hartt is an IFBB fitness competitor and fitness contest promoter. She can reached through website, www.himhart.com.

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