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Bigger tris equals bigger arms: our unique unilateral approach will help you build fuller triceps in no time - Body Shop
Men's Fitness, Oct, 2002 by Matt Fitzgerald
Other than when they're attempting to communicate with women, men are never less efficient than when trying to build bigger arms. They'll spend almost all of their time working their biceps, and then halfheartedly throw in some triceps work--usually a few press-downs--and call it a day. Bad move. With the triceps constituting two-thirds the mass of your upper arm, it's no small wonder that your arms grow at about the same rate as a pubescent Mini Me.
It doesn't have to be this way. According to Stephen Holt, C.S.C.S., the education director at the Maryland Athletic Club and Wellness Center, the secret to building maximum upper-arm mass in minimal time is to use compound movements that require your triceps to act as prime movers rather than assistant movers.
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THE RIGHT WAY TO TRAIN TRICEPS
The following exercises emphasize the triceps while also working additional muscles, combining the benefits of single-joint movements with the advantages of compound movements. "They isolate the triceps more than other compound movements, like push-ups, but at the same time, because other muscles are helping, they allow you to push heavier loads than you can use in most isolation exercises," says Holt. The result: a better triceps blast in less time.
The following two routines, one for beginners and one for more advanced weight trainers, make use of exercises that target all three heads of the triceps--the long, the medial and the lateral.
* Beginners and those doing total-body workouts should do two sets of two triceps exercises, twice a week.
* Advanced lifters doing split routines (e.g., a chest and arms workout) can do three sets of three exercises.
Choose a resistance that you can lift only eight to 10 times before failure; rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets. "The triceps are predominantly made up of fast-twitch muscle fibers," says Holt, "so they require heavier loads for maximum fiber recruitment, and longer rest periods."
Note that these are all single-arm exercises. Most of us have a stronger side. If you do only bilateral exercises for the triceps, your weak side will actually hold back both sides. After you have learned how to properly perform each exercise, start turning your head toward the side you're working, Holt advises. This triggers what is known as the "tonic neck reflex." In lab-coat speak, the asymmetric tonic neck reflex is prompted by lateral head rotation, resulting in increased extension in the upper and lower extremities on the ipsilateral side (the side the face is turned toward) and flexor activity in the upper and lower extremities of the contralateral side (the side the face is turned away from). In gym speak, your arm has more power for pushing movements when your head is turned toward it.
THE EXERCISES
1. TRICEPS CHOP (medial head, lateral head, core) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and position yourself facing away from a high-cable pulley. Using an overhand grip, grab the handle with your left hand; cock your arm as if you're preparing to throw a dart (1a). Make a chopping motion by rotating your shoulder downward just slightly and extending your arm (1b). Pause briefly, and then return slowly to the starting position and repeat.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
2. SINGLE-ARM PULL-OVER (long head, medial head, lateral head, chest, lats) Lie faceup on a bench while holding a dumbbell in your right hand. Begin with your arm extended straight upward and your palm facing inward (2a). Lower the dumbbell in an arc toward the floor by simultaneously flexing your elbow and extending your shoulder so that your upper arm brushes by your ear (2b). Avoid arching your back as you do this. Reach back as far as you can comfortably go, then slowly raise your arm again, making sure to straighten it completely. Repeat.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
3. MODIFIED SINGLE-ARM FRENCH PRESS (long head, medial head, lateral head, midback and upper back, posterior deltoid) Lie faceup on a bench while holding a dumbbell in your right hand. Begin with your arm extended straight upward and your palm facing in the direction of your feet (3a). Lower the dumbbell toward your left shoulder by bending your elbow and slightly rotating your shoulder inward. Pause just before the dumbbell reaches your shoulder (3b), and then raise and straighten your arm again. Repeat.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
4. SINGLE-ARM CABLE CHEST PRESS (long head, medial head, lateral head, chest, abs) Stand facing away from a high-cable pulley. Hold the handle in an overhand grip with your left hand, and position your hand near your shoulder (4a). Throw a smooth and controlled jab with your left hand. Extend your arm fully (4b), then draw your hand back toward your shoulder and repeat.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
5. DIAGONAL EXTENSION (long head, medial head, lateral head, midback and upper-back muscles, rear deltoids, core stabilizers) Stand with your left side facing a high-cable pulley. Hold the handle in a neutral (thumb up) grip with your right hand. Begin with your hand reaching across your chest, toward the pulley (5a). Pull the handle across your body and downward until your arm is fully extended away from the pulley and your hand is at waist level (5b). Avoid rotating your trunk or shoulders. Return slowly to the starting position and repeat.
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