Build bigger triceps with this training routine.
Having huge arms is a must for anyone looking to build muscle. Sure, bodybuilders have to focus on the entire physique – but it’s no question that the arms are a world favorite to build up and show off. Forget about quick tricks to big muscles – here’s a tried and true in depth breakdown of an IFBB Pro workout for your triceps. Let Fred “Biggie” Smalls show you how to have bulging muscle with some insider tips and hard, hard work. Check it out above!
While our biceps pop due to constant work and attention, our triceps are certainly one muscle group that cannot be neglected. That horseshoe-shaped muscle everyone aspires towards is not just a result of curls. Targeting your triceps is key in seeing big gains and that toned aesthetic you desire.
Your triceps make up two-thirds of your arm, so neglecting them is only doing you a disservice. Healthy and huge triceps work to balance out and stabilize the bicep giving your body that much needed equilibrium it needs to save you from muscle imbalances. Such imbalances can cause unwanted pain that you just don’t need. The best things to consider when looking to grow your triceps are exercise selection, equipment selection, and time under tension. With increased focus on what to do, what to use, and how to execute, your triceps will see that much sought after progress you desire.
Fred “Biggie” Smalls is a former pro bodybuilder who now seeks to help others as a personal trainer, nutritional consultant, and contest prep coach. Having competed around the world, he has placed in the top three in events like the Arnold Classic Asia and Vancouver Pro, and is a 3-time Arnold Classic best poser. His workout routines are great for building muscle and working to help you achieve your goals.
Smalls leads us through an awesome triceps workout to really make your arms pop. With three exercises all designed and specifically placed in the workout to maximize their benefits, these triceps exercises will give you a good pump and increase muscular strength and endurance. Making up such a large portion of our arms, triceps are certainly one muscle group we do not want to let down. With the benefits of supporting the bicep muscle and giving you that horseshoe-shape, our triceps deserve plenty of attention. Follow his helpful hints to really hit these exercises hard.
The Workout
Dips
Dips are a great exercise to work all three heads of the triceps muscle. Keeping your body upright to avoid using your chest is key and a slow eccentric movement down (around 5 seconds) with an explosive push up will provide for great muscle growth. You can do these with no weight for higher reps, or with some weight for lower reps.
How to: Grab the bars and straighten out your arms, letting your legs hang free. Bracing your core, gently lower your body by bending your arms with a slight lean forward. Lower until your shoulders are just below your elbows and lift your body back up by straightening your arms. For an added challenge, you can put a dumbbell between your ankles or drape chains around your neck and chest.
Rope Triceps Pulldowns
Using the rope on this exercise will provide for great isolation of all three heads, the lateral, medial, and long. As an isolation exercise, it really works to target the triceps in a big way to see overall muscle growth and muscular endurance. It can hit smaller stabilizing muscles for that added benefit as well. With various grips and handles to use, this exercise offers versatility and variability to keep your triceps guessing when it comes to working on growth.
How to: Stand in front of the rope with a solid stance and strong upper body. Grab the rope with each hand, engage your core, and begin to pull the rope down. Keep your elbows tucked firmly against your torso to really work the triceps only. Once at the bottom, you can either spread your hands apart or keep them together. With a controlled motion, slowly return to the starting position and repeat for your desired number of reps.
Total: 20 reps (10 reps hands spread out and 10 reps hands together)
Lying Triceps Extension
This exercise is a take on the typical skull crusher exercise, but works to relieve elbow pain and strain that skull crushers can cause. It is great for targeting the lateral and medial heads. As a good exercise to end a triceps workout, don’t go to heavy but work to get 8 reps before failure.
How to: Lie down on a bench with a dumbbell shared between both of your hands. Extend your arms at a 90-degree angle holding the weight above you. Lower the dumbbell slowly over your head, inhaling as you do to keep your upper arms stationary. Using your triceps, lift the weight back to the starting position and continue for your desired number of reps.
Total: 4 to 5 sets- 8 reps with 60 seconds rest
Wrap Up
Our triceps are just as important as any other upper body muscle. Making up two-thirds of our arm, this muscle is one that just cannot be ignored. By working to find smart and effective ways to grow our triceps, we can aid in the stabilization of our bicep, the balance of our body composition, and the sheer aesthetic of looking great. Fred Smalls takes us through his triceps workout to give us a good pump and make sure we understand just what it takes to get that horseshoe-shaped arm. Follow his helpful hints and tips to really maximize the benefits of this workout.
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