3 Triceps Exercises for explosive growth
There are more than 70 triceps exercises out there (according to bodybuilding.com), if we count every single variation, but which ones make your triceps grow like crazy? We’ve carefully chosen the best 3 that will help anyone on their quest to huge triceps.
1) Triceps dips
What a surprise, you might say. However, there are few simple things you must know to get full benefits from this wonderful exercise. First of all, you must warm up really well, especially your elbow joints and wrist areas. This exercise is quite hard on your elbows, so skipping warm-up could end up with pain in the elbows and in rare cases with injuries. After you’ve done your standard warm-up routine, just take 2-3 kg dumbbells and perform rotating movements with your elbows, in and out.
Second important thing is the technique. You must use full range of motion and do not bend forward like in chest dips. Just keep it straight and do clean reps. Do not lock-out your elbows on top, especially on your weighted sets.
Third thing is to use heavy weight. Without weight triceps dips are almost useless. Such dips will only help in the first beginning stage. If you are too weak to perform dips with 20kg plates, then just start smaller. Even if you can do 6 dips with 5kg plate, it will have a greater impact on your triceps, than doing 10 reps without a plate. So when you are capable of doing 10 reps without any weight, attach a small 5-10kg plate on your weight-lifting belt. Do 4 sets, first one is without weight (10 reps or more), and then gradually add weight with every set. You can do just 4 reps on the last set, but it should be with heaviest weight possible.
2) Bench dips
This is amazing mass building exercise! Unfortunately, not many people use it. And don’t think that machine analogue of this exercise is as effective. Some machine dips could be great, but not any near weighted bench dips. Obviously, you will need to go heavy here. Adding your own weight on top (in plates) is a sign that you’re good.
Few important things – make sure you actually extend your legs completely between 2 benches, and do NOT do it like that – http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/exerciseImages/sequences/344/Male/m/344_2.jpg
It’s pretty much impossible to put any weight on top, in such position. Good technique should look like a picture above.
You will need a partner to put weights on you, and obviously take them off. But also to watch the pile of plates on your legs from falling on any side (it tends to happen when you use more than 3 big plates).
4 sets are enough for this exercise as well. Start without weight and add plates on 2nd, 3rd and 4th set.
3) Close grip bench press
This one is fairly common, but I would say over-looked. It’s a terrific exercise for triceps development. Just make sure your elbows are close to your body, and your grip is slightly narrower than your shoulder width. Other than that it’s straightforward. You can do this on Smith-machine too, effect is different and some have better results with it, since Smith-machine doesn’t allow any horizontal movement and it hits your triceps directly. Just try both and see what is better for you.
Again, 4 sets are enough.
You do not need to perform all those 3 exercises in a single workout! If you are a beginner, 1 of these + 2 isolation exercises would be enough. If you are intermediate or you want to hit your triceps really hard you can do 2 of those 3 exercises and add 2 isolation movements. On each upcoming triceps training you can use another of those 3 exercises.