from Marseille, France
After the push-up build-up challenge, a few bees (namely Ventralcorp, Roselunatic and mkw) said they would be interested in tips to help them build stronger triceps.
So, here they are! Most of them come from the Lafay Method for Physical training (link in French, sorry!), along with a few pieces of information I got from other readings... and my own experience.
Why work your triceps?
You need your triceps to extend your arms. You use them every time you push something, along with other muscles - typically, the shoulders and pectorals. Some difficult exercises like diamond-push-ups, dips or handstand push-ups cannot be done without strong triceps. Boxers or martial artists who want to be able to punch with speed and power will need explosive strength in those same muscles.
Push-ups are the most standard and obvious exercise to work your triceps. The thing is, since push-ups recruit a whole chain of muscles and your ability to perform in this regard is limited by the weakest link in the chain, you may find that the number of push-ups you can do in a single workout depends more on the strength you have in your shoulders or pecs than in your triceps, which are still able to perform even when the other muscles in the chain are too fatigued to carry on. This means it is worth working those muscles in isolation to make sure they progress as much as the others.
How?
To isolate your triceps, you can either use free weights, or your own bodyweight with different types of supports, depending on your fitness level.
An example of tricep extensions with dumbbells:
This is an effective exercise, but keeping a straight back and making sure you control the weight enough not to hurt your neck on the way down can prove somewhat tricky.
Also, not every one has access to dumbbells with the right weight.
On the other hand, using your own bodyweight with a suitable support can be done nearly anywhere. The support will change depending on the difficulty level you are after.
One of the easiest variants can be done by placing your hands on a wall, like this:
Note that the lower you put your hands, the harder the exercise will get.
Of course, the same can be done on the floor. After all, this is as low as you can get.
The only downside here is the reduced range of motion, since the surface you are leaning on keeps you from flexing your arms as much as you could. For a fuller range, you should use a support which does not block your elbows, such as a table:
... or even a chair:
(Having a child in the background is completely optional)
A pull-up bar can also be used if you can place it low enough.
How often?
For best results, you should use these exercises as finishers, at the end of a workout including push-ups, twice or three times a week (preferably not two days in a row to let your muscles recover and rebuild).
Do them in three sets to failure with one-minute rest times. Choose a variant easy enough for you to do at least 8 reps in the first set. When you can do more than 20, it means it is time for you to move on to a harder variant, by choosing a lower support (or putting your feet higher, which amounts to the same thing). The difficulty of the chair or table extensions can be adjusted by spreading your legs (the more distance between your feet, the easier the exercise will be).
Hope this helps!
So, here they are! Most of them come from the Lafay Method for Physical training (link in French, sorry!), along with a few pieces of information I got from other readings... and my own experience.
Why work your triceps?
You need your triceps to extend your arms. You use them every time you push something, along with other muscles - typically, the shoulders and pectorals. Some difficult exercises like diamond-push-ups, dips or handstand push-ups cannot be done without strong triceps. Boxers or martial artists who want to be able to punch with speed and power will need explosive strength in those same muscles.
Push-ups are the most standard and obvious exercise to work your triceps. The thing is, since push-ups recruit a whole chain of muscles and your ability to perform in this regard is limited by the weakest link in the chain, you may find that the number of push-ups you can do in a single workout depends more on the strength you have in your shoulders or pecs than in your triceps, which are still able to perform even when the other muscles in the chain are too fatigued to carry on. This means it is worth working those muscles in isolation to make sure they progress as much as the others.
How?
To isolate your triceps, you can either use free weights, or your own bodyweight with different types of supports, depending on your fitness level.
An example of tricep extensions with dumbbells:
This is an effective exercise, but keeping a straight back and making sure you control the weight enough not to hurt your neck on the way down can prove somewhat tricky.
Also, not every one has access to dumbbells with the right weight.
On the other hand, using your own bodyweight with a suitable support can be done nearly anywhere. The support will change depending on the difficulty level you are after.
One of the easiest variants can be done by placing your hands on a wall, like this:
Note that the lower you put your hands, the harder the exercise will get.
Of course, the same can be done on the floor. After all, this is as low as you can get.
The only downside here is the reduced range of motion, since the surface you are leaning on keeps you from flexing your arms as much as you could. For a fuller range, you should use a support which does not block your elbows, such as a table:
... or even a chair:
(Having a child in the background is completely optional
)A pull-up bar can also be used if you can place it low enough.
How often?
For best results, you should use these exercises as finishers, at the end of a workout including push-ups, twice or three times a week (preferably not two days in a row to let your muscles recover and rebuild).
Do them in three sets to failure with one-minute rest times. Choose a variant easy enough for you to do at least 8 reps in the first set. When you can do more than 20, it means it is time for you to move on to a harder variant, by choosing a lower support (or putting your feet higher, which amounts to the same thing). The difficulty of the chair or table extensions can be adjusted by spreading your legs (the more distance between your feet, the easier the exercise will be).
Hope this helps!
from Colorado
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