3 Exceptional Exercises for the Triceps

With the advancement of scientific knowledge and strength training, EMG studies have emerged, which investigate the electrical activity of individual muscles. Studies conducted by researchers can help trainers and strength athletes in choosing an effective workout that ensures long-term and continuous development. Several studies have compared the activity of the triceps during complex exercises: in the case of exercises such as push-ups or bench presses, the use of a barbell causes more activity in the triceps than it does when pressing with dumbbells, when we're talking about exercises that involve exerting force over the head; scientists have also discovered similar relationships - the use of a barbell leads to more activity in the triceps than pressing with dumbbells, but this applies only to standing; if we compare push-ups and bench press, bench press leads to more activity in the triceps despite less bending in the elbow joint. As the authors of the study emphasized, this is due to the possibility of using a greater load during the bench press; when it comes to bench press, bench press with a barbell on a flat bench and with a negative angle leads to more activity in the triceps than bench press with a positive angle. The obvious solution used to increase the activity of the triceps during the bench press is the use of a narrower grip - its effectiveness is also confirmed by scientific studies.

Here are a few suggestions to assist you in effectively developing your triceps muscle.

Even beginners can achieve hypertrophy by performing the simplest exercises in a less planned way. However, the more advanced athletes become, the more urgent it becomes to plan the entire workout, including the training of the three-headed arm muscle. By introducing a variety of exercises, we can control the areas where muscle fiber recruitment increases due to changes in the relative position of individual bones. These deductions are confirmed by the previously mentioned data from studies on the activity of specific exercises. For example, exercises engaging the triceps in a position where the elbow is above the shoulder joint lead to an increase in the activity of the long head.

Hide your ego and focus on exercise techniques. It's obvious that the absence of an appropriate method can lead to a change in the target muscle and other muscles taking over the work, as well as overloading the ligaments or tendons, which eventually results in injury. Triceps, for example, compared to the quadriceps, is a very small muscle, therefore, it requires precision during training to ensure proper isolation. Too much weight can also lead to maintaining a bad posture during exercise, especially rounding of the arms. The most beautiful arms will not look attractive if the posture is hunched. Therefore, some tricks can be applied to limit this problem.

Try to perform as the first exercise, the one that recruits the maximum possible number of muscle fibers. The number of recruited muscle fibers is closely related to the weight applied during a specific exercise. This can be achieved by performing two-stage or multiple-stage exercises (e.g., Olympic pool exercises that require pushing weight over the head) and only then performing isolation exercises.

Often, we focus on training the triceps muscle by performing exercises that we consider the most effective or enjoyable. However, without a suitable selection of exercises, we may unknowingly neglect the heads of the triceps muscle, which can lead to an unbalanced growth of strength and muscle mass. To ensure comprehensive development of the triceps muscle, we should include exercises in our training that engage all the heads of this muscle, such as bar dips, arm extensions behind the head while seated, or French press with dumbbells/barbell standing/lying on an incline bench.

When the triceps have already reached a considerable size and all three heads are well developed, we can try to apply advanced techniques to maximize muscle growth. However, it is important to note that achieving maximum results is the domain of athletes. For example, the renowned Canadian trainer Christian Thibaudeau recommends daily training of the triceps, but only with the help of a rubber band. He defines training as performing a series of arm extensions with a resistance band and a maximum muscle contraction, in which nutrients are delivered to the muscles along with blood. Christian suggests increasing the frequency of training and significantly reducing the intensity. Charles Poliquin proposes a method that significantly increases micro-injuries to muscle tissue through prolonged time under tension and the introduction of the reflex cycle method, i.e. performing a half repetition before a full repetition. With these information, a comprehensive and effective triceps training plan can be created that presents the arms excellently. It is important to note that most triceps exercises can be performed with dumbbells at home. Such a training plan can be based on body weight and performed without equipment, e.g. when performing push-ups on a bar, narrow push-ups and push-ups on a bench.