Triceps Training

Triceps Muscle Group

Triceps muscles are an integral part of the upper arm, responsible for extending the elbow joint and providing stability to the shoulder joint. A well-trained triceps not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the arms, but also plays a vital role in overall upper body strength and functionality. 

The triceps are the three thick muscles behind your upper arm. These are responsible for extending your forearm, pushing away from your body. These muscles are ⅗ of the bull in your sleeve. Targeted training is vital. 

Yes, triceps get used in other pushing motions, but targeting them is what we need to do to fill out our sleeves. There are nearly 50 different exercises that isolate or include triceps. This piece will look at isolating them as opposed to using the muscle group as part of a compound movement. I believe that, by isolating muscles after a compound exercise, one can get better and fuller development. 

There are various exercises that can be incorporated into a training routine to target the triceps muscles effectively. Some isolate the muscle group while others incorporate them into a compound movement.

Here is a short list of triceps isolation exercises::

Lying Triceps Extension or Skull Crushers — lay on your back on a bench with the weight at arms length above your chest, lower the weight towards or slightly behind your head, control the weight so as not to bounce at the bottom, extend your arms to bring the weight back to its starting point.

Overhead Extensions — via bar or cable; start with the weight or handle at arms length above your head, bend at the elbow to lower the weight behind your head, pause at the bottom to stretch the muscles some, with control contract the triceps to extend the weight to its starting point.

Push Downs — to include various attachments and grips; this has multiple handles to choose from which include a rope, V-Bar, and a straight bar; you can vary your grip with overhand or underhand; with your elbows locked at your sides push the handle down until you fully contract your muscles, hold for a few seconds before allowing the weight to slowly return to the starting point at which your forearms are above parallel to the ground

Dumbbell Kickback — bend over and support your body with one hand on a bench; take a dumbbell in your hand, lock your elbow at your side; contract your triceps to lift the weight until your arms is straight and parallel to the ground; moving from the elbow lower the weight until your arm is at a 90 degree angle. 

These exercises isolate the muscle group and do not, for the most part, rely on other muscles to complete the movement. What does a solid tricep workout look like? 

Presumably, you have already completed your compound exercises. You may have done incline bench, flat bench, and shoulder press. By now, your triceps are likely feeling smoked. This is when you isolate the triceps. You select any of the above exercises and complete your sets and reps.

For me, this example is what I do for triceps:

Bench Press

Shoulder Press

Tricep Push Downs

The way I have engineered these begins with drop sets for bench and shoulder press. I do four drops right now giving me five total sets for each compound pressing movement. Then, I isolate my triceps with a straight three by 10 for the pushdowns. I do these with a straight bar as I feel the movement more fully with this handle. You may prefer a rope or v-bar. Try them all to see what works best for you. 

At other times, I have included close-grip bench press and dips as part of a Push Day routine. That is not the case at this time. My training cycle does not have the room for that. 

I want to take a moment and dispel a myth. You can NOT isolate one head of the triceps completely. There are ways to put a larger proportion of the load on a part of the triceps, but the muscle group contracts as a unit. Why do people say that you can isolate one head of the muscle group? Likely, it is to sell articles or drive traffic. Physiology shows that the muscle group contracts together. 

It is important to note that while training triceps, proper form and technique must be maintained to avoid injury and ensure maximum muscle recruitment. Progressive overload, where the weight or resistance is gradually increased, is also crucial for muscle growth and strength development. Additionally, incorporating tricep isolation exercises into a comprehensive upper body training program can help to improve overall muscle balance and prevent any muscle imbalances or weaknesses. With consistent and proper training, the triceps muscles can become stronger, more defined, and contribute to an overall well-developed upper body. Look up all the exercises that are available to target your triceps and try what looks challenging and interesting. Keep them in your memory so you can vary your training and avoid boredom and monotony. 

In the comments, share your favorite triceps blasting routine.

Rest Between Sets

We have selected the routine, that select pattern of sets and repetitions that is going to drive us smashing through the wall. We are going to shred the edge of the envelope and become a new beast. A beast the likes of which has never been seen before. Tight sinews, bulging muscles, veins as thick as garden hoses. People will look on in awe as this chiseled, rock-like God walks the streets with them.

One factor in your routine remains unaccounted. How long to rest between sets? Why does it matter? Alright, two questions remain unanswered. Does it matter?

How long to rest between sets? Why does it matter? Alright, two questions remain unanswered. Does it matter? THREE! Three questions left unanswered!

How long to rest between sets? Why does it matter? Alright, two questions remain unanswered. Does it matter? Before this looks like a Monty Python sketch, there are three questions that will be addressed here. How long to rest between sets, that it does matter, and why it matters. No matter what you are doing rest and recovery does matter.

We can break this down to the very basics of short, medium, and long rest periods. Back when I started powerlifting, stories circulated of “old time” lifters who would squat all day. Their workouts would last 6 to 8 hours. The breaks they took between sets were in the range of 30 to 45 minutes. During which time it was alleged that these elite lifters also drank a quart to a gallon of milk.

These stories remain just those, stories. Although, on some of my freer days, I have been known to take a protein shake to the gym and squat or deadlift for 30 minutes to an hour. But that kind of regular routine is ridiculous. That time does not exist in the schedule.

What we can do is consider the long break at 3 to 5 minutes between sets. This longer period has been found in several scientific studies and anecdotally to have superior results in several areas that weight lifters consider highly important. This allows for higher time under tension through a greater overall number of repetitions per set. This results in deeper muscle density, more gains in strength, and greater gains in size. Along with these studies found overall increases of power. The key pattern found in this is 3-5 sets of 4-6 repetitions per set.

The short range is measured at 30 to 1 minute. Some studies and lifters will carry this out to 90 seconds, but for this piece we will limit the short range to 1 minute. This is more for endurance trainees and is often found coupled with higher repetitions. Reps in the range of 15 to 20 are what I mean by higher reps.

The energy source for this range is oxygen burning carbohydrates and fat. This is aerobic. This type of lifting will burn more bodyfat while exercising. Your body will become more adept at processing and removing lactic acid. The benefit for doing aerobic lifting is that by building muscle strength and density your resting metabolism will be much higher. This is just how it works by increasing lean muscle mass. The higher resting metabolism will burn far more calories in between workouts than you burned during your workout. It is worth doing.

High repetition lifters are looking primarily for endurance and long performance. One often understated technique combination that can be used with the weights at this level is speed reps and pause reps. To illustrate these two let’s consider the bench press.

Once you are settled in with the proper form, you lower the weight to the point that it is just tickling your skin at your diaphragm. Hold the weight at that point for 2 or 3 seconds. This allows you to have total control of the weight and to eliminate the bounce reflex that most lifters rely on to get out of the sticking point of most compound lifts. When you push the bar, do so explosively. Repeat each press with this same technique. The explosive press will fire more muscle fibers than what are needed to move the weight, researchers have found.

The midrange rest period is 1 to 2 minutes. I average that at 90 seconds, mentally that feels right for me, but you go with whichever end of that spectrum you choose.

The number of sets is 3 and the repetition range is 6 to 12. For me, I do 10 repetitions.

This rest range allows the Adenosine Triphosphate Phosphocreatine (ATP-PC) and the glycolic systems to recover enabling another set. According to Oxford Reference (www.oxfordreference.com) the Phosphagen System is described as follows:

The quickest, and most powerful source of energy for muscle movement. The phosphagen system is a form of anaerobic metabolism. It uses creatine phosphate to generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate, the chemical which provides energy for all body processes). Unfortunately, it will support activity for only about 10 seconds, just enough time for top-class runners to complete a 100 metre sprint. Although the phosphagen system produces only a little ATP, it generates energy very quickly. This provides the maximal power needed for short bursts of activity, such as when a sprinter explodes out of the blocks, or when a weight-lifter performs a clean-and-jerk. Creatine phosphate is stored in muscle and its depletion causes fatigue. Dietary supplements which increase creatine phosphate levels in muscles may delay fatigue and improve the explosive power of sprinters and other athletes. See also creatine.

Basically, ATP-PC is a short burst, explosive energy source. It’s used and it’s done. ATP-PC is recovered through the mid and long rests.

History shows that the midrange rest has built bigger lifters. Why? This time range riggers the body to release anabolic growth hormones and responses. Testosterone and Human Growth Hormone are the two primary anabolics in this release. According to Kraemer, et al 1990 and 1991, it is the midrange resting period that triggers the greatest release of the anabolic hormones naturally.

What some may see as a negative, muscle fatigue, is a benefit. The lactic acid building up in the muscle is one of the causes of fatigue. It is also necessary for both strength gains and growth. That is good news per NCBI.

Long rest periods of 3 to 5 minutes let you recover more effectively between sets. This comes out as more repetitions completed in each set. Mathematically, yes math, that is far more time under tension as there are far more repetitions completed. This greater number of reps completed per set allows for more weight increases in a shorter time period. Consider the scenario that 3 sets of 10 reps is when we increase the weight by 10%. The greater rest period allows more recovery. This brings us to more repetitions. Which, as you can see, brings more weight increments sooner.

One technique that works well with this is working alternate muscle groups. Consider doing bench press and bent row, biceps and triceps. I will also combine squats with shoulders and leg isolations. Switching between sexercises allows recovery. Doing one exercise while recovering from another keeps your heart rate up. Another benefit from combining alternating muscle groups is the feeling of the “pump” as the area is filled with blood. I promise you, that pump is awesome. Plus, the extra blood flowing through is bringing in nutrients and bringing out lactic acid and other waste.

Let’s look at some of the benefits in a quick list:

Short – 30-60 seconds

Aerobic Aspect

Increased Resting Metabolism

Remove Lactic Acid

Long, Lean Muscles

Mid – 45 to 120 seconds

Gains in Strength

Gains in Growth/Muscle Size

Increase in Hormone Production

Long – 3 to 5 minutes

Quicker Weight Increases

Faster Strength Gains

Power Increase

There it is, friends, the long and the short, as it were, of taking breaks between sets. This should enable you to better design your lifting regimen to achieve your goals.

Train hard! Train smart!

Pressing Matters: The Bench Press

 By far, this is the singular most popular and widely referenced exercise around any gym or fitness culture. Start up a conversation with someone about going to the gym and the first question after, “Oh? You lift?” is, “Whaddaya bench?” It usually goes somewhere along those lines. More for guys than gals, it seems. In spite of the love and draw of this movement there are still a number of mistakes in the form. Some of which can land the person doing them in hot and painful water. From my own experience, years back, as I was doing triples with 315, my left shoulder came apart. That bar landed on my chest and rolled onto my throat.

That one event, the injury and the bar on my throat, scared me. It scared me more than the injury hurt. Let me assure you, it hurt like nothing else. The failure of my shoulder was due to my form. Thanks to my using poor form, my shoulders were not properly supported by either my musculature or by other bones the way they should have been. That is why my left shoulder came apart.

Today, we are going to detail the proper form and technique for bench pressing. I am not going to go through that kind of pain again, nor am I going to sit by and not say anything that could prevent you from the same.

I am not a doctor. Talk to your physician and make certain that your body is ready for the stress that you are about to put it under.

As Boromir has so elegantly pointed out, you do not just flop onto the bench, heft the bar, and go to town. There is technique to the bench press. Far more than I had imagined prior to tearing my shoulder apart. When you stop to think about it, the shoulder is a rather tenuous joint that is held together in a precarious manner.

Let’s take a quick look, not an in-depth or medically technical one, but a basic understanding-style look at the shoulder here. The construction of the joint is ball in socket. This allows for an enormous range of movement. Along the flexibility and range of movement comes the higher risk of injury. The joint is held together and stabilized by four muscles and tendons. This group is known as the rotator cuff. It often takes the brunt of injuries.

The image here, from Stack, shows the muscles used in this exercise and how they encapsulate the shoulder. It all comes out to be a very impressive package.

The form used, the way one moves the weight while under it is what we have come to. We don’t just flop on the bench, no. There are preferred points of contact that will be on the bench. Those points include the upper back, shoulders, head, and your glutes. Your feet are on the floor and pressing firmly down and slightly out. How far out and at what angle is up to you. Still, try to keep your heels close to being under your knees. Squeeze your glutes some.

 With your upper back on the bench you will squeeze your shoulder blades together. Flexing your upper back stabilizes your entire back, shoulder, and chest region. This is the solid foundation from which you will move the earth.

Grip the bar firmly. I prefer a narrower grip at shoulders width. For someone of my height and long arms this is an anomaly. Competitive lifters with my build will go for a wider grip. This is to shorten the vertical range of motion that the bar must move in to complete a repetition. You will also see the wider grip used with barrel-chested lifters, again for the same reason of shortening the distance needed to move the weight. Still, I like to lift with my grip at just outside of my shoulder width.

Back flexed? Check

Grip firm? Check

Feet planted? Check

Butt on the bench? Check

Unrack the bar and bring it over your chest. As you begin to lower the weights your shoulders could move in a variety of angles. The strongest angle is where your upper-arms come down alongside your torso and, when at your sides, are at a 45-degree angle to your centerline. Imagine that there is a straight line down the middle of your body. Just a perfectly straight line. The line from the tips of your elbows to your shoulders and going on to intersect with that centerline should be about 45 degrees from the centerline. The positions the shoulder joints to be best supported by the muscles of the shoulders, the chest, back, and along the sides of your body. In order, these muscles are the deltoids, pectoralis, rhomboids, and latissimus dorsi.

You have unracked the weight and have lowered it toward your chest. The bar should not hit you with a thump, thud, or hard impact. You must have enough control over the weight to stop its decent so that the bar just lightly touches your shirt. The bar will make contact, and you should be aware of this light contact, just above your diaphragm.

At this point you can hold the weight here for two seconds before pressing it up, just to increase the intensity, or immediately press the bar upwards. Once the bar reaches the top position, pause. Do not lock your elbows at the top of the repetition as this will later cause problems for you, rather keep your elbows slightly flexed.

While you are bench pressing you will want to coordinate your shoes with your workout top. No, not really. Nobody gives a fig about your outfit. You should coordinate your breathing. Inhale as deep as you can at the top of the repetition. Hold your breath without forcing it on the decent. Exhale on the pressing portion. Breathe again with the weight in the top position.

A spotter, someone you trust implicitly, is a highly suggested thing. When my shoulder came apart, I was alone. Nobody was even in the gym with me. Believe me, you do not want to get caught under a bar with more weight than you can press or a with a shoulder injury.

Use a weight with which you can do three sets of 8 to 10 repetitions with if you are just starting our or adjusting your form. Practice your form adjustments and make them a regular habit prior to attempting a 1-rep maximum.

Whether you are new to the gym or not, I hope that this helps you out.

Lift safe and lift smart.