By: MuscleSports.net

Your tricep are a big bodypart so train them that way!

I like training all body parts, but I particularly like training my triceps or you could say “trashin my triceps”. I always picture my triceps as large hams hanging off the back of my arms. Their so big that I have to cut my sleeve like Sergio Oliva did back in the 60's for my shirts to fit. I do have a problem with allot of todays bodybuilders because they treat triceps as if they are a small muscle. Your triceps make up 2/3 of your upper arm. That is NOT a small muscle by any measure.

One the best ways to pack on the mass on your triceps is to use basic heavy exercises as your foundation exercises. Unless your competing in a few weeks down the road forget all that 3 head bullshit, were trying to build mass and to do that you need to activate all heads on every exercise you choose, especially the long head that makes you the biggest part of your triceps. Keeping that mindset will allow you to grow your triceps to ham sized monsters.

The next thing you have to do is to keep your exercises simple and as heavy as possible. Always operate in a full range of motion and never jerky or putting undue stress on the joints just to complete reps. On compound exercises use a spotters to help with those last reps of a hard set. Remember the motion of the tricep is complex but it is not as complex as other muscle groups like your shoulders so train intensely with focus!

The Exercises:

Close Grip Bench Presses: This is the same as the regular bench press except your gonna use a 18-20 inch grip on the bar instead of shoulder width. The bar should be brought down just below the nipple line on your chest with your elbow flared slightly out for you sides. Press back to the starting position using mainly your triceps and secondly your shoulder and finally your chest. Work up to a weight that 6 reps and 1-2 forced reps!
Lying French Presses: The Lying French Press is a little different than a lying extension as the French press goes down behind your head to allow for a even deeper stretch on your triceps. Let the weight travel behind your head about 2-3 inches, using your triceps begin to reverse the motion finishing above your head right about eye level with your triceps fully squeezed to lockout. Repeat for 8 -10 reps.
Pullover Presses: A Sergio Oliva favorite for stretching squeezing the triceps through it full range of motion. Start with the barbell overhead lower deep behind your head as if your performing a barbell pullover. Stretch your triceps deeply with your arms bent fully in the bottom position. Pull the bar back over your head to the chest, pressing in up from your chest using your triceps. When preformed towards the end of a heavy tricep workout this on really burns. Use increasing weights on your set always striving for reps of at least 8 - 12.
Weighted Dips: A great finisher for triceps because they allow for you to just burn them out while hitting every part of your triceps. If you can do more than 20 reps with your bodyweight add weight in the form of a dipping chain until you bring it back down to 12 or so reps. One thing I will say is that those machine supposing to take the place of this old school exercise don't add the overall power size muscle density of these old school killers. Preform 2 set of max reps trying to keep the reps under 20 per set.
Overhead Barbell Extensions: This another Old School golden era mass builder that stretches the triceps to their max and adds insane strength and mass to your upper arms. Preform these with a straight bar and NOT a EZ Curl bar. We want to keep your elbows wide and your elbows arched toward the ceiling. It takes a little getting used to but the reward is well worth the effort. Let the barbell come down completely behind your head before returning to the start position. Just like Close Grip Benches this is a major mass builder and should be performed at the beginning of your tricep routine. Work up in weight until your can only preform 7-8 reps and do 2 set at that weight before moving to your next movement.
Two Arm Dumbbell Kickbacks: One of the best tricep finisher of the 70's Golden Era of bodybuilding. The exercise itself provide mass along with quality at the same time. Preform this one with correct from and DO NOT swing your body to kick the weight back let your triceps do the work and NOT momentum. Keep your rep in the 12-15 rep range to finish off your tricep workout.
Dumbbell Overhead Extensions: This is the first of 2 extras that we use to break up the boredom of your workouts. Dumbbell over head extension use once every other month let your isolate your tricep a little more but also keep the emphasis on adding mass. Preform at least 10 reps on each and every set adding weight each preceding set.
Wide Grip Pushdowns: The second and last of the extra exercises are wide grip push down. I said PUSH DOWNS not Press Downs the 2 are completely different exercises. With wide grip pushdowns your gonna start with a bar that allows for you to start with your hands about 24-30 inches apart, so your regular pressdown bar ain't gonna cut it! Start with a weight that is light and allow you to get used to the movement. Start with the weight pressed down to arms length. Leaning it to the movement let the bar travel up in a straight line until your upper arms are parallel to the floor and push it straight back down using your triceps. Then movement comes straight out of the 50s and 60s but works your triceps like crazy. Do at least 12-15 reps at the end of your workout for the desired # of sets to finish your workout.

Trashing Tri's - The Workouts:

Workout #1

Close Grip Bench Presses: 4 sets 6-12 reps
Lying French Presses: 2 sets 8-10 reps
Two Arm Dumbbell Kickbacks: 2 sets 12-15 reps

Workout #2

Overhead Barbell Extensions: 4 Sets 6-12 reps
Pullover Presses: 2 sets 8-12 reps
Weighted Dips: 2 sets 12-20 reps

Workout #3

Overhead Barbell Extensions: 4 Sets 6-12 reps
Wide Grip Pushdowns: 2 sets 12-15 reps
Two Arm Dumbbell Kickbacks: 2 sets 12-15 reps

All of these workouts are fantastic at adding quality size and strength to your triceps. Every workout can be customized to your training level be it beginner or advanced. The main focus is that with these 8 exercises you have all you need to build some insane triceps! Take it from the legends of the past and treat your triceps like the massive muscle they are and they will respond a with ridiculous growth!

Conclusion - YOUR triceps are a BIG bodypart, 3 quaters of your upper arm mass, so train them like that. NO PUSSY WORKOUTS! Hit them heavy with plenty of reps! No 5-6 reps your need more, like 10-12 or even more on some exercises. Now - LETS GO!

Tags: Arms