30 Nov Triceps are the way to big arms
“Curls are for the girls” is a common expression heard in weight rooms.
It basically means that excess biceps curls don’t do much that benefit people in everyday sports or activities, but will result in big arms that the ladies will like.
It is important to incorporate curls into your workout – one of the worst injuries to deal with is a torn bicep – but in actuality the saying should be “Tri’s are for the girls.”
The way to big, powerful arms is working out the triceps hard. The triceps account for approximately 60 percent of the mass in your arms and do even more of the work compared to the bi’s. They also come into play with a lot more sports and everyday motions, so they’re more essential, too.
The bi’s may be more fun to work out because you can really feel the pump and see the results in the mirror. However, the tri’s should get equal work, if not a little more.
The following is a “Triceps Blaster” workout program I like to do on triceps days:
Day 1
* Push-ups 3×20 (three sets of 20)
* Dumbbell seated overhead triceps extension 3×10 (I sit against something that will support my lower back, such as backwards on preacher curl bench or a chair)
* Dumbell triceps kickbacks 3×12
Day 2
* Close-hands pushup 3×15
* Triceps machine pushdown 3×10
* Dips 3×10
Day 3
* Dumbbell seated triceps extension 3×10
* Close-hands pushup 3×15
* Dumbbell seated overhead triceps extension 3×10
Note: A lot of people like to do skull crushers, lying on bench and bringing weight down to your skull with elbows straight. I find those put an uncomfortable strain on my elbows, but these are good to sub in also.
To change these up, you can also incorporate a workout ball and do pushups and dumbbells balancing on the ball. Good luck with your triceps workouts. Do these and you’ll see the horseshoe form in your tri’s in no time.
At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com