Wave Goodbye to Waving Triceps
Written by Shoshana Pritzker Monday, 17 May 2010 18:17
By Rich & Mia Finnegan
When you wave good-bye, does the back of your arm keep waving when your hand stops? Do you avoid wearing sleeveless or cap-sleeve tops because your waving flesh embarrasses you? Take heart; it doesn’t have to be that way. With proper training and nutrition, what may be a problem now, will be no problem in a pretty short time.
As always, we just can’t mention body sculpting without first mentioning the need to eat properly and perform appropriate cardio in order to reduce the layer of fat that may be covering your beautiful muscles. It’s all here for you in the pages of Fitness Rx, so refer to the diet and fat loss features for cutting- edge insight into winning the fat war. With that clearly marked as a top priority on your “to do” list, let’s move on to sculpting secrets for toned triceps.
Three Heads Are Better Than One
Let’s start with a brief explanation of the three heads of the triceps muscle (tri = three; ceps = heads). The triceps is made up of the medial head, lateral head and the long head. While all three straighten the elbow, the long head also extends the shoulder to the rear. To better understand the way the muscle looks and the way the different heads interact, picture the medial head as a flat, underlying muscle close to the bone of the upper arm. The lateral head lies at the outer triceps and the long head lies at the inner portion (which is why it’s also called the “inner head”), close to the torso.
Function Determines Form
To determine proper form, we need to first determine what the function of the muscle is. With form and function in mind we can perform a variety of exercises and ranges of motion. For our purposes, we will concentrate on three distinct arm positions and the most effective exercises. Generally speaking, we should attack the triceps with the arms in three different positions— elbows at your sides (overall triceps), elbows at your head (stretches and increases use of long head), and elbows behind you in a shoulder extension position (pre- contracts long head for added squeeze). When we perform exercises in these positions and provide resistance to the triceps as it extends, we effectively train the three heads of the triceps. See the exercise descriptions for details.
So, add the following exercises and routines to your repertoire, and you’ll joyfully wave good-bye to your waving triceps.
The Routines
For most women, bigger triceps is not the goal. Remember that the triceps is 2/3 of the total muscle on the upper arm. It is to the arm what the quadriceps is to the leg. And it is a muscle that can get too big. Pay attention to the set and rep recommendations in order to reach your goal.
General Toning: Perform with lighter weights and higher reps to slight fatigue but not failure.
3 DAYS PER WEEK (Example: Mon., Wed., Fri.) SETS REPS
Triceps pushdowns with bar or rope 3 12-15
Overhead or lying triceps extensions 3 12-15
One arm reverse grip pushdowns 3 12-15
Building: Select heavier weight to cause failure at lower reps.
2 DAYS PER WEEK (Example: Mon., Thur.)
Triceps pushdowns with bar or rope 4 8-12
Overhead or lying triceps extension 4 8-12
One arm reverse grip pushdowns 4 8-12
Kickbacks 4 8-12
How to Do the Exercises
Triceps Pushdown With Bar
Attach a swiveling bent triceps bar to a high pulley. Start with bar and hands at chest level and your knees slightly bent. Lean slightly forward, elbows locked into your sides but slightly forward. Push the bar down to full extension with as little elbow movement as possible. Slowly lock your elbows and squeeze the triceps while keeping your hands relaxed. Rise up to starting position and repeat.
Triceps Pushdown with Rope
Fix the rope attachment to a high pulley. Holding the rope, start with your hands at chest level and your knees slightly bent. Lean slightly forward and keep your elbows locked into your sides, but slightly forward. Push the ropes down to full extension with as little elbow movement as possible. Slowly lock your elbows and squeeze the triceps while keeping your hands relaxed. At the bottom, either rotate your wrists inward or split the ropes apart for an extra squeeze. Rise up to starting position and repeat.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Attach ropes to a low pulley. Sit upright on a flat or vertical bench with your knees bent and heels on the floor. Hold the ropes behind your head with elbows bent and close to your head. Extend your arms overhead while keeping your elbows still and close to your head. Return to the starting position and repeat. This exercise efficiently works the larger long head (the inner head) of the triceps. Do not go heavy unless you need to build this area.
Lying Triceps Extensions
Lie on your back on a flat bench. Grasp an E-Z curl bar in a close grip position. Begin with your arms extended and slightly angled toward your head. With your arms in this position, the bar should be directly above your forehead, not directly above your chest. With elbows remaining stationary, slowly lower the weight until the bar reaches your forehead. Then extend your arms to the starting position and repeat. This exercise efficiently works the larger long head of the triceps (the inner head). Do not go heavy unless you need to build this area.
Caution: Be sure that you start light and control the weight to prevent the bar from lowering onto your face or forehead. (That’s why the slang term for this exercise is “face crushers”!)
One Arm Reverse Grip Pushdowns
Attach a single handle to a high pulley. (It’s best to use a double pulley machine like a cable cross machine). Grasp with a reverse grip. Lock your elbow into your side and start with your hand at chest height. Extend your arm down toward the ground to a full contraction. Rise up to starting position and repeat
Triceps Kickbacks
With one hand and one knee on a bench, position yourself so your torso is at about 45 degrees to the floor. Holding a dumbbell, palm facing in, raise the weight so your upper arm is parallel to the floor and your lower arm is perpendicular to the floor. Maintaining this elbow position, extend your arm back until it’s parallel with the floor; pause. Slowly return to starting position.
Stretching: Very Important
After each triceps exercise performed, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. With your arms overhead, bend your right arm behind your head. Hold the elbow of your right arm with your left hand and gently pull your elbow behind your head. Keep your head and chest neutral at all times. Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side.