Hello, my dear kachatas and fitons!
It's Wednesday on the calendar, which means it's time for a technical article, and today we will continue our presentation on the topic - basic exercises for gaining mass. We will build up the muscles of the arms, or rather, such a muscular unit as the triceps. After reading you will know which exercises are the best (from a scientific point of view) to work on this group, and which training program is most suitable for creating massive arms.
I can't wait to start broadcasting, so let's get started.
Basic exercises for gaining triceps mass. What are they?
As usual, we’ll start the story with a slight rollback and remembering what has already been done in this direction - and a lot has been done. In particular, we looked at muscle groups such as shoulders, chest and biceps. The relevant notes are here. Today we'll finish up the arms by looking at the triceps.
According to statistics, it is usually this muscle group that lags behind in most women. Or rather, even so - not her (when training arms) representatives of the fair sex most often pay their attention to the gym. And all because it is she who is responsible for their (your, girls) eternal problem - dangling/sagging skin when raising your hand up and greeting. Therefore, young ladies want to see their triceps muscles toned, i.e. so that nothing dangles anywhere.
Men, as a rule, do not face this problem, but they also have their own problems in the form of insufficient volume (massiveness) of their hands. Many of them are familiar with the expression: “hanging like a whip.” So, you can build mass and make your triceps look like a horseshoe by working with the right exercises and in the right sequence. We will talk about this further.
So, the triceps brachii muscle makes up 2/3 of the volume of the entire arm and is characterized by the fact that it extends the latter at the elbow joint. Consists of three heads:
- long - arises from the tubercle of the scapula located under the articular cavity and passes in the distal direction in front of the small and large round muscles;
- two short (medial and lateral), which run along the back of the humerus.
Triceps are antagonists (perform the opposite action) to the biceps muscles. They perform the functions of extending the arm and stabilizing the elbow joint, when the forearms and hands must be constantly fixed when performing independent movements. The long head also affects the shoulder joint and is involved in retroversion (pulling back) and adduction (bringing) of the hand.
Well, rather boring theory, let’s move on to non-boring practice, namely: consider the most effective exercises for the triceps brachii muscle, judging by the results of electromyography (skeletal muscle activity when muscle fibers are excited).
No. 1. The best exercises with standard equipment for triceps.
Lateral and medial heads:
- extension on a block (cable trainer), straight or curved neck;
- extension with EZ-bar lying on a bench (French press);
- Guillotine presses, grip wider than shoulder width;
- extension of one arm with a dumbbell behind the head.
Long head:
- arm extension with a dumbbell lying on an inclined bench + abduction;
- barbell overhead press;
- extension of arms with a dumbbell, torso horizontally on a bench;
- extension of one arm with a dumbbell behind the head;
- extension of the EZ-bar behind the head while sitting.
EMG activity of the lateral and long heads of the triceps during selected triceps exercises with standard equipment in relation to the lying EZ-bar extension (lateral head) and sitting (long head), looks like this.
From the presented data we can conclude that extensions with an EZ bar (sitting and lying on a bench) are one of the most effective exercises for both (lateral and long) triceps heads, which, in principle, is not news. At the same time, extension of the arm on the bench at an angle of 60 degrees is the number one exercise for the long head of the triceps - this is a surprise.
This can be explained by the exclusive role of the long head in the retroversion of the lever (pulling the arm back), the work of which is especially difficult when the angle between the forearm and the torso is less than 0 degrees. Where O is the parallel of the torso to the bend, when moving the arm back on the bench.
Note:
When performing extensions with an EZ bar while lying on a bench (French press), it is necessary that the projectile does not extend beyond the line of your head.
Training advice.
Triceps extension with a dumbbell allows you to activate the triceps well. If you want to isolate the long head of the triceps brachii muscle more strongly, then when performing the exercise, extend the arm on the bench at an angle of 60 degrees, it is necessary to move the loaded hand back as much as possible. This is the phenomenon of retroversion in practice. You should also keep your shoulder parallel to the floor throughout the movement. If you let it fall into neutral (after each repetition), then it will take away 20% intensity. Therefore, you need to start with a light dumbbell and feel the triceps during contraction. In particular, the option for a horizontal bench looks like this.
An indicator of the correct execution of extensions with a dumbbell on a bench will be a deep burning sensation in the long head of the triceps.
The next big surprise on the list of the most effective exercises for the long head is the barbell overhead press. We all know this exercise is great for the shoulders, but what can it do for the triceps?
The anatomically long head attaches directly to the scapula and attempts to stabilize movement. However, you need to think twice about the advisability of its implementation - because... Instead of titanic triceps, you can get a shoulder injury due to the unnaturalness of this kind of movement behind the head. It is also worth noting that in addition to EZ-bar extensions or guillotine presses (who owe their name to the circumstance of being able to decapitate oneself when lowering the barbell down), extension on the block (cable trainer), targeting the lateral and medial heads of the triceps, is almost an exclusive exercise for them.
Conclusion: Your work to build massive triceps beyond the basic movements (EZ-extension lying), should include at least one additional, for example, extension of the arm on a bench at an angle of 60 degrees. In it, the long head is the weakest link and, by performing it, you are guaranteed to “hammer” the entire triceps, even performing repetitions with light weights.
You can also solve this problem by using a cable trainer and using both straight and V-handle (cable) handles. If you pull the ends of the rope apart at the lowest point of the amplitude, you will effectively work the long head of the triceps and thus turn isolation exercise No. 1 for the lateral head into a more balanced triceps exercise.
No. 2. Mass building exercises for the triceps muscles.
Many professional bodybuilders consider armbar dips to be the most effective meat-packing exercise you can do to really hammer the lateral head.
So, let's move on to the most effective exercises for the lateral part. (+medial head) triceps:
- gaps between two benches, hands behind back;
- gaps between posts (dip-ups), flexion at the elbow joint is no more than an angle of 90 degrees;
- (fingers point forward).
for long head:
- gaps between posts (dip-ups), bars wider than shoulders, bending at the elbow joint no more than an angle of 90 degrees;
- push-ups, hands narrower than shoulder width (fingers point forward).
Note:
Arnold Schwarzenegger believed that dips should be done at an upward angle - the legs are on an elevation. Let's take his word for it, because this guy knew what he was doing.
The EMG activity of the lateral and long heads of the triceps in selected mass-gaining exercises relative to dips looks like this.
As you can see, Arnold performed back-to-back dips, which are the ultimate exercise when it comes to activating the lateral head of the triceps brachii muscle.
The figures show that in absolute terms, the failures of the benches are only 7% less effective than extensions with an EZ-bar while lying down, and this is the second exercise in the top 5 ranking of the most effective triceps exercise machines.
It should also be noted that the path down (for rear dips) really increases the load on the tendons and joint capsule of your shoulder girdle, which is not beneficial for the development of triceps (-12% EMG activity), nor for joints. On the other hand, aligning your arms with your legs (two supporting surfaces are parallel) has much less effect than might actually be expected on the long head of the triceps. The decrease in EMG activity is only 3% , and this figure can be neglected.
The EMG activity of the lateral and long heads of the triceps in selected mass-building exercises relative to dips looks like this.
No. 3. To create massive triceps, specialization is essential.
From all of the above, we can draw the following conclusion: the triceps is the part of the body in which (unlike others) specialization (separation of exercises) is of great importance. Those. It is necessary to work out all three heads with various exercises.
Although exercises such as classic dips stimulate the lateral head as well as the long head, there is still no universal exercise for this muscle group. Even extensions with an EZ bar are not like that, because... You should at least move from a lying position to a sitting position to adequately stimulate the lateral and medial heads as well as the long head.
EMG activity of the lateral and long heads of the triceps in three selected exercises, compared with the maximum activation of the corresponding head in any exercise assessed in the study.
The data in the figure explains the inevitable trade-off between maximum stimulation of the lateral and medial heads on one side and the long head on the other side during the performance of three classic triceps exercises.
The main thing to remember when performing these exercises, and in particular the incline dumbbell extension, is that you need to work with proper technique and adequate weight. Know your own limits!
Note:
If you're training triceps and biceps with a different muscle group on the same day and only want to do one exercise, then do either dips between benches or use two variations (seated and standing) of extension exercises with the EZ bar.
Well, as usual, in conclusion, we will consider the general development of triceps muscle volumes from the point of view of EMG activity of the fibers. It looks like this.
Note:
Each person determines the number of sets for himself in terms of optimal volume, frequency of training, restorative functions of the body, etc.
Well, that’s probably all, it turned out to be a lot as always, but everything is on topic and to the point, use it!
Afterword
Another article has come to an end; today we looked at basic exercises for gaining mass in a muscle group such as triceps. Now you have all the exercises in your hands, the sequence of their implementation, all that remains is to do just a little, take your butt off from reading the note :) and try everything in practice. Let's blow into the hall, my dears!
PS. I’m always happy to answer your questions, clarify any misunderstandings and other miscellaneous things, we’ll write you back!
P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it in your social network status - plus 100 points towards karma, guaranteed.
With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.
