If you want to quickly pump up your upper body, then you won’t be able to ignore the triceps, because working the triceps muscle is more important than the biceps. It is she who is responsible for the size of her hands. There are a number of exercises that work best on the triceps. It is not difficult to properly pump up your triceps at home or in the gym; we will talk about this in the article.
The triceps is a compound muscle consisting of three parts - medial (internal), lateral (external) and long, located under them. In the lower part, all three elements are connected into a single tendon and are attached to the ulna on the back of the arm. The main purpose of this muscle group is: they extend the arm at the elbow joint; the long head is involved in extension and adduction of the shoulder to the body.
The proportions of the three parts of the triceps are determined genetically and, unfortunately, it is practically impossible to change them. If an athlete has a visually weaker lateral head, then when pumping up his arms, the lateral part will still appear weaker than the other two bundles. This is due to the fact that there are no movements that would isolate the parts of the triceps from each other - when performing the exercises, all groups will work (this is a feature of the muscles). A special exercise tightens all muscle structures, increasing them.
Paying attention to the triceps when building the muscles of the upper body is due to the fact that it is it that determines the thickness of a man’s shoulder - the mass fraction of this muscle group is about 2/3. In order to quickly pump up your arms at home, you need to know the basic principles of exercises.
Principles of classes
Before you start training at home or in the gym, remember some rules that will help you understand the features of the exercises and build the program correctly:
- If you want to build a workout so that only the triceps are involved, you will not succeed. The fact is that the long head of this muscle crosses both joints - the elbow and shoulder. Consequently, all push-ups will also affect the biceps, pectoral muscles, deltoids, and back. If they are overinflated and you need to take a break for recovery, then during the rest you will have to give up triceps exercises.
- You should not vigorously train this muscle group more than twice a week. More often you can only perform exercises with medium and light load. An overloaded triceps looks disproportionate.
- If your goal is to quickly increase triceps mass at home or in the gym, then use split training. The optimal range is from 3 to 8 sets, including from 8 (at a beginner level) to 15 repetitions (at an advanced level).
For men, quick results are very important: pump up your biceps and triceps. To achieve the desired effect, you need to approach your classes wisely. Otherwise, you may achieve a distorted result. For biceps and triceps you need to use different exercises. This allows you to better pump up your muscles and avoid pumping up other structures.
Effective exercises
There are hundreds of options that allow you to pump up your triceps both at home and in the gym. These are various push-ups, presses, pull-ups, extensions. But not all exercises are equally effective. Let's choose from all the available exercises those that best help in quickly increasing the strength and volume of the triceps for men.
- Pump up your triceps at home without additional equipment.
Men can pump up their triceps at home with the simplest push-ups. Special push-ups, in fact, are a bench press in reverse, only the load is applied not through additional equipment (barbells, dumbbells), but using your own weight.
When performing the exercise, it is important to pull your hands as close to each other as possible. If you do push-ups with a wide stance, you will work not the triceps, but the pectoral muscles. For greater effectiveness, push-ups can be performed with additional weights (put the disc on your back or wear a sports vest).
There is another exercise for training triceps at home for men - this is a reverse push-up from behind. To perform a reverse push-up, you will need two benches placed parallel to each other. You need to lean on one with outstretched arms. Place your feet on the second bench (legs should be straight). Beginning athletes can start by performing a simpler version of the reverse push-up with their feet on the floor. You can see how this is done in a short video:
A reverse push-up is performed as follows: lower your body by bending your elbows. The end point is arms bent at an angle of 90 degrees. Hand training in this case should be carried out with caution: if you go too low, there is a danger of damage to the joint structures. You should not place your hands on the bench, since in this case the delta will be pumped.
- Pump up your triceps using a barbell.
A classic exercise for developing this muscle group for men is the bench press from a lying position with a narrow grip. To perform this you will need a standard sports bench without an incline or a Smith machine. You need to take the starting position: lie on the bench so that the top bar is at forehead level. Make sure that the shoulder blades, back of the head and buttocks are taut and pressed firmly against the surface of the bench. Place your legs as stable as possible.
Grasp the barbell with your hands so that your palms are up and your thumb is tightly wrapped around the bar (that is, the grip is closed). The distance between the hands can vary from 3-4 “palms”. Raise the barbell with your arms outstretched - the bar should be above your upper chest, your elbows should be pressed as close to your body as possible. At the top point, pause briefly and lower your arms.
More useful information about the narrow grip barbell press can be found in this short video:
- Triceps exercises with dumbbells.
Men can pump up their triceps with dumbbells at home or in the gym. The best exercises with dumbbells are overhead extensions. They are useful because they allow you to pump up each arm separately - the muscles of one arm are used while the other remains at rest.
The exercise is performed as follows: sit on the edge of the bench, rest your feet on the floor. Take a dumbbell in one hand and extend it above your head. It is better to use a neutral grip (that is, the palm is turned towards the body). The back is allowed to bend slightly at the lower back.
As you inhale, bend your elbow, lowering the dumbbell behind your head. The shoulder should not rise. As you exhale, extend your elbow joint. Do not pause at either the top or bottom point. You need to do the exercises until the feeling of “stiffness” in the triceps sets in, then rest and repeat the approach.
The rules for performing extension from behind can be found in this video instruction:
In addition to the exercise described, we recommend trying triceps push-ups (bending arm extension). To perform the exercise, stand on the side of the bench and rest your hand on it. Bend your legs at the knees. With your other hand, grab the dumbbell by the bar, bend your elbow, palm should be directed towards your body - this is the starting position. As you inhale, using one triceps, fully extend your arm, while your forearm should remain immobilized. As you exhale, return to the starting position.
- Pull-ups and push-ups on parallel bars and horizontal bars.
The advantages of the exercise are the availability of parallel bars and horizontal bars. They can be found in all schoolyards and in many parks, so you don't have to go to the gym to pump up your triceps. In addition, this exercise is quite effective - when performed regularly, muscle mass increases quickly.
You can pump up your triceps for men using horizontal bars very simply. The most effective and simplest exercise is the reverse pull-up on the horizontal bar. Hands should be positioned so that the palms face in the opposite direction from the body.
Another option for working out triceps on parallel bars and a horizontal bar for men is vertical push-ups. Push-ups are done as follows: go to the bars and take the starting position - rest your palms on the handrails, raise your legs and bend them at the knees (your feet can be crossed). Lower your head slightly towards your chest to remove excess stress from your neck. As you inhale, gently bend your elbows. As you exhale, straighten your arms at the elbow joint.
To make your triceps work harder, use bars with a narrow distance between the handles (the distance is less than shoulder width). It is better to keep your elbows as close to your body as possible when performing the exercise. The case should not be tilted; keep it vertical. When raising your arm, try to straighten it as much as possible (that is, go into the “lockout” position).
Men who train correctly have arms that are in great shape and become stronger. Over time, a relief drawing appears. In order to achieve quick and noticeable results, you need to perform the exercises regularly and correctly. The main thing is to follow the execution technique, since any deviation involves other muscles in the work. In addition, remember the safety rules - do not risk your health, do not allow traumatic situations.
