Developing Monster Triceps

Joe Kenn | Vice President of Performance Education

As I just received news that I can begin the next phase of my rehab, I wanted to discuss basic triceps training and development. Since my left elbow surgery, my triceps not only atrophied slightly, it has lost a lot of strength. The surgery required them to cut into the triceps tendon so it is to be expected. So, triceps were on my mind.

The Triceps muscle is a three-headed monster. It consists of the lateral, medial, and long heads. This muscle group is responsible for extending the elbow and straightening the arm. Many people classify the triceps as 2/3 of the upper arm musculature with the other 1/3 coming from the biceps.

The triceps are a key component in the completion of two of the most popular strength training movements in history, the bench press and the standard military press (overhead press). These two movements are extremely popular in all facets of strength and the bench press is a competition movement in the sport of powerlifting as well as being the most popular upper body movement tested for a repetition max in weight rooms across the country. The military press was once a part of the clean and press in the sport of weightlifting, but was substituted out for the jerk.

The triceps importance in these movements are in the finishing phase of the lift or what is termed the lock out. Today we will go over an exercise pool for training the triceps. There are two prominent ways to emphasize triceps development. Structural and Isolation. In bilateral barbell movements, a closer grip targets the triceps more than wider grip movements.

Structural Movements

· Close Grip Bench Press

· Multiple Height Board Presses

· Close Grip Push Ups

· Parallel Bar Dips

Isolation Movements

· Barbell extensions variations

· Dumbbell extension variations

· Cable Pushdowns

· Kickbacks

Strong and healthy triceps are keys in the overall development of upper body strength for athletes. I recommend specific movements that emphasize the triceps be considered in the weekly plan of training. A good starting point would be one structural movement and one isolation movement per week. I would train them on separate days. If you are a competitive powerlifter, triceps strength should be a focal point in your upper body training plan. For the best long-term improvements, a rotation of various movements throughout the annual plan is a solid prescription to big presses.