Various methods are effective for targeting the distinct regions of your triceps.
Three heads are superior to a single one, correct? Before I elaborate, let’s keep our thoughts clean, as I’m clearly discussing the tricep muscle.
The tricep consists of three sections: the long head, the lateral head , and the medial head.
Let’s delve deeper into each section:
1) The Long Head of the Tricep
The long head of the tricep spans from the shoulder down to the elbow joints, hence its name, and is positioned at the back of the arm.
Optimal Workouts for the Long Head:
The best exercises for the long head incorporate a full range of motion and effective contraction, often achieved with arms raised overhead. Therefore, the ideal workouts for the tricep’s long head include overhead extensions and skull-crushers.
2) The Lateral Head of the Tricep
The lateral head, located on the outside of the arm, is the most visible and, when one is very lean, it can appear almost “feathered.” Check out Lee Priest’s tricep photos to understand.
Top Exercises for the Lateral Head:
The best exercises for the lateral head involve arms by your side with a pronated grip (overhand), such as cable extensions, kickbacks, and overhand grip press downs.
3) The Medial Head of the Tricep
The medial head, though less visible, resides lower down than the long head closer to the body. Despite its lower visibility, it is crucial as it adds significant mass and provides a fuller look to the arm.
Top Exercises for the Medial Head:
The best exercises feature a supinated grip (underhand) with the hands by your side, making reverse grip cable pushdowns most effective.
Certain exercises target multiple heads simultaneously; for instance, skull crushers engage both the long and lateral heads, and close grip bench press, kickbacks, press downs, and even diamond push-ups activate all three heads.
Understanding the triceps’ structure, you can now include exercises in your routine that ensure all three heads are worked during your next triceps session.
- Close Grip Bench
This is a multiple joint compound movement that targets all three heads while allowing greater strength build-up due to heavier lifting potential.
Tip: Place your hands about 7-8 inches apart, slightly wider than the central knurl on the barbell, to avoid injury risk from too close a grip.
- Dips
A favorite among Chinese weightlifters, this compound exercise, especially with added weights (via dipping belt or dumbbell between feet), boosts strength and targets all three heads, emphasizing the medial head at the top of the extension.
Tip: Stay upright to focus on the triceps, as leaning forward shifts emphasis to the chest.
- Cable Tricep Pushdown/ Press Down
This movement engages all three heads of the tricep, and varying the cable attachment allows specific head targeting.
Tip: Stand a step away from the cable tower, lean forward towards the pulley, and initiate the set with arms away from the body.
Ensure that your forearm and triceps form a 90-degree angle during the movement’s loading phase.
Cable Attachment Variations
Wide grip bar attachment: This wide grip focuses on the medial head.
Rope attachment: This grip targets both the medial and lateral heads.
Straight bar attachment: This bar stresses the long head of the triceps.
V bar attachment: This attachment puts more emphasis on the lateral head of the triceps.
- French Press
Though similar to the lying tricep extension, the French press is performed seated or standing, ideally with an EZ bar, targeting the long head due to its overhead nature.
Tip: Avoid shifting stress to elbows or shoulders and do not lock out at the movement’s top.
- Reverse Grip Press Down
While less common, the reverse grip press down is perfect for the medial head.
Tip: Maintain triceps and elbow at 90 degrees during the eccentric phase, and prevent elbows from flaring out.
Common Tricep Training Errors
Elbow movement:
A frequent error during standard pushdown and reverse grip press down is excessive elbow movement. Keep elbows tight to the body, minimizing movement to let the triceps do more work.
Elbow Flare:
During tricep workouts, avoid “chicken wing” arms with widespread flaring, especially in movements like the French press, overhead dumbbell tricep extension, or skull crushers. Minimizing flaring not only reduces joint stress but also decreases injury risk. If flaring occurs, the weight may be too heavy.
Fatiguing too soon:
Start strong with compound exercises like weighted dips and close grip bench, transitioning to isolated movements later. This approach maximizes workout effectiveness.
FAQs
Do I need to perform all these exercises in each session?
No! Select 1-3 tricep exercises targeting different heads. Overdoing it risks overtraining and hampers recovery.
Should I aim for each head in a single session?
You may not want to neglect any part of the muscle. This doesn’t necessitate multiple exercises per head, but try selecting exercises that target all three heads, or one exercise per section.
How frequently should I train triceps?
Training frequency hinges on lift intensity. Mediocre sets might require more frequent sessions, while intense training sessions might only need 2-3 times per week.
Consider your overall workout split as well!
Tricep Sections Summary
After this guide, there’s no excuse not to engage all parts of the tricep muscle: long, lateral, and medial heads.
Incorporate overhead and reverse grip movements into your upcoming routines.
By summer, your triceps will be showing off in your Fit Journey Now tee.
Until next time, keep the workouts going!
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