The Triceps Brachii (commonly referred to as the triceps) is the 3 headed muscle at the back of the upper arm that extends the elbow joint.

To effectively train this muscle you need to select exercises that work all 3 heads.

Depending on your goal;
3 sets of 4 – 6 repetitions for strength with at least 3 minutes of rest between sets.
3 sets of 8 – 12 repetitions for hypertrophy with a minutes rest between sets.
1 set of 15+ repetitions for muscular endurance. If further sets are completed work with short rest periods (30 seconds max) between sets.
Always aim for failure in your target rep zone. There is little point choosing a weight for 6 reps and being able to complete 12!

Try to perform the exercises at a 3-1-3-1 tempo;
3 – Concentric (initial contraction of the muscle)
1 – Isometric (pause at the finish under full tension)
3 – Eccentric (return back to the starting point)
1 – Pause (the breath before starting again). This prevents momentum and allows for maximum muscular activation.

Three of our favourite Triceps moves…

Tricep dips
Perch yourself on the edge of a flat bench and place your hands on the bench close to your thighs. Your feet should be placed out in front and flat on the floor. Shift bottom off the edge of the bench, bend your arms and lower bottom towards the floor. Straighten your arms to return to starting point
Need it tougher? Try raising your feet onto another bench.

Tricep extensions
Stand or sit taking an overhead grip of a barbell/weights plate/heavy bag. Keep the elbows facing forward and upper arm in line with your ears. Bend your elbows to lower the weight behind your head. Keep elbows close together and squeeze the weight high above the head back to the starting position.
Watch out for? Arching the back. Always take a lower weight rather than jeopardise technique.

Tricep kickback
Stand with one foot in front of the other with your knees slightly bent. Bend forward from the waist keeping your back flat with a supporting arm resting on your thigh. Press your upper arm against your side and place your arm at a 90 degree angle. Straighten your arm and squeeze the weight behind you into the air. Slowly, lower the weight back down and repeat.

Always bear in mind that the triceps are recruited during any movement that involves pushing. Therefore if you are training the Triceps after working the chest they will be pre-fatigued.

Nicola Addison
Eqvvs Training