What is triceps and what role does it play in the body?
The brachialis muscle of three heads is the triceps. It is thanks to her that we have beautiful hands. The triceps are much larger in volume than the biceps. Therefore, even in a relaxed state, a pumped-up triceps gives the arm strength. Thanks to the triceps, we can bring the shoulder to the body and freely extend the arms at the elbow joint.
Triceps is the strongest and most resilient muscle in our body. With the help of this muscle, heavy barbells, bags and bags are lifted. The more developed the triceps brachii muscle is, the more force we can hold in the hand. But, unlike biceps, triceps are difficult to pump up, it depends on the anatomical location of the muscle.
Features of pumping up the triceps
If you want to have pumped up triceps, be patient. At first, you may not notice the result, but over time, the triceps muscle will show off on your body. Basic rules for pumping up the triceps:
- Strength training is best - barbells and push-ups.
- You should not repeat the same exercises over and over again, such as when swinging your back or abs.
- You should find a set of exercises that will simultaneously capture all three bundles (heads) of the muscle itself.
- Loads for the triceps should be varied. Therefore, you should compose several complexes for the development of triceps and alternate them.
- Exercises should be performed regularly, without missing classes. Increase the load gradually to avoid broken hands.
- On days when you train, change your diet. Eat protein foods as much as possible. Completely exclude alcohol, energy drinks, and confectionery on these days.
- As always, start your classes with a warm-up, which includes stretching exercises. Cardio exercise will also not be superfluous.
Internal structure
Depending on what type of constitution a person has, the number of muscle fibers may vary. This affects strength qualities and the appearance of muscle groups. At its core, muscle fiber is a structural unit, which is presented in the form of a multinucleated cell. It includes:
- plasma membrane (sarcolemma) consisting of collagen fibers including nerve synapses;
- sarcoplasm fills the intracellular space;
- thin filaments (myofibrils) located along the muscle fiber (their number can increase under the influence of physical activity or strength training);
- mitochondria, which are part of the fibers, contribute to the release of energy, which ensures the contractile function of the muscles.
Exercise French bench press
For this exercise you will need a barbell and a bench; it is advisable to purchase it if you decide to seriously pump up your triceps.
Lie with your back on the bench, buttocks and back should be pressed tightly. The feet remain on the floor, parallel to each other. Raise the barbell above your head, with your hands shoulder-width apart.
Inhale and lower the barbell behind your head. Stay in this position for a while. As you exhale, return the bar to the starting position, straightening your arms above your head.
Under no circumstances use your legs in this exercise. The load should go only to the shoulder girdle and elbow joints.
The weight of the bar initially should not be large. If you take a heavy barbell, the back muscles will be involved and the load on the triceps will not be as much.
Push-up exercise
This exercise is best done in the gym. Wrap your hands around the bars. Bend your legs at the knees so that they stop touching the floor. It will be even better if you cross your legs at the ankles. Hands are straight.
Inhale and begin to slowly lower yourself down. At this time, your arms should bend at an angle of 90 degrees. Stay in this position for a little while.
Then exhale and return to the starting position. The triceps should be tense all the time.
What is the first thing a man wants to improve? Well, hands of course! Even if you have huge biceps, without developed triceps you will look ridiculous and funny.
How to quickly pump up your triceps?
Unfortunately, it is not so easy to pump up this muscle, so you will have to work hard to get a good result. We recommend spending at least 15 minutes twice a week. It's best to do triceps exercises on the same day you're working on your biceps or shoulders. Breaks between biceps workouts should be 2-3 days, since this muscle group takes a long time to recover.
You also need to build a training program correctly - perform both basic exercises and additional ones.
Many people overestimate their strength and take on too much weight, but in vain. To work out the triceps, you don’t need such heavy loads; the main thing here is to perform the exercises correctly.
What about the number of repetitions? The minimum number of repetitions is 8, the maximum is 20. To grow muscle mass, you cannot perform a large number of repetitions, as this will only reduce their volume. Number of approaches – 2-3.
How to pump up triceps at home: tips and photos
We will present you the most effective exercises that you can perform without expensive sports equipment. By doing them 2 times a week, you will see results in a month. Also, do not forget to control your diet - your diet should contain as many protein foods as possible.
Narrow grip push-ups from the floor. For maximum effect, place your palms next to each other, as shown in the photo. Make sure your back is straight and your face is directed straight. Now do a push-up with your elbows as close to your body as possible. This exercise should be performed at the beginning of training; it is basic.
Push-ups from a chair or bench. To do this, you will need a strong chair that can support the weight of your body. Rest your palms on it, your feet rest on the floor. Now slowly lower yourself as far as possible with your elbows bent and return to the starting position after 2-3 seconds. Your arms should be positioned as close to your body as possible, your back straight.
Chair push-ups. If you can't go to the gym, you can do this exercise even at home. Place two chairs closer to each other, but so that there is room for you between them. Slowly lower yourself down on your bent arms, bend your legs, they should not touch the floor.
How to pump up triceps with dumbbells
Above we presented you with exercises without equipment, now it’s time to move on to training using dumbbells. We advise you to perform them after the main ones (basic), at the end of the workout.
Abduction of arms. Bend your knees, tilt your torso parallel to the floor surface, and bend your arms with dumbbells. Now you need to straighten your arms completely back, you will feel pain in your triceps. Make sure your hands are as close to your body as possible.
Arm extension . Stand straight, raise your bent arm at the elbow from the dumbbells. Now lift the dumbbell up, then lower it again. When performing it, it is important to tense the shoulder, namely the triceps. Take a light weight to perform it, as the exercise is not easy.
Now you know how to make your triceps stronger and fuller with a few exercises. In order to see the result, it is enough to devote 15 minutes a week to this muscle. Try to increase the load, since the triceps is a muscle that is difficult to pump up without some effort and hard training. Good luck!
How to quickly pump up triceps at home: video
Bench push-up exercise
The simplest exercise, but nevertheless effective.
Take a stance: extend your straight legs in front of you. Place your hands behind you on the bench. We rest only with our palms.
Inhale and lower your torso down until your elbows are bent at right angles. We hold for a few seconds, exhale and slowly rise up. To enhance the effect, you can rest your feet on the second bench.
Exercise with dumbbells for triceps
Sit on a bench or chair. Take a dumbbell in both hands and place them behind your head. The elbows are bent at an angle of 90 degrees, the forearms are straight and vertically directed upward.
As you inhale, lift the dumbbell up with both hands until both arms are fully extended. We linger in this position. As you exhale, we return to the original exercise.
It's not that hard to train your triceps. The main thing is desire and perseverance. You should not perform a set of exercises if you don’t like them or are too physically difficult. Stick to the workout that you can do. And you are guaranteed strong, beautiful hands.
The best exercises for triceps
There are 2 classes of exercises that we will use:
- Basic movements. Several muscle groups are involved, which include the triceps;
- Insulating. The target muscle is worked separately from other muscles.
The basis of training is basic movements. Let's consider them first.
Basic exercises for pumping up the triceps
- Bench press with a narrow grip . A narrow grip shifts some of the load from the pecs and deltoids to the target muscles;
- Dips for triceps . Elbows pressed as close as possible to the body, gaze ahead;
- Narrow grip push-ups . Analogous to the bench press;
- Standing barbell press . Pumps up triceps, deltoids, upper pecs;
- Reverse push-ups from a bench . They involve the subject of our conversation to a greater extent, but the chest and shoulders are also loaded.
This is the basis of the training. Here you can add basic exercises for other muscle groups. Pull-ups, squats, deadlifts - pumping large muscle masses increases the rate of mass gain due to the production of anabolic hormones.
Isolation exercises for triceps
- Extension of arms with a dumbbell or barbell while standing, lying, sitting. All variations of the French press. Best isolation movement for triceps. The basis of isolation training;
- Pulling your arms back. With a dumbbell, in a block frame or with an expander;
- Other exercises in simulators.
Adding other movements will not bring significant results.
