Triceps, or “back arms” as they are referred to in the pen, are not only key to pressing big weights but they are also crucial to creating an aesthetically pleasing physique. Like anything in the weight room, building big triceps isn’t rocket science, it just takes a plan and a willingness to work hard.Here are six great exercises to supercharge your triceps’ development.
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Close-Grip BP
This is an old standby of any serious back arm enthusiast. If you are trying to work your triceps to become a better presser, move your grip in 1 inch on both sides. This position will work the triceps hard and will also have a high rate of transfer to the competition bench press. If your competition lifting days are behind you (or never existed) move the grip even further in (2-3 inches on both sides). This grip targets the triceps even better, but you will have to significantly lower the weight.
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Skull Crusher
This exercise goes by a few different names; tricep extension, skull crusher, lying French press… and on and on. Whatever you want to call it, just make sure you are doing it!Grab the EZ-curl bar and a flat bench. Put your weight on the bar. Lie down on the bench and hold the EZ-curl bar above your chin with arms extended. Keep your elbows tucked in and lower the bar to forehead level and back up to locked arms. Make sure your elbows don’t flare out and try to keep your humerus angle constant throughout the lift.
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JM Press
This movement is a combination of a close-grip bench and skull crusher. It’s very important to control the negative and explode on the positive. This movement was popularized in the 1990s by top bench presser, J.M. Blakely. The exercise builds size and strength in any pressing movement. Once you are comfortable with the move, you can add more weight.Place hands about 18” apart on the bar. Lower the bar in a straight line towards the bottom of the sternum. Stop 3-5” from your chest and pause for a second then explode the weight straight up.
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Dicks Press
World-class bench presser Paul Dicks popularized this exercise, which directly hits the triceps but allows you to use much heavier weight than a traditional skull crusher.Start in the locked-out position of a close-grip bench press, take the weight down to the chest (like a close-grip bench press), lift the weight two inches off your chest and rotate the shoulders back and touch the bar to your chin. Finally, bring the bar back to the chest and forcefully press the weight up.
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Rope Pressdown
For this exercise use the rope attachment on the cable weight stack. The rope allows you to twist at the bottom and really hit the inside head of the tricep. Do this exercise in a strict manner and check your ego at the door. You must keep the elbows tucked into the body and flex the triceps as hard as you can at full extension. If you do not hold and flex hard at the bottom, this will be a wasted movement.
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Dip
We all know dips are a must-do exercise for chest development, but with a few tweaks they can be an outstanding triceps exercise. For the tricep variation of the dip, you want to keep your torso as upright as possible and hang your legs straight down, (not crossed behind you). Lower yourself down until you create a 90 degree angle between your upper and lower arm and push up using your triceps to a locked out position. Use a muscle intention style of lifting here, meaning feel the triceps working.
Triceps, or “back arms” as they are referred to in the pen, are not only key to pressing big weights but they are also crucial to creating an aesthetically pleasing physique. Like anything in the weight room, building big triceps isn’t rocket science, it just takes a plan and a willingness to work hard.
Here are six great exercises to supercharge your triceps’ development.
Close-Grip BP
This is an old standby of any serious back arm enthusiast. If you are trying to work your triceps to become a better presser, move your grip in 1 inch on both sides. This position will work the triceps hard and will also have a high rate of transfer to the competition bench press. If your competition lifting days are behind you (or never existed) move the grip even further in (2-3 inches on both sides). This grip targets the triceps even better, but you will have to significantly lower the weight.
Skull Crusher
This exercise goes by a few different names; tricep extension, skull crusher, lying French press… and on and on. Whatever you want to call it, just make sure you are doing it!
Grab the EZ-curl bar and a flat bench. Put your weight on the bar. Lie down on the bench and hold the EZ-curl bar above your chin with arms extended. Keep your elbows tucked in and lower the bar to forehead level and back up to locked arms. Make sure your elbows don’t flare out and try to keep your humerus angle constant throughout the lift.
JM Press
This movement is a combination of a close-grip bench and skull crusher. It’s very important to control the negative and explode on the positive. This movement was popularized in the 1990s by top bench presser, J.M. Blakely. The exercise builds size and strength in any pressing movement. Once you are comfortable with the move, you can add more weight.
Place hands about 18” apart on the bar. Lower the bar in a straight line towards the bottom of the sternum. Stop 3-5” from your chest and pause for a second then explode the weight straight up.
Dicks Press
World-class bench presser Paul Dicks popularized this exercise, which directly hits the triceps but allows you to use much heavier weight than a traditional skull crusher.
Start in the locked-out position of a close-grip bench press, take the weight down to the chest (like a close-grip bench press), lift the weight two inches off your chest and rotate the shoulders back and touch the bar to your chin. Finally, bring the bar back to the chest and forcefully press the weight up.
Rope Pressdown
For this exercise use the rope attachment on the cable weight stack. The rope allows you to twist at the bottom and really hit the inside head of the tricep. Do this exercise in a strict manner and check your ego at the door. You must keep the elbows tucked into the body and flex the triceps as hard as you can at full extension. If you do not hold and flex hard at the bottom, this will be a wasted movement.
Dip
We all know dips are a must-do exercise for chest development, but with a few tweaks they can be an outstanding triceps exercise. For the tricep variation of the dip, you want to keep your torso as upright as possible and hang your legs straight down, (not crossed behind you). Lower yourself down until you create a 90 degree angle between your upper and lower arm and push up using your triceps to a locked out position. Use a muscle intention style of lifting here, meaning feel the triceps working.
