What's the best triceps exercise?

For more big manToo many bodybuilders focus solely on their biceps. Unfortunately, they'll never achieve their goal. In fact, the triceps make up two-thirds of the arm. It's therefore essential to build them up to achieve a more muscular look. large. But how do you develop them? And is there a best triceps exercise ?

Anatomy of the triceps

Before going any further, it's essential to understand how your triceps are designed.

Please note that we are talking here about triceps brachiiand not the sural triceps, the latter being a calf muscle.

The triceps are the muscles at the back of the arm. They cover the back of the arm, from the elbow up to the shoulder.

Unlike the biceps, which flexes the elbow, the role of the triceps is to promote elbow flexion. extension.

The triceps is composed of three beams :

• The long stretch
• The vastus medialis
• The vast external

The long portion is the part that gives the impression of thick arms. All three portions are involved in most triceps exercises. However, it is possible to prioritize one portion with certain isolation exercises.

Why train your triceps?

Visit strengthen triceps is essential for a harmonious upper body.

Often overlooked in favor of the biceps, the triceps are nonetheless extremely important muscles, both for improving your physical appearance and your performance. They help you to push heavier on other body-building exercises such as the bench press or military press.

It is not necessary to provide more than one triceps session per week, as they will also be involved in your pectoral and shoulder workouts.

So what's the best exercise for your triceps?

It's important to note that each practitioner has his or her own anatomy. The length of the three beams is therefore specific to each individual. For example, an individual with a short triceps will tend to experience elbow pain on certain exercises, such as the front bar. In this case, it will be preferable to prioritize other movements for greater efficiency.

That's why there's no single best exercise for the triceps. It all depends on your body type and how you feel. On the other hand, there are a number of movements you should be aware of, so you can choose the one or ones that suit you best.

You can use a weight training equipment to work your triceps: a pulleyYou can even use your own body weight.

The best exercises for triceps

The bar at the front

The bar to the foreheadThe French press is an ideal exercise for starting a triceps session.

Lying on a bench, grasp an EZ bar or dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms above your torso.

Bend your elbows so that the bar is level with your forehead, or even behind your head. Then return to the starting position.

Work lightly on the first two or three sets to avoid injury, with a number of repetitions between 15 and 20.

This movement allows you to focus on certain sections. By keeping the tight bendsWith the elbows apart, you target the long portion more intensely. With elbows apart, you develop the vastus lateralis.

Tight bench press

This triceps barbell exercise is equally suitable for beginners or for those with several years' experience in the weight room.

In terms of execution, just be careful not to over-tighten your wrists to avoid injury. It's much better to keep them in line and lower your elbows along your body so that the bar arrives just below your pectoral muscles.

High pulley extensions

For this first triceps pulley exosNow it's time for a classic: high pulley extensions.

Very popular with practitioners, this isolation movement mainly targets the vast external market.

Standing in front of your pulley, legs bent, take the rope in your hands and pull it down, keeping your back straight.

Be careful to fix your elbows on each set. With the pronated grip, the forearms must move.

For a full triceps contraction, I recommend stretching the rope or bar in front of you, not alongside your body as I often see.

Behind-the-neck extensions on the low pulley

Let's take a look at a triceps exercise using the low pulley.

This movement offers a good muscle fiber stretchingparticularly during the eccentric phase.

Stand with your back to the pulley, grasping the rope to extend your arms overhead and stretch your triceps to full extension. Control the descent.

One variant of pulley extensions is to use one or two dumbbells. If you're a beginner, opt for the two-hand variant.

Sitting on a bench or standing, lower the dumbbell behind your head, keeping your elbow fixed. Then return to your starting position, contracting as much as you can.

Pulley kickback

This triceps exercise is undoubtedly one of my favorites. It's ideal for finishing off your workouts with a unilateral.

Personally, I prefer the variant with the low pulley, because it allows you to benefit froma direct voltage. This gives you a better feel than with a dumbbell.

There's no need to put a lot of weight on this exercise.

On the pulley, break down your movement into two parts with a first backward extension, then a second full extension, as you can see in this video from one of my triceps training.

Dips

How can you talk about exercises to build triceps without mentioning the dips ?

Performed on parallel bars, this exercise also works the pectoral muscles. You can do it with bodyweight, or add weight with a vest or weight belt.

This movement is a must for your bodybuilding or fitness sessions. street workout.

Some gyms are also equipped with special machines for dips.

I invite you to consult this article to learn how to perform dips correctly.

Triceps exercise without equipment

It is of course possible to build up the triceps without equipment.

If you don't have access to a gym, you can exercise using bodyweight or other equipment with movements such as :

• Tight pumps
• Diamond pumps
• Chair or bench dips (add a support under your feet to increase difficulty)
• Neck extension with bottle or bag
• Kickback with bottle or bag

Example of a triceps workout

Would you like to include a triceps session in your weight-training program ? Here's an example of a workout that will help you develop this muscle group:

• Exercise 1 Biset barbell to forehead with tight grip bench press (5 sets of 15, 12, 8, 6 and 6 repetitions)
• Exercise 2 Dumbbell extensions behind the head (4 sets of 10 repetitions)
• Exercise 3 Tricep extensions with high pulley (4 sets of 12 repetitions)
• Exercise 4 Low pulley kickback (4 sets of 12 reps) biset with tight push-ups (4 sets to failure)

Conclusion

As you can see, to get muscular armsTo achieve this, you need to develop your triceps. After all, these are the largest muscles in the arms. However, there's no single best exercise for developing them. As every athlete is different, certain movements will be more effective than others, depending on the type of exercise. morphology. It's up to you to try out different triceps exercises and keep only those that give you a good feeling.