Blow Up Your Arms With These 14 Triceps Exercises
Try these moves to give your arms' three-headed monster some extra attention.
WALK INTO ANY weight room and you're practically guaranteed to witness at least one determined person toiling away in front of the dumbbell rack, pumping through biceps curls on an endless quest for sleeve-bursting arm muscles. Sometimes they might switch things up for variety's sake, shifting their grip to a neutral one for a hammer curl or swapping out their DBs for a two-handed barbell rep. They'd have a much more effective workout if they'd instead switch their focus over to the bigger, potentially more consequential muscle on the backside of their upper arms: the triceps. If building big arms is one of your major fitness goals, the only way you'll be able to achieve the results you want is by giving your triceps plenty of direct training attention.
The triceps muscles are, after all, much more than just the biceps' backup. Yes, the biceps are more visible in the mirror and at first glance when you meet someone, with their placement on the front side of your upper arm. The posteriorly-positioned triceps, however, are even bigger than your biceps—taking up about two-thirds of the upper arm area—making them a major factor in your overall upper arm mass when you take the entire muscle group into account. Don't fall for the trap of only training the muscles immediately in front of your eyes.
Even more importantly, your triceps are essential for healthy arm function. They're responsible for common movements like pressing, elbow extension, and more. The triceps serve an essential role in some of the most common movements you'll face in the gym and in life.
Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men's Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He's logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men's Health in 2017, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men's Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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