5 Unconventional Moves, Arm Circumference Breakthrough Is So Easy, 42cm Is No Longer a Bottleneck
there are only so many regular movements. For example, if we talk about triceps training, even if we say 10,000 times that triceps occupy 2/3 of the arms, you are just arranging triceps presses, skull crushing poses, or one or two arm flexors over and over again. We don't want to say that these movements are old-fashioned, and we can't guarantee that in a couple of days the fitness-loving wraith will have to punch himself in the face and persuade people to pay attention to the basics.
next we present to you 5 fresh moves for the triceps, so fresh that you may not have heard of any of them.
1. Trx or deep squat rack triceps arm curls
you may be aware of suspension trainers, specifically trx training bands. These versatile training bands can be weight controlled but can be unexpectedly challenging to do correctly.
if a suspension trainer is not available, a single bar on a deep squat rack, power rack or smith machine will work. Whichever equipment is available, the movements are done in the same way.
How to do it: Grab the handle of the suspension trainer with your face away from where the trainer is. Step back a little so that your body is at a 45 degree angle to the floor, holding the handles above your head with your arms straight. Keep your body straight, your abdomen tucked in and your elbows bent so that the handles arc at your sides and finally stop behind your head.
the triceps are stretched to their fullest extent. Complete the maximum range of motion by moving in the opposite direction, contracting the triceps and straightening the arms. The key is to keep the body straight and apply all the force to the triceps.
2. Kettlebell arm flexion
the kettlebell can be found in all training programmes. It is an effective and versatile piece of equipment. Why? It has the advantage of being a versatile, unbalanced weight that is difficult to control.
triceps will definitely benefit from kettlebell exercises as they require force to control the kettlebell - this stimulates more muscle growth.
How to do it: Usually a flat bench is used for this movement, which can be done on either an upward or downward incline bench. Use kettlebells for supine arm curls.
lie on the bench and grab two kettlebells overhead. Tilt your arms back a little to maintain constant tension in your triceps. Bend your elbows and allow the kettlebells to arc over your head (your upper arms should remain at an angle). Move the kettlebells on either side of the head, moving in the opposite direction, maintaining the angle and squeezing at the top of the movement.
3. Diamond push-ups
the diamond push-up is a triceps training move that many people will look down on. If you can't do a standard push-up, what good is it even if you can do large weights in bench presses, press downs and other free weights and machine movements?
let's add some difficulty to this movement.
How to do it: We will add two intensity factors. The first, placing the feet on a flat bench to add more pressure; the second, placing the hands on an unstable surface to increase concentration and stimulation. Place your feet on the bench, keeping your body straight, and place your hands on the small medicine ball, which is the starting position for the movement.
keeping the body straight, place the body with the elbows bent below the sides and focus on the triceps for the movement. Pause at the lowest point of the movement and then rise upwards, elbows close to the sides of the body. The most important thing is to control the body.
4. Lower incline narrow grip bench press
the narrow grip bench press is one of the must do movements and it is also probably one of the best triceps training movements, you are able to use larger weights in this multi-joint movement, but some people may experience two structural problems.
firstly, you may find that this flat position puts undue stress on the shoulders, with the chest firing instead of the triceps. The second point is that the grip distance is too narrow, which can put pressure on the wrists. There is a way to solve both of these problems and make the triceps bigger at the same time.
How to do it: Place a barbell on a lower incline bench. After lying down, lift your chest and sink your shoulders, this will protect your shoulders. Hold the barbell in both hands with a grip slightly narrower than your shoulders. During the lift, elbow position is more important than grip distance.
raise the bar and lower it to the lower chest with the elbows at the sides of the body. Without borrowing strength, bend your elbows and push the barbell back up. The downward sloping position protects the shoulders and allows better contraction of the triceps, or you can think of this angle as a standing rope press down.
5. Stretch band arm flexion
many people who go to the gym may not be familiar with this method of stretching the triceps, but this method gives you a good stretch and is more dynamic than the normal supine barbell arm flexion, and is more like inducing the triceps to do an elbow extension that may bring on delayed muscle soreness.
however, as with other traditional movements, adding a little finesse can make it more effective.
How to do it: In general, before doing the arm extension lie on a flat bench, hold the barbell with a shoulder-width grip and straighten your arms above your head. Bend at the elbows, lower the barbell and pull hard before returning to the starting position.
the problem here is that when lowering the barbell back down to the floor, some tension may be lost. To avoid this problem, tie an elastic band between the barbell and the leg of the bench near your head, this will increase the resistance as well as increase the tension throughout the range of motion.
we hope you find today's triceps workout helpful.