Doing triceps exercises with dumbbells helps to increase arm volume. At the same time, many novice athletes do not attach due importance to the need to carefully work out these muscles. By mistakenly focusing solely on the biceps. This incorrect approach, predictably, leads to pronounced asymmetries. Therefore, it is important to understand that it will be possible to achieve the desired effect only through regular comprehensive study.
Since the triceps is much larger than the biceps in size, the final volume of the arms depends on the degree of its development. While there is a wide variety of machines available both in the gym and at home, free weights should be the core of your training program. And dumbbells are perfect for this. These simple shells allow you to diversify the training and set the base load on the desired muscles.
A bit of anatomy
The relief muscles of the arms are the dream of the vast majority of men. Accordingly, many focus on performing a set of exercises for triceps and biceps. But in order to understand how to train correctly, you need to have an idea of the features of the body structure. In particular, today it is worth understanding the anatomy of the triceps.
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Triceps is the triceps brachii muscle. It is located on the back of the shoulder and occupies about 65-75% of the total volume of the upper limb.
Triceps allows us to extend the arm at the elbow, perform a backward movement. It is formed from 3 beams (heads):
- Lateral. Located on the back outer side of the shoulder. Together with the long one, it forms a characteristic horseshoe shape. It is included in the work following the medial one.
- Medial. Located in the upper shoulder region at the back. Despite its small size, it takes on the maximum load during extension at the very beginning of the movement.
- Long. Located closest to the back at the back of the shoulder. Athletes mainly concentrate on working out this zone. To set the appropriate load, it is necessary to take it away from the blade as far as possible. For example, lift your arm up.
The lateral, medial and long heads are connected together and anchored by a tendon to the ulna. The beams act together; it is not possible to work them out in an isolated mode. But with a competent approach, you can load any zone to a greater or lesser extent.
How to build triceps at home: training recommendations
To achieve maximum efficiency in training to eliminate the likelihood of injury, you should adhere to a number of simple tips:
- Be sure to warm up before doing the main exercise group. Do not ignore the need to prepare your muscles for a heavy load. Pay special attention to the elbow and shoulder joints.
- Concentrate on working on the long head. Start training with movements involving raising the arm up.
- Observe the correct position of the elbow joints. In a situation where it is not possible to keep your elbows as close to each other as possible (when loaded, they are retracted to the sides), you should choose lighter dumbbells. By reducing your working weight, you will be able to do the exercise correctly. Forget the “the harder the better” misconception. Training with the wrong weight of the shells will not bring the desired result and increase the likelihood of injury to the elbow joints.
- Take your time, try to work at a measured pace. Your goal is to feel the muscles working during exercise. By slowly raising and lowering the dumbbells, you will be able to load your triceps more.
- The final stage of training is no less important than the starting and main stages. Always end your workout with stretching exercises. So the muscles will be able to fully relax and recover much faster after a heavy load.
The best exercises for triceps with a photo
Now let’s take a closer look at a set of exercises aimed at working out the triceps.
Two-handed dumbbell bench press
Belongs to the basic category, it allows you to set the load not only on the muscles of the arms, but also on the chest. For its implementation, it is worth picking up shells of greater weight. To effectively work out the triceps, you have to lower them under the pectoral muscles. When moving, the elbow joints should be pressed against the body as much as possible.
Sit on a training bench. Spread your legs slightly to the sides, focus on your feet. If you are at home, you can just lie on the floor. The main thing is that pieces of furniture do not interfere with the execution of movements.
Now take the shells and lift up as you exhale. At the same time, slightly bend in the lower back, the shoulder blades should be brought together. Inhaling, lower your arms and return to the starting position.
Make sure that your elbows are not tilted to the sides. Work in a measured manner, do not make sudden jerks. But do not relax by placing the shells on your stomach.
One-arm prone extension
In this exercise for triceps, the load is set on only one limb, which allows the athlete to fully concentrate on working out a certain side. Great for pumping (special workouts, implying a high pace of execution and a large number of repetitions).
Take a lying position on a training bench or floor if you have to work out at home and the equipment you need is not available. Take a dumbbell in one hand, put the other on the elbow joint or shoulder. Bend the working limb as you exhale, lowering the projectile. At the same time, the elbow should remain motionless, which is easy to do by holding it with your free palm. Exhaling, return to the starting position.
Extension of the arms from behind the head
Thus, you can work out the triceps while standing or sitting. It is allowed to perform with each hand alternately with lightweight shells, as well as two at once with heavier dumbbells. When lifting, the long head is stretched, the maximum load is set on it. In a standing position, it is quite difficult to perform the exercise, since you have to monitor not only the correct technique for moving the projectile, but also maintain balance. Therefore, novice athletes tend to prefer the sitting variation.
With one hand
Sit on a workout bench (or a chair if you’re exercising at home). Raise your hand with the projectile above your head. When performing the movement from a standing position, it is necessary to slightly bend the knees for greater stability.
Rest your free limb on the side or lay on the thigh. She should not be involved in the process. Straighten your back, looking forward without dropping your chin to your chest.
Inhaling, bend your elbow joint and place the projectile behind your head as far as possible. Freeing your lungs from air, squeeze the dumbbell up, straightening your arm.
With two hands
Take the starting position, standing or sitting. Take a dumbbell (here it should be heavier, designed to be held with both hands) with a lower grip on the upper pancake.
Taking a breath, bend your elbows and bring the projectile as low as possible behind your head. Take your time, feel how the muscles are loaded. Exhaling, lift the projectile up, straightening your arms. It is important – the movement should be carried out at the expense of the triceps. If the shoulder is included in the work, it is worth picking up a dumbbell of less weight.
French bench press
I considered options for exercises for triceps at home, it is worth taking note of it first. It allows you to set a uniform load on all three extensor heads. The main thing is not to take too much weight in order to avoid injury to the elbow joints.
Sit on the floor or on a training bench, grab the shells. Now straighten your arms above you, slightly shifting the dumbbells towards your head. The limbs, at the same time, are slightly tilted. Make sure your shoulder blades stay together.
While inhaling, lower the shells behind your head, using your elbows. As you exhale, take the starting position. Flexion and extension should be performed at a measured pace. Do not allow the elbow joints to be pulled apart.
Dave Tate Press
It is essentially a slightly modified French bench press. But this exercise is more isolated, allowing you to work out the triceps muscle to the maximum. When doing it, you must be aware of the increased risk of injury to the elbow joints. Therefore, novice athletes should choose the optimal weight of the weights.
Take dumbbells with a pronated grip (palms down), sit on the floor or on a training bench. Raise them up. As you inhale, bend your arms and lower the shells to the central chest area, so that at the very bottom they touch each other. The elbows at this moment must be spread apart.
Freeing the lungs from the air, straighten the limbs, returning to the starting position. This should be done somewhat faster than when moving down. If you feel that your shoulders are involved during the press, you should take lighter dumbbells.
Extension of the arms with an emphasis on the bench
Another effective isolated exercise for building triceps with dumbbells. For its implementation, lightweight projectiles are used. Because of this, some athletes mistakenly consider it to be useless. In fact, this movement helps to carefully work out the upper sections of the triceps muscle. Therefore, it is imperative to include it in the training program.
With one hand and knee (for example, left), rest against the surface of the bench. Hold a dumbbell in your free hand, the other leg on the floor. Now, without sudden jerks, pull the weight to the body by bending the elbow joint. The elbow of the working hand should be flush with the shoulder.
Exhaling, straighten your arm (straighten the joint), bringing it in line with the body. Try to stay at the top point for a few seconds, straining your triceps to the maximum. While inhaling, smoothly return to the starting position.
Extension of the arms in a standing tilt
In another way, this exercise is called “Grasshopper”. It is performed in a standing position, in addition to the triceps muscle, the press, back and legs are involved in the work.
While holding the dumbbells, stand up straight. Spread your legs a little less than shoulder-width apart. Bend over next, but make sure that your back remains level. The knee joints can be bent slightly for stability. The main thing is not to round the lower back.
Now pull your elbows towards your body, keeping them in line with your shoulder. As you exhale, extend your arms so that they are parallel to the floor. Hold this position for a few seconds. Freeing the lungs from the air, smoothly return to the starting position, lowering the shells.
Do not take too heavy dumbbells, excessive weight will not allow you to achieve the correct execution technique. Do not swing your shells, move slowly, without sudden jerks.
Extension of one arm in an incline with an emphasis on the knee
Technically, this option is similar to the standing bend extension. But this triceps exercise is somewhat easier due to the support of the free hand on the knee.
Take a standing position, put your feet together, slightly bend your knee joints for greater stability. Now bend over and rest your palm on your knee. Hold the projectile in your free hand.
Next, pull the dumbbell to the body so that the elbow and shoulder are at the same level. As you exhale, straighten your arm and linger at the top point for a few seconds. Exhaling, slowly return to the starting position.
Dumbbell Triceps Exercise Videos
Having figured out the theory of how to pump triceps at home using dumbbells, you can safely start training. The best practical guide in this regard is videos. They help to quickly master the technique of performing movements, clearly demonstrating what and how to do it correctly. Below we present several useful videos on the topic of our article:
