building tricep 'peak'

[xenithon]

hi guys,

i am trying to build my arms, which naturally are fairly small and dont grow too much (although they are quite ripped). i have been following the bicep building exercises recommended here and it has been working well. the thing is i am trying to build the size of the arms when relaxed, as you may have read in my other post. i am doing the bicep builders, and i would like some info please on exercises to build the tricep size, or mainly the 'peak'. what i mean, is that my tricep is building slowly but surely but too uniformly accross the whole tricep. i would like to know if there's anything to target the bottom peak, ie. the peak facing the ground that you see when you flex your bicep. i think if i can focus on that i can build the relaxed arm size, so any exercises that you may recommend will be preciated. thanks!

[Sicilian30]

Okay X, Tricpets are what I think I do best. I love working tricpepts and I think it shows. I have very large arms and triceps, I think that is my greatest assest. If only my chest would be soo easy. But anyway to answer your question, you specified a specific tricep, there are actually two tricep muscles. Fact, is, you can't just work one of them and expect the arm to look fuller. The tricep is larger than the bicep and is believe it or not, the over all make up of the arm. Most people don't know that if you work the triceps it will make the bicep look bigger. Okay here is what I would recommend, this is what I do.
I usually start off with 3 sets of dips, depending on if I want to work my my chest or Tri's. If I want to work my my tri's, then I will usually stay pretty latteral, (meaning I try not to lean forward as much putting the pressure on my tri's. I do these really slow, up and down, really feel the burn. down slow and up slow.
Next I usually do 3-4 sets of tricep pushdowns. These work the entire tricep but mostly work the outer tricep. what I do for the rear tricep (the one on the back of the arm closest to your lats, I usually do behind the back pushdowns. It is alittle awkward, but really really hits thos groups. Those will grow like a mad man if you work them. I find my tri's grow like crazy, when I do these exercises. There are other tri exercises I do, with dumbells, and a bar bell. One I like (don't know what you call it), but I sit on a bench with my arms bent at a 45 and just push with my triceps up and down. Hard to explain, I dont' do this one very much, and forgive me for not knowing what the name of this exercise is. you sound like you have a hard time building arm strength, push push push. Push those tri's. alot of people don't like to push the triceps cause they burn like crazy when you work them, most people I find can't take that particular burn, but that is what makes those suckers grow. good luck, and look into some more intense tricep workouts, I am sure more folks on the board can recommend some good tricep exercises. Those work great for me, and that is all I have to do, therefore, I don't do a variance of exercises only to shock my muscles sometimes. Hope this helps, and push those tri's and they will grow. Trust me.

[xenithon]

hi there. i will definitely give those behind the back pushdowns a go! they sound great. also i think the exercise you were referring to is skull crushers is it not? that is when u are lying down and hold the barbell behind the head with arms aroun 45 degrees and push up. i am actually somewhat like yuo in that I LOVE!!!! the burn that triceps give. that way i feel they are building you see i do get that burn and really well, and it shows, but like i said my tris are growing too evenly, and not gicng enough shape, especially when theyre not pumped or flexed, know what i mean?

my current tris workout is:
1. seated behind the head dumbell push ups with a single dumbell. gives a nice stretch and a great burn all the way through
2. pushdowns - the classic . i use the slighlty bent bar just a little bet bent not too much like ez bar. straight bar hurts my wrist too much with pushdowns.
3. behind the back tricep pushdown using the machine - i am not sure what its called. its exactly like dips except its a machine onto which theres a rack attached with weights. will this work that outer tri you are talking about??

thanks!

[Sicilian30]

sounds like you are doing exactly what you need to do. So let me get this straight you want that cut look? Is that what you are saying? If so increase you sets and up your reps, this could mean lowering your weight. Make them burn like crazy. Yeah skull crushers is the exercise I was tryin gto say, I don't do them that often, thats is probally why I didn't know the correct term. Keep on pushin those tri's, might want to throw in some dips man, they work like crazy, and will make those tricepts, deltoids and chest grow. any routine without dips is not a routine. Dips I think should be in everybody's arsenal. Good luck man..

[Tobey]

Good routine Sicilian,
I to love doing triceps. There is a similar post on this forum called ~ da tris~ where Superman asked for tri rouitnes in which I listed mine. Check it out. I really push triceps very,very,VERY hard. There is one thing that you are mistaken on though Sicilian. The tricep has 3 muscles not 2 hince the prefix tri meaning 3. No flame intended, just thought I would clear that up for the record.
Tobey

[Pete235]

Here are thre of my favorite finishers....and baby they burn if done correctly!!

1.) Triceps kickbacks

2.) Over head rope extentions

3) skull crusher / close grip super set
(make sure you have a spotter) Grab an easy curl bar and put on a wieght you can handle for 10-15 reps. Lay down and do your skull crushers as soon as your finished the 13th or 14th rep switch immediately into close grip bench (same bar, same wieght, no rest) and rep out to failure. 2 ought to do it.

Pete

[Sicilian30]

Tobbey once again you are correct, <bows> my bad, had to look in my ole weight training book (from college)to find it though. The tri's make up 3/4's of the arms, so I consider that a very important muscle to work if you want big looking arms.

[xenithon]

thanks for the advice peoples

pete: i am the kinda guy who really LOVES the tricep burn so i like trying new things to burn them serious. now i have som good tri workouts myself i must admit, but that superset you suggested gave me nightmares last night cant wait to try it out !!

i just have one question though, and i know it may seam 'newbie'ish so bear with me pls

what i plan to do is as follows:

1. seated overhead dumbell extension (both arms at same time)
2. cable tricep pushdowns
3. tricep dip machine/one arm reverse grip dumbell cable pushdowns (reverse grip = curl fingers toward you, so it looks kinda like how you hold in bicep exercises, hope u understand what i mean)
4. that lovely supersetty thing you suggested to finish off

my question is: will supersetting not cut too much? what i was thinking is doing about 6 reps skull crushers and then about 6-8 reps closegrip tricep presses. will that still work??

thanks man!

[Tobey]

Xenithon,

As long as your diet is up to par and you are getting enough calories you should be fine. I would not rely and super sets for the majority of the routine though you will get incrediable pumps, your strenght will go down. Super sets will not add size but from what you have posted you should be fine.
IC

[xenithon]

thanks for the great info IC! now i am a tad confused things is i wanna gain size and thus am tryna find the meatiest of tri exercises for size. i have heard though that with smaller muscle groups like tris and bis, higher rep ranges (8-12) with a good burn are the best for size rather than 4 rep tainted form sets. anyone with opinions on this? anyone know the most mass builing exercises ?

IC - i will only do those supersets at the end of the workout, maybe 2 supersets. i know how they kill me, not just the tricep, the mind and entire body.

thanks!

[Tobey]

I do both. I love the pump from higher reps, but I need the strain of heavy weights. If you are looking to make your arms bigger, I would recommend the heaverier weight with fewwer reps. Right now I am reading a series of articles on static training. They are claiming to increase ones size, indurence and strentgh naturally. I'll start posting info on them later on, right now I am not sure if they can do what they claim. Gotta give them a couple of months in the gym trying out their theories to see if they work.
Tobey

[dane26]

good catch on the TRIcep only having two muscles!! i use the same three exercises as pete to finish, lately leaning more toward kickbacks. sorry paisan, hadda bring it up!