“When it comes to exercises like a bench press, an overhead press, a push-up, or a dip, those exercises are going to rely on the triceps for a lot of finishing strength,” he says. Stand erect with the chest up and the shoulders back. Hold a high plank, and push your hips up and back toward the ceiling into a pike position. Press the barbell up toward the ceiling until your arms are straight. The best triceps exercises, though, are not necessarily the ones that focus only on your triceps. As for isolation, triceps pushdowns are excellent for working your, well, triceps muscles. When you … Big triceps come from pushing. How to Perform the Triceps Pushdown: Step-By-Step Guide Step 1. Cable tricep pushdowns can be more convenient, but if you are at home, then resistance bands are very nice too. But though the backs of our arms may not get top billing, that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve their fair share of attention. In order to build the biggest, strongest arms possible, you have to work out your biceps, triceps and forearms. Lie on a bench with a barbell rack with the bar racked at about wrist height when your arms are fully extended toward the ceiling. Discover new workout ideas, healthy-eating recipes, makeup looks, skin-care advice, the best beauty products and tips, trends, and more from SELF. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders with your palms facing out and your elbows bent. Repeat on the other side to make sure both arms get an equal amount of work. That’s 1 rep. As you move, keep your hips as still as possible so that they’re not swaying from side to side. Stop the movement when your weight is parallel to your shoulder, then press it back up to start. Need a grueling workout for your triceps but don't have dumbbells? Alternating Triceps Pushdown As for strength training, your triceps act as a synergist muscle, meaning that it assists your other pressing muscles, like your shoulders and chest, in pushing movements, Boyce explains. To help you strengthen this oft-forgotten part of your body for the sake of your posture and your push-pull movements, we tapped trainers to share their best practices for mastering triceps exercises. While it may sound strange that a muscle in your arms can help you run faster, it actually plays a vital role in your sprints, since it helps you kick your arms behind your body to propel you forward faster, he says. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling at chest level. © 2021 Well+Good LLC. Place your right hand back on the floor to extend your arm and follow with your left arm, so that you end back in high plank. You should now be in forearm plank position. When it comes to strengthening your triceps, doing actual triceps exercises is only half the battle. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Lift your arms back to the starting position. Position your feet in a staggered stance or side-byside. ... Triceps Extension Straps Gym Equipment. Overhead Band Extension with Two Bands. Slowly bend your elbows to lower both weights toward your head. “You need to strengthen your triceps in order to master these pushing movements and become truly functional,” says Dave Schenk, co-owner and co-CEO of LIFT Society. Now, place your right hand over the band … First, you’ll want to load up with heavy weight for moves like heavy tricep extensions and weighted dips (which use your body weight). Start sitting on a bench or chair with a set of light-to-medium weights. On arms day, triceps exercises tend to get thrown in as an afterthought once you've burned out your biceps and shoulders. Bend your knees forward and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your core tight and back flat. Triceps pushdowns … From a functional movement standpoint, these muscles are integral in all of the pushing movements we do throughout the day, whether that means dropping down for 20 push-ups or pushing a grocery cart. If you want to take your plank to a whole new level, add some weight and try your hand (literally) at some kickbacks. That’s 1 rep. Keep your heels on the floor and your elbows pointed directly behind your body (not flared out to the side). Fun fact: The muscle actually makes up two-thirds of your entire arm. Bend at the elbows until your forearms are parallel to the ground, keeping your elbows tight by your rib cage. Variations: Wrap band … Straighten your arms and push your body back up. This is 1 rep. Lower yourself to raise the resistance. Pause for a second, and then slowly lower the weights back down behind your head. Stand facing away from a bench, grab it with both hands at shoulder-width. Though they might be easy to ignore, your triceps are an important element for helping your entire upper body functioning properly. Kick the weights back to completely straighten your arms. Tricep Kickback. You don't need weights — grab a resistance band and get ready to strengthen your arms. Hold a dumbbell in each hand behind your neck, elbows bent and pointing toward the ceiling. Tips: Resist the urge to put any body weight into the pushdown. This is 1 rep. 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