Exercises for Triceps

[saudades]

What have been the best exercises that really packed some mass onto your triceps? I'm trying to get my triceps up to par, but I haven't been able to do 'skull-crushers' because it starts to make my elbow tendons hurt. (Maybe it won't be so bad when I get some IGF.) My triceps are really tough to make gain anything so I'm looking for the best exercises everyone else has done. Please describe volume and poundages, how you perform the exercise, etc.

 

[Spiderman]

I have the same problem bud...I have been doing them for 3 weeks now and I'm going to have to lay off b/c my left elbow is killin me. I do em for awhile, then lay off until I feel good again...then another 3 weeks. It sucks, but I don't know what else to do. Bump for answers

 

[Get_Swole]

im in the same boat bro i cant do skulls either my elbows as well. I put one of the handles on a tall pulley the single handle with spinning grip and do reverse pulldowns to work on my long head of my tri. I do these very very strict. I also do either close grip bench, v bar or rope pulldowns as well. With those switched up i usually only do 2 and chest work its more then enough for me. Are you over training them possibly. I know if you hit chest really hard then its very easy to overtrain arms bi's or tri's. somethin to think about.

 

[PJT]

Lots of warm up sets bro. I usually do about 4 warm up sets of Skullz before I get into the work sets. I know the pain you are talking about though.

As for best exercises, besides Skull Crushers, I like Seated Machine Dips, Glose Grip Bench Press and Straight Bar Pushdowns. that's about all I really do for Tris

 

[DB006]

smith close grip, smith reverse grip, weighted dips, floor skullcrushers, hammer dips, PJR pullovers(cross between a pullover and skllcrusher done by laying perpendicular on the bench and starting like a pullover but dipping the db behind you head then finishing like an extension over your forehead)

 

[teedubgee]

My all time favorite tri exercise would have to be cable push downs. You could get so many variations in form to hit different parts of the muscle. You could stand further back, keep your elbows in close, let your elbows bow out, set the cable high and do more of a standing pullover, or just plain get strict or sloppy. Next to that, I reverse grip smith and barbell skulls. I usually have to do a few extra warm up sets so my elbows don't aggrevate me on skulls. A little variation in grip can make my pain disappear too.

 

[saudades]

I asked around my gym, and I'm told that close-grip benching is a must for killer triceps. What do you think?

 

[mcgaret]

My tri's were lagging years back. I bumped up the volume and worked the shit out
of them. They grew. I figured my tri's just needed more volume to grow then every-
thing else. It is funny cus now I am doing D.C. - one set.
As far as elbows hurting - dont do the exercises that hurt them. Sometimes down
the road I have tried again a exercise that used to hurt and was able to do it
without pain at that time. Trial and error bro. Have to keep trying different things
to see what works for YOU. (wish I had the secret)

 

[Spiderman]

I think the skull crushers have been slowly messing my elbow up, but the day they really started hurting was the day I did pin lock outs in the squat rack...anyone else have trouble with that. I don't know if that's what did it or if that's the day they decided enough w/the skull crushers, but there's an exercise to watch out for if you have elbow problems.

 

[dreww]

I asked around my gym, and I'm told that close-grip benching is a must for killer triceps. What do you think?

i've tried them, but they never felt right. maybe its one of those exercises Im not built for.

reverse grip bench on the smith has been a new one for me. Im surprised at how much it hits the triceps, considering its a benching movement. If you do it right, it really hits the triceps. although I dont feel it until the next day.

it was another one of those exercises I always wrote off since I thought it would hit the chest more than the tri's.

 

[Southern Comfor]

I consider my triceps my best attribute and I stick to 5 exercises that i rotate bi weekly.
dips
rope pull downs
d bell kick backs
over head tri extensions with a pulley reverse grip bench..... hope this helps
good luck,
SC

 

[saudades]

i've tried them, but they never felt right. maybe its one of those exercises Im not built for.

reverse grip bench on the smith has been a new one for me. Im surprised at how much it hits the triceps, considering its a benching movement. If you do it right, it really hits the triceps. although I dont feel it until the next day.

it was another one of those exercises I always wrote off since I thought it would hit the chest more than the tri's.

Now this one sounds interesting. I've been doing close grips on the smith, but they don't feel quite right for me either. I'll give the reverse grip a go.

Thanks to all the others who responded. There's a lot of info I can use.

 

[mikeswift]

close grip reverse bench is something I've never tried but I've seen it done, seems like it would be worth doing either on smith or flat bench for more of a range

 

[NAIR]

close grip bench is my absolute fav

 

[dreww]

Now this one sounds interesting. I've been doing close grips on the smith, but they don't feel quite right for me either. I'll give the reverse grip a go.

Thanks to all the others who responded. There's a lot of info I can use.

i know you do DC. this is one of those movements that it takes me all my warmup sets (usually 3) to get the form down. I do it on a smith, so you have to adjust your body right since the bar obviously wont adjust throughout the movement.

also, I dont even really grip the bar. I just let it rest on my palms and push upward. Its not like its gonna fall off, its a smith bar.

 

[saudades]

True, true. I'm going to try this one on Friday.

 

[Malic]

...

 

[saudades]

No, I haven't. I think I'll stick with the Smith machine so I don't accidentally drop a dumbell in my face--at least until I am confident in the form.

 

[mikeswift]

ever tried reverse grip with dumbells??? just an idea

a terrible idea, it would be too dangerous to get enough weight to stimulate your tri's into the position you would need in order to properly and safely do them with DC training

 

[pumpin280]

I love close grip bench but usually do them free weight. If you are not feeling them alot in the tris try doing a few sets of pushdown dropsets first. I also love to superset pushdown with seated dips, blows the tris up! I have had periods of time where my elbows were very sore and unable to do skulls and this has been a great alternative.