Your triceps is a three-headed muscle located along the backs of your upper arms. This muscle is responsible for helping you perform a pushing motion. There are literally dozens of exercises that are designed to help you build your triceps, but many of these require an expensive gym membership or a lot of heavy weights. The exercises listed below are designed to help you build your triceps whether you are a member of an expensive gym or simply trying to get bigger at home.
Triceps Dumbbell Kickback
Stand near a chair or bench and rest the arm that you are not exercising on the bench with your hips bent and your upper body nearly parallel to the ground. Hold a dumbbell in your other hand with your elbow and upper arm parallel with your upper body. Keep your elbow still and straighten your arm to push the weight back behind your body. Hold this contraction for two or three seconds, then return to the starting position. Repeat until you can't perform another repetition. The heavier the dumbbell, the more effective this exercise will be.
Close-grip Pushups
Lie down on the ground in a pushup position with your hands only three or four inches apart. Keep a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders and bend both arms to lower your body to the ground. Stop lowering your body when your chest reaches about two inches off the ground and push with your arms to return to the starting position. Repeat for as many repetitions as you can perform. When performing this exercise, be sure that you keep your elbows as close to your body as possible, because moving them away from your body will result in your working your chest muscles more than your triceps.
Single-arm Dumbbell Extension
Sit or stand with your upper body directly over your hips and hold a dumbbell on the side you want to exercise. Lift your arm over your head with your palm facing your body. Bend your elbow so that the dumbbell is resting behind your head. Keep your elbow beside your ear and straighten your arm to lift the dumbbell up and over your head. Hold this contraction for a couple of seconds, then bend your arm to return to the starting position. Repeat until exhaustion.
Bench/Chair Dips
Place two chairs or benches about four feet apart and parallel to each other. Put both of your feet on one bench and rest your upper body on the other by supporting your body weight with both hands on the edge of the second bench. Bend both arms at the same time to lower your body weight toward the ground. Continue bending your arms until your elbows are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for a second, then use an explosive pushing motion to lift your body and return to the starting position. Repeat until you can't do another repetition.
Member Comments