The outer part of the triceps is the easiest to target. The triceps are actually three muscles, also known as the three heads, that lie next to each other on the back of the upper arm. You cannot isolate the outer triceps completely, but you can do an outer triceps workout with exercises that emphasize this area. Perform four sets of eight to 12 repetitions per exercise.
Reverse Skull Crushers
Using a reverse grip during exercises best targets the outer triceps. A reverse skull crusher is a variation of the popular skull crusher exercise, which is also known as a lying triceps extension or lying triceps press. By changing your hand position so your palms face toward your biceps when you bend your elbows and instead of away from them, you give your outer triceps more work. To begin, lie on an exercise bench and hold a barbell or an E-Z curl bar, which is a curved barbell, straight above you with your hands shoulder-width apart. Position your palms to face in the direction of your head. This is the opposite way you hold the bar during regular skull crushers. Flex your arms to lower the bar toward your head and then extend the arms back to the starting position. Do not move your shoulders.
Reverse French Presses
The French press is another popular exercise that emphasizes the outer triceps by changing the position of your hands. Instead of facing your palms forward in the starting position, grip the barbell with your palms facing behind you. To begin, stand up and hold a barbell above your head with your arms straight and your hands slightly closer together than shoulder-width. Flex your arms to lower the bar behind your head. At this point, your palms face your biceps. Extend your arms back to the starting position.
Triceps Pressdown
The triceps pressdown targets the outer triceps using a lat machine. Instead of sitting on the machine and bending your arms to pull the bar down using your back muscles, you stand and use your triceps to pull the bar down with your arms. Stand facing a lat machine and grip the bar with your palms facing the ceiling. Bend your elbows and put them against your sides so the bar is in front of your chest. Press down to lower the bar to your thighs without letting your elbows move away from your sides.
Triceps Bench Dip
The triceps bench dip is a body-weight exercise that works the outer triceps more than the rest of the muscle group. However, you must keep your hips close to the exercise bench or else the deltoid muscles of your shoulders will take over. To perform a triceps bench dip, hold the edge of a bench with your arms straight, knees bent slightly, heels on the floor and buttocks in the air directly in front of your hands. Bend your elbows to lower your hips toward the floor and then push yourself back up to the starting position.
References
- BodyBuilding: I.C.E. Programs: Training the Triceps
- Boxing Scene; Outer Triceps Workout; Ray Burton
- BodyBuilding: Lying Triceps Press
- BodyBuilding: Standing Overhead Barbell Triceps Extension
- Fitness; The 2007 Drop a Jeans Size Workout: Superset 3: Triceps Dip; Alyssa Shaffer
- Workoutz: Arm Exercises: Reverse Grip Triceps Pressdowns (Cable)
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