The triceps or triceps brachii consists of three heads. The long head, the lateral head and the medial head. The triceps makes up two-thirds of the upper arm, so optimal tricep development is central to building big arms. For maximum triceps brachii development, your routine should include a variety of exercises to ensure you hit all three heads of the muscle.
Guidelines
Your triceps are engaged when you do pushing exercises such as bench presses and overhead presses. The triceps are a relatively small muscle group. Do not over train them by doing an excessive number of direct triceps exercises. Most triceps exercises work all three heads of the muscle, however a slight change of hand position or grip shifts the emphasis to different heads.
Mass Builders
The close-grip bench press allows you to handle a lot of weight and is favored by bodybuilders as a mass builder for the triceps. Your hands should be about eight to 12 inches apart on the bar. Keep your elbows tight to your chest as you lower the bar to your lower chest. Focus on using your triceps to push the bar up. Do not lock out your arms at the top of the movement. Reverse your grip, so your palms are facing you, to emphasize the medial head of the triceps. Other mass builders include bar dips and seated two-arm dumbbell extensions. Perform dumbbell extensions by grasping a dumbbell and extend your arms above your head. Overlap your hands and balance the inner plates of the dumbbell on your palm. Lower the dumbbell behind your head, then straighten your arms.
Long Head
Target the long head or inner head of the triceps with exercises that involve a palms-out or overhand grip. These include triceps pushdowns with a straight bar, lying triceps extensions or skull crushers and close-grip bench press.
Lateral Head
Emphasize the lateral or outer head of the triceps with exercises that involve a thumbs-up grip. These include triceps pushdowns with an angled bar or rope, together with dumbbell extensions and dumbbell kickbacks. Dumbbell extensions include lying dumbbell extensions and single arm dumbbell extensions. Lying dumbbell extensions are similar to skull crushers, but use a pair of dumbbells. Bring each dumbbell down to the side of your head. Do standing or sitting single arm dumbbell extensions by raising your arm and keep it tight to the side of your head. Immobilize your upper arm, lower your forearm behind your head and then extend it.
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