If you're looking for tricep exercises to add to your workout routine, you've come to the right place.
The triceps, or triceps brachii, is a large muscle group on the back of your upper arm. It's responsible for extending the elbow joint and is used in many everyday activities such as pushing open a door or lifting a suitcase.
The triceps can be worked with either free weights or machines, and there are many different exercises you can do to target them.
This article will discuss the benefits of tricep training and provide a complete triceps training workout plan that you can try and target your muscles effectively.
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Benefits of Training Triceps
Here are the top three benefits of training your triceps muscles
1. Increases Overhead Stability
Triceps training is crucial for the upper body as it provides stability to the shoulder joint. The shoulder bones are in a ball-and-socket joint, which gives it a high range of motion.
However, this increased range of motion also makes the shoulder more unstable. The triceps muscles help stabilize the shoulder, preventing it from moving too much and putting unnecessary stress on the joint.
This can be especially important for athletes performing overhead movements, such as volleyball and basketball.
2. Boosts Physical Performance
Tricep training isn't just about looking good. It also plays a significant part in boosting your physical performance.
The triceps are responsible for pushing movements, such as the bench press and overhead press. When these exercises are performed with greater strength and power, the triceps muscles play a significant role.
So, by training your triceps, you can see improvements in your exercises involving pushing, like push up, bench dips, skull crushers etc.
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3. Improves Aesthetics
There are no two opinions about it; triceps training enhances your physical aesthetics. When you develop your triceps muscles, they become more visible and defined, making your arms appear larger and more muscular. This is especially apparent when you compare your arms to those of someone who hasn't trained their triceps regularly.
Workout Description
Main Goal |
Build Muscle |
Workout Type |
Single Muscle Group |
Training Level |
Intermediate |
Program Duration |
12 Weeks |
Days Per Week |
1 |
Time Per Workout |
30-40 Minutes |
Equipment Required |
|
Target Gender |
Male & Female |
There are three heads to the triceps brachii muscle: the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. The triceps work to extend the elbow joint (i.e. straighten the arm) and assist in shoulder extension and horizontal abduction (i.e. moving your arm out to the side away from your body).
Given their location on the back of the upper arm, they're also vital for stabilization during many other exercises and movements. So if you're looking to build a more muscular, more stable upper body, tricep exercises should be a part of your routine.
One of the main issues of having poor triceps strength is that it can limit your overall strength gains. If you're unable to train your triceps correctly, you'll be less able to lift heavy weights and perform challenging exercises, making it difficult to reach your fitness goals and build a strong, muscular upper body.
Additionally, weak triceps can lead to instability and injuries in other upper-body exercises and movements. So to help you stay safe and achieve your fitness goals, we've put together the ultimate 12-week triceps workout program.
This routine will help you focus on your triceps and is appropriate for any intermediate-level fitness enthusiast, whether male or female. This routine will help you develop strong triceps while only taking up 30-40 minutes of your entire week for the next 12 weeks. This will leave you with no excuses for missing out on your training.
Since these exercises utilize a lot of your body strength because it includes lifting heavy weights; therefore, it is highly recommended that you enforce proper warm-up sessions before starting. Train your body gradually to lifting heavy weights so you don't get cramped and sore muscles, which can cause hindrance in your other workouts.
Target For 12-Week Triceps Workout
For the next 12-weeks, you will be training your tricep muscles for 30-40 minutes, once a week, either in isolation or in compound workouts. This is an intermediate-level guide, and for these workouts, you will need access to gym gears like barbells, dumbbells, cables and EZ-bars, etc. so you can perform the workouts effectively with proper form and don't get hurt.
Even though the workouts in the 12-week program are to be done only once a week, we've made sure to add as much challenge to your triceps as possible. We've added the exercises in different sets with increasing weight intensity and more significant reps, so you don't get too easy while training.
After all, it takes up a lot of effort and consistent hard work to build beautiful triceps that are aesthetically pleasing and a source of attention in the crowd.
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The Workout Program
Considering the fact that this workout will be done only once a week, it will not be difficult for you to track it. We will give you one thorough workout plan that will help you track the progress and concentrate on the increasing reps and sets, so you can thoroughly engage your muscles and train them efficiently.
With our 12-week plan, you will be training your muscles in three different techniques:
1. Power
Starting off the workout routine, you will perform 4 power sets. The power sets are those sets where you perform 3 to 5 reps of the exercises using the same weights for 4 complete sets.
Once you can perform the higher range of the reps, i.e., 5 reps for all the 4 sets of your workout, you move up to heavier weights the next time you're training.
2. Muscle
After the 4 power sets, the following workouts will be muscle sets. This is when you are exercising between 6 to 12 reps for your workouts with heavier weights than the last time.
You will have 2 different exercises performed in the 6 to 12 rep range, with heavier weights. Once you can perform consistently with the same weights for 12 reps in all 4 sets, you will be moving up to heavier weights.
3. Burn
Now that you're done powering through to start your workout and challenging your muscles to grow stronger and break plateaus, it's time to burn off those calories, so you finish off stronger.
You will have heavier weights in this part of the workout and generally use isolation training. You will perform the exercise with the weights you're most comfortable using and execute 40 reps in one set.
Now you don't have to worry about performing 40 reps in a single take. You will be gradually progressing towards the 40-rep goal and will perform a few reps, then take some rest before starting again.
This part of the workout plan will help you burn off more calories, get your heart racing and blood pumping to finish your workout strong and enjoy the exercise glow on your face later.
Week 1- 12
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Close Grip Bench Press - Power |
4 |
3 to 5 |
EZ Bar Skullcrusher - Muscle |
2 |
6 to 12 |
Tricep Dips - Muscle |
2 |
6 to 12 |
Cable Tricep Extension - Burn |
1 |
40 |
Tricep Overhead Extension - Burn |
1 |
40 |
Conclusion
Overall, the triceps are a key muscle group for upper-body strength and stability. If you're looking to build a solid and healthy upper body, make sure to focus on tricep exercises! This triceps workout table is a great resource to help you get started. Remember to warm up before starting this routine and focus on proper form to avoid injuries. With consistent training, you'll be able to achieve your goals in no time!