TRIed, Tested and True

TRIed Tested and True!
If there is one body part both women and men can benefit from building, it’s the triceps. Since it’s the largest muscle in the arm, building it can give men “THE BEACH IS OVER THERE ARMS” and for women, it can harden up the ole flabbiness under the biceps.

Me, I don’t really have a specific routine as much as I have a philosophy. Train to get that Phenomenal Pump and feel my triceps swell up to their max with new mass and hardness. You all know what I’m talking about.

I’m not one to waste my reps. If any of you have ever pumped up anything…your bike tires when you were a kid, or an air hammer compactor during your summer construction job, then you know the satisfying feeling of building that pressure to the point where it is full, solid and ready to burst…that’s the sensation I need in my muscles.

For triceps I usually choose 4 exercises and hit them one set at a time.

1. Lying Barbell French Press (pictured above)
I start my routine with this mass building exercise. Lie on a flat bench with a narrow grip on the barbell. Hold the barbell over your face with arms extended. Slowly lower bar by bending elbows and bring the bar to the top of the forehead. Then BLAST up to the starting position and immediately start lowering bar back to the forehead, keeping the tension on the Tri’s. I do 4 sets of 10 reps focusing on keeping the tension on the muscle.

2. Triceps Pressdowns

This is the second exercise in this routine. These can be done with a straight or bent bar on an upper pulley, such as a Lat machine or one side of a Cable Crossover machine. Stand with your feed directly under the bar and take one small step back. Use an overhand grip (palms down) and keep your upper arms tight to your sides. Press the bar down until your arms lock out at the bottom, then let back up slowly. The motion is the opposite of a biceps curl. One key to this exercise is to roll your shoulders back and stick your chest out and FEEL the muscle pump.
3 sets of 10 reps will be fine.

3. Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks (pictured above)

I see so many people not performing this exercise to its full potential. I love this one and can blame this for the great definition in my triceps. Kneel over bench with arm supporting body. Grasp a dumbbell. Position upper arm parallel to floor, I even bring the elbow nice and high so that I ensure to get that burn and pump feeling. Extend your arm until it is straight. Return and repeat. Make sure to alternate arms then a quick rest (20 seconds) Do 3 sets of 10 reps each arm for maximum pump. I don’t go very heavy here, in fact I use very light weights and make sure I perform them nice and slow.

4. Triceps Dips

Mmmmmmm, my all time favourite triceps exercise. As a side, I do not just limit this exercise to my arm workout. Nope, I usually finish every workout, be it Back and Shoulders, Legs, Chest, whatever, with this Pump Master. Jump on the dip machine with both arms extended straight, then lower your body til your elbows are at a 90 degree angle and blast back to the starting position. Do 3 sets to failure and this will ensure that your Tri’s will be ready to burst.

Well that’s a typical Funk Roberts triceps workout. Remember focus on the pump, keep the shoulders back and the chest out, make sure there is constant tension on the triceps while doing the exercises and very little rest in between sets (20sec – 1 min). Follow this and that flat tire will be pumped up and ready for action.

Funk Roberts

Don't Rush the Beat!

(pictures taken at System Fitness)