The triceps are another set of muscles that are very popular to work out, and which must be worked out to balance any gains in your biceps. There are several popular triceps exercises that can get the job done, and just as with the biceps, some of the most commonly learned and basic workout routines are designed to specifically to work out the triceps.
One of the popular triceps muscles workouts is called the “close grip” bench press. This bench press exercise is done the same way as a regular bench press designed to work out your biceps and chest, except it is done with a lot less weight because your hands are placed close together, only 4-6 inches apart, in the middle of the bar. These presses require far less weight, but the effect on your triceps is great, and this lift still affects the outer edges of your pectoral muscles, helping to have a more balanced chest workout.
A note on this exercise: just like with the “diamond” push ups that emphasize different muscles, with the close grip bench press you don’t necessarily have to lower the bar all the way to your chest the way you would with a regular bench press. This can be harmful to your wrists and lower arms. Your hands may even stop several inches above your chest, and that’s fine. You don’t want to feel any pain or stress on your wrists. If you do, you’re bringing the bar down too far.
This is an exercise that doesn’t require a lot of weight. Using proper technique for this lift alone is enough to increase your triceps, and help to balance out the muscles to insure optimum growth of all the arm muscles, and the top effectiveness of all your weight lifting workouts. While the close grip bench press might be one of the most popular and common exercises to improve the triceps, there are others, as well.
The reverse grip bench press is another bodybuilding exercise that does great work on the triceps. This lift is done by using a normal or slightly wider grip on the bar, but with your hands holding the bear in an underhand position like you would with a bicep curl. This exercise also requires less weight to be effective, and strong appropriate technique is of paramount importance. If you are performing the reverse grip bench press correctly, then there should be less stress on your wrists and you won’t feel the effect on your chest muscles as much as you do with a close grip bench press.
Triceps extensions can be done in many different ways, and are gaining popularity. This is when you take a dumbbell overhead with your arms straight, then lower it behind your head before raising it again. This can be done standing up or sitting down, one arm at a time with a smaller weight, or both arms together, with fingers knitted, on one larger weight. All these styles work.
These are just a few of the great workouts that build up your triceps and help keep your arm muscles balanced and looking great.