Beginner's Guide to Strength Training: Beginner's Guide to Strength Training - Triceps

Beginner's Guide to Strength Training
Beginner's Guide to Strength Training - Triceps
| The Triceps  | Triceps Dips  | Triceps Kickbacks  | Triceps Extensions  | Choosing Triceps Exercises  | Take the Quiz  | Bonus Assignment

	from Paige Waehner Last week, you spent some quality time with your shoulders and biceps and this week we're moving onto the last muscle group in the upper body, the triceps. As you've come to expect, you'll learn about these muscles, what they do and the exercises that work them. Don't forget, there's a quiz at the end so make sure you read through the information carefully and click on any links so you don't miss anything.
The Triceps
	The Triceps
	The triceps brachii (known as the triceps, both singular and plural) is located on the back of the arms and is involved in a variety of daily activities. Every time you push open a door, run the vacuum or even scrub the counters, your triceps are working. The triceps gets its name from its three heads: the long head originates at the scapula, the lateral head originates at the back of the arm (humerus) and the short head attaches just below the lateral head. The word 'brachii' is the Latin term meaning 'arm.' The triceps is responsible for extending the elbow. To target this muscle, most exercises will involve pushing against resistance or extending the arm, such as in kickbacks or extensions (see below). The triceps are also involved in shoulder and chest exercises so, if you don't have time to work the individual muscles of the arms (the biceps and triceps), chest presses, pushups and overhead presses are exercises that will also involve the triceps. How do I tone up and lose fat under my arms and around my triceps? More about your triceps
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Triceps Dips
	Triceps Dips
	Triceps dips are a common exercise targeting the triceps muscles. This compound exercise involves the triceps with the shoulders acting as synergists. Due to the positioning, the shoulders are more vulnerable to injury during this exercise so beginners should be cautious when trying this move. The nice thing about this exercise is that it doesn't require any equipment (other than a chair) and it's easy to adjust your positioning to make it easier (e.g., walk the feet in) or harder (e.g., walk the feet out or elevate the feet). Step by Step: Modified Dips 1. Sit on a bench or chair. 2. Begin with the hands next to or slightly under the hips. 3. Lift up onto the hands and bring the hips forward off the chair. 4. Bend the elbows (no lower than 90 degrees) and lower the hips down, keeping them very close to the chair. 5. Push back up without locking the elbows and repeat for 10-16 reps. Do's and Don'ts Do: Keep the shoulders down and away from the ears Do: Keep the hips close to the bench or chair to keep the focus on the triceps and not the shoulders Do: Keep the feet closer in for an easier version, or take them further out for more challenge Don't: Take the hips too far away from the hands as that can put the shoulders at risk for injury Don't: Lock the elbow joints at the top of the movement Don't: Let the shoulders collapse, but keep them steady throughout the movement Variations: Dips on the Ball (More advanced) Pulsing Triceps Press on the Floor Another exercise similar to dips is the triceps pushup (this version is shown using a ball, but you can also do it on the floor). This exercise is just like a regular pushup, except for your hand placement. Instead of having the hands wide and at shoulder level, your hands are closer together and near the ribcage. This position involves more triceps. Another variation is the one-armed triceps pushup for more advanced exercisers.
Triceps Kickbacks
	Triceps Kickbacks
	Kickbacks are another common exercise targeting the triceps muscles. This isolation exercise is a great way to focus more attention on the triceps with the shoulders and back helping to stabilize the body. This move already has a very short range of motion (your elbow basically goes from 90 degrees to a full extension) so, to get the most out of gravity and the weight, make sure the elbow is positioned so that, when the arm is fully extended, it's parallel to the floor. Step by Step: Kickbacks 1. Hold a medium weight in both hands and bend over until your torso is at a 45-degree angle or parallel to the floor (more advanced). Bend the knees if needed and keep the abs engaged to protect the lower back. 2. Begin the movement by bending the arms and pulling the elbows up to torso level. The elbows should be bent to 90 degrees. 3. Holding that position, straighten the arms out behind you, squeezing the triceps muscles. 4. Bend the arms back to starting position and repeat for 10-16 reps. Do's and Don'ts Do: Use one arm at a time if you're using heavy weights or need back support Do: Keep the abs engaged to protect the back Don't: Lock the elbow at the top of the movement Don't: Swing the arm to get the weight up Variations: Alternating Kickbacks Kickbacks with a Resistance Band
Triceps Extensions
	Triceps Extensions
	Extensions are much like kickbacks in that you're extending the elbows and contracting the triceps. The difference is in your positioning. During a kickback, you're bent over, which means the resistance needs to come from below in order to challenge the muscle. During an extension, you're seated, standing or lying down, which means you'll hold the weight straight overhead and lower it down behind you in order to target the triceps. Like the kickback, this move is an isolation exercise and won't involve as many muscle groups as the triceps dips or pushups mentioned above. Step by Step: Tricep Extensions 1. Sit or stand and hold a medium-heavy weight in both hands. You can either grasp the dumbbell by the end, or you can position a hand on either side of the dumbbell, which ever feels most comfortable to you. 2. Take the weight straight up over the head, elbows facing the front of the room, and brace the abs to keep from arching the back. 3. Keeping the elbows from flaring, bend the elbows and lower the weight behind your head. At the end of the movement, elbows should be at about 90 degrees. 4. Squeeze the backs of the arms to pull the weight back to start, repeating for 10-16 reps. Do's and Don'ts Do: Keep the elbows in a fixed position throughout the exercise. Do: Try this move one arm at a time for more of a challenge. Don't: Arch the back. Don't: Drop the weight too far behind the head. Keep a 90-degree angle in the elbows at the bottom of the movement. Variations: Lying Tricep Extensions Skull Crushers More Tricep Exercises
Choosing Triceps Exercises
	Choosing Triceps Exercises
	Like the biceps, the triceps are small muscles that are often involved in exercises for the larger muscles of the chest and shoulders. That means you may not need to do as many exercises as you would for the larger upper body muscles. You can use these guidelines to help you choose your triceps exercises: If you're a beginner, choose 1-2 different triceps exercises. If you do 2, choose a compound move, like dips or triceps pushups to work multiple muscles and follow that up with an isolation exercise, like kickbacks, to focus more attention on the triceps. If you're more advanced, you might choose 2-3 different triceps exercises. For example, you might do triceps dips for a compound movement, triceps extensions to focus on heavier weights and then one-armed kickbacks to target each arm separately. If you're doing a total body workout, you may only want to do 1 triceps exercise in order to save time and energy, especially if you work your triceps during other exercises like pushups or overhead presses.
Take the Quiz
	Take the Quiz
	If you've read through the material carefully, it's time to take the quiz and see what you've learned.
Bonus Assignment
	Bonus Assignment
	You can get more out of this course by actually doing the exercises discussed. By learning the moves, step by step, and focusing on your form as well as the muscle you're working, you'll get a deeper understanding of how to work your body. Your bonus assignment this week is to try all of the exercises described. Be sure to skip the triceps dips, though, if you have any shoulder or wrist problems. If you're feeling frisky, try the variations as well!
Paige Waehner About.com Guide to Exercise http://exercise.about.com www.About.com About.com is part of The New York Times Company
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