Maximize the growth of the triceps without damaging your joints

Since the triceps make up the majority of the upper arm and are involved in a lot of pressure actions, it can be easy to fall into the temptation of training them hard with heavy weight and reckless abandonment.

This training will help you maximize the size of your triceps and, at the same time, minimize the impact and load that could disturb your elbows.

The problem is that in the course of many training sessions, you have a greater risk of annoying pains or even serious injuries in the elbows. If your elbows suffer, you run the risk of not being able to train as best you can, of losing the hard earned muscle and of the general problems that can also affect your life outside the weight room.

This training will help you prepare properly, train at your highest level and minimize any risk to those important joints in the mid-arm. You are seeing a time commitment of around 30 minutes and you can complete this exercise as part of your arm workout or after a group of pushing muscles such as your chest or shoulders.

Single Arm Cable Extension – 3 sets of 20, 15, 10 reps per arm.

The movements of the cables are better to isolate a muscle group and heat it because the movement is restricted, it has tension throughout the range of motion and its joints can produce synovial fluid that acts as a lubricant.

Whichever arm is weakest is the one you should start with. Perform 20 repetitions with each arm while controlling the speed at which you raise. Focus only on contracting the muscle and do not let the weight be a big concern. Once you finish with the first arm, repeat with the other arm and rest for 60 seconds before starting again. Add weight with each set as the repetitions decrease.

Close Grip Bench Press – 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 reps.

The shoulder blades should be retracted and pulled so that your chest can protrude higher. This also helps to minimize shoulder involvement so you can concentrate more on the triceps.

Keep your grip around the width of your shoulders so you do not put any tension on your wrists. When you lower the bar to your chest, stop at the bottom for a second. This eliminates the impulse and makes the triceps work harder. After that brief pause, press up as high as you can until your arms are close to blocking. Do not block them completely! Keep that tension in the muscles. Add weight after each series and rest for 90 seconds between sets.

Lying Rolling Dumbbell Triceps Extension – 3 sets of 10 reps.

You probably know them as “skull grinders or crushers”. You can do them on the floor or in a bank. The differences with these are that you are using dumbbells instead of a bar and you will allow the dumbbells to roll back behind you as you lower them. They should go around your shoulders and then roll them back as if you were trying to touch the floor. Go as far as you can and do not try to force the stretch. Once you have rolled them back, wind them again and press them to the length of the arms. Squeeze the triceps as hard as you can before lowering them again. Stick with a weight that will force you to work, but not to fail. Rest for 60 seconds between sets.
Kneeling Rope Pressdown – 3 sets of 15 reps.

The only difference between these and the standing version is that you’re on your knees which decreases your ability to use momentum. That makes your triceps work harder which is what we want at the end of the workout. We’ve also went back to a cable exercise for the same reasons we started, isolation and less toll on the elbows.

Spread that rope apart at the bottom as much as you can. Don’t forget to turn your wrists so you can maximize that contraction. Slowly let the rope back up but don’t let your upper arms come up with them. Lock them into your sides. Use the same weight each set and rest for 45 seconds in between. They’ll burn at the end but that’s what we want. 6 weeks on this program will help you see improvement in the triceps without any extra toll on the elbows.