Everyone has different fitness goals and whilst some may want to focus on their overall body tone and strength, there are also those who have something that they want to change.
One common body part that many people want to change is their arms and their triceps. The good news about working on your triceps is that it is something that you can easily do at home and work on with minimal exercise equipment or space. Not only that, but if you prefer to work out at the gym, there is also going to be great workouts that you can do using the equipment and facilities that are open to you.
If you are keen to get bigger arms and you want to know the best ways to go ahead and do this, then take a look at what we think are the best 4 exercises to work out your triceps and get bigger arms.
Dips
Triceps bench dips seem to be amongst the most popular of all the types of exercises that you can use to get as big as arms as possible. They may seem easy enough to do, but they are often the go to choice for those who are more experienced and who are sure that they have the right levels of power in their shoulders.
If you are new to triceps bench dips, then you should make sure that you only start with 2 sets of around 8 reps before you increase how much you can do. Here is how to get started with bench dips.
- Place your hands on either a box or bench behind you. Your feet should be together and flat on the floor and your knees need to be bent
- You then lower your body down as low as you can do, before pressing back up with as much power as you can
- If you want to take this up a level, then you can have your legs straight, with your feet together, heels on the floor. This makes the workout a little tougher on your arms
Close Grip Bench Press
One of the best things about close grip bench presses is that they are not only going to make sure that your triceps get a great workout; but your chest and your core are going to feel it too. To do this exercise, there are a few steps that you need to follow:
- You need to grab the barbell with an overhand grip, making sure that your index fingers are on the edge of the rough part of the bar
- Your back should be ever so slightly arched, enough to create a small gap between the bench and your lower back
- Lifting the bar from the rack, you should hold it above your sternum bone, with your arms completely straight. Your elbows need to be tucked in at a 45 degree angle on either side
- The bar should be lowered until it just touches your body, you then need to pause and then drive it through, as you push it back upward
You should aim for 3 or 4 sets with 6 to 8 reps in each set. There should be a rest period between each set, however, you want to try and limit this to 60 seconds each time.
Skull Crushers
Another effective workout for your triceps is skull crushers. Not only are you going to find that they work for you, but they also are easy enough to tailor them to your own ability. You can even choose the type of weight that you use, and you can do them on a flat bench or any other angle that works best for you. For the flat bench workout you will need to do the following:
- Take the bar in both your hands and then lay back on the bench
- Your back should be flat, and your feet should be firmly planted on the floor and stay there, in line with the bench
- You should feel comfortable
- With straight arms you need to lift the bar above your head, hands directly above your shoulders, palms facing your feet and with strong wrists
- The bar should then be lowered to your forehead (hence the skull crusher name) the movement needs to be from the elbow, and you may need to have a smaller grip
- Once the bar touches your forehead you need to pause and hold for 2-3 seconds before pushing back up to the starting position
It is better to go for a lower weight with higher reps, aiming for around 3 sets of anywhere between 8 and 20 reps. You need to make sure that you allow for a good minute or two to rest between sets to allow your arms to recover.
Rope Pushdowns
Ropes are another great way to work out your triceps and can vary things up from just working on the weights. For this workout you need:
- To attach the rope to the highest pulley on the station
- Then you should grab the handle with an overhand grip. Your arms should be bent, and your hands need to be a shoulder width apart
- Your upper arms need to be tucked into the sides of your body
- They need to be stuck in place, whilst the bar is pushed down until your elbows are locked
- Then you go back to you starting position before repeating
With this workout you need to aim for 3 sets each of 10 reps. There should be a 60 second rest between each set.
Things to remember about triceps workouts
If you are planning to work on your triceps, then there are some basic things that you do need to think about before you get working.
You absolutely must make sure that you warm up your muscles before you get to work, else you can end up doing yourself damage and you won’t be able to do the workout that you hoped. This is true even if you think that the exercise is minor as even the smallest work out can have a huge impact on your body.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it is going to take time and effort to get the results that you want. It isn’t always going to be easy and it is likely to take some time before you see any change, but you absolutely need to stay motivated and to ensure that you are focused on what it is that you want to achieve. Your end goal.
The main thing to do is to take your time, mix things up and see what results you can achieve. You may find that you prefer one type of exercise over another and once you find the right one for you, you can keep trying and keep working hard to get those results.
