How can I get my triceps totally ripped by the summer?

[Neovingian]

What are some of exercises to get your triceps ripped and defined. Want to get them ripped by mid summer. My tri's have always had been failry solid and had a good amount of mass. I just don't have the dfinition in them like I used to when I was in high school.

I go to a standard gym with fairly standard equipment, free weights and universal machines. I work my tri's to faulure and train them about every 4 to 5 days. Just wondering if I'm missing something.

I follow a fairly strict diet and cardio 3 X's a week.

Any help would be appreciated.

[nwmrkt]

I think your overtraining

[john widow]

Why do you feel it's a need to get your triceps ripped by the summer? Isn't ripping muscles when you overwork your muscles until they tear apart? Do you think ripping muscles will impress the ladies?

[bigboi]

You need to have a overall low bodyfat to be ripped. You just can't make your triceps part ripped. I agree with other people here that you are overtraining your triceps.

[Neovingian]

You need to have a overall low bodyfat to be ripped. You just can't make your triceps part ripped. I agree with other people here that you are overtraining your triceps.I don't think 4 to 5 days is over training, and I have a pretty avg. to low body fat already. Just trying to get RIPPED for the summer & increase my tri's the definition.

I'm just trying to add more definition to my already massive triceps.

NO I AM NOT DOING IT TO IMPRESS THE LADIES...the ladies are already impressed. I'm just trying to do it for personal reasons & so I can pose up wearing my extra medium shirts & extra tight wife beaters....LOL!! :twisted:

[mpt]

Every four to five days is not overtraining. As long as you have 48 hours rest on your triceps you will be fine. I would actually train them more. Make sure you do chest on the same day so you don't overtrain them. People that alternative chest and bi's with back and tris then repeat are essentially working tris every time they work out and bi's everytime.

Try hitting the lateral head of triceps, they are maximally recruited with a force that crosses the body. Using the rope and pulling the rope apart at the bottom will help target this area.

Secondly work around 7-10 repetitions, with 30 seconds break between sets, perform up to 5 sets, you need to keep fatiguing the muscle and not letting it recover before the next set. By keeping them fatigued you body will produce lactate (the burn) and growth hormone release which will in turn hypertrophy the muscle (get bigger)

Only perform a max of three different tricep exercises, using the pulleys I found to really hit the triceps better than free weights, but it may work different for you.

If you want them "ripped" sit in the sauna on the day you want to show them off and sweat off the weight. Not very healthy but it works, look at body builders.

Hope this helps.

[poedua]

]What are some of exercises to get your triceps ripped and defined.[/B] Want to get them ripped by mid summer. My tri's have always had been failry solid and had a good amount of mass. I just don't have the dfinition in them like I used to when I was in high school.

I go to a standard gym with fairly standard equipment, free weights and universal machines. I work my tri's to faulure and train them about every 4 to 5 days. Just wondering if I'm missing something.

I follow a fairly strict diet and cardio 3 X's a week.

Any help would be appreciated.

You can't TARGET your tri's - or any one muscle ( group ) for that matter - for definition. It's one of the old chestnut gym myths that seems to linger...it's the myth of " spot reducing " that seems to perpetuate it. And " spot reducing " is a myth.

Only reducing your overall bodyfat % will help in shedding the fat under your skin near your tri's - in order to get that definition you're after - so, you can " show off " your tri's. And as I'm sure you already know, reducing your overall bodyfat % is a simple matter of creating a calorie defcit thru a combination of proper diet, cardio and weight training.

Defintion is a function of fat. You have the mass on the tri's - you don't need them any bigger - focus on losing more fat overall.

[mpt]

yup spot reducing is a total myth. Nothing against hypertrophy of the muscle to make them look bigger though.

[poedua]

Every four to five days is not overtraining. As long as you have 48 hours rest on your triceps you will be fine. I would actually train them more. .

I agree with the 48 hour rest "rule of thumb " suggestion you made - as muscle needs a complete 36 hours to recover from a heavy intense workout - particularly workouts using isolation exercises. So, I'd say no more than 3 days ( minimum every other day ) a week is more than enough for triceps......there is absolutely no need for 4/5 times a week of tricep isolation exercises at all IMO.

If the focus is to go very hard and intense to failure, as I've mentioned before, I'd aim for only 6/8 reps to failure at the heaviest weights he can handle - in perfect form.

In that case ( of 6/8 to failure ) , I'd go for only doing triceps once a week ...maybe twice ...no more than that. Don't forget that triceps are also being hit as synergists when doing flat / incline bench, and delt presses etc.

And of course, the focus should be varying your exercises so you can hit it from all angles ..i.e hitting the long, lateral and medial heads of the tricep muscle as you go.

[nwmrkt]

let me get this strait...are you training the tris 4 days and sometimes 5 in a row. Or every 4-5 days in the week

[mpt]

let me get this strait...are you training the tris 4 days and sometimes 5 in a row. Or every 4-5 days in the week

I took it as he trains his triceps once every 4 or 5 days, not 4 to 5 days a week.

[Neovingian]

I took it as he trains his triceps once every 4 or 5 days, not 4 to 5 days a week...Yes Indeedy, im not an animal, I meant I was training them every 4 to 5 days, training for 4 or 5 days in a row would be counterproductive & insane.

You can't TARGET your tri's - or any one muscle ( group ) for that matter - for definition. It's one of the old chestnut gym myths that seems to linger...it's the myth of " spot reducing " that seems to perpetuate it. And " spot reducing " is a myth.

Only reducing your overall bodyfat % will help in shedding the fat under your skin near your tri's - in order to get that definition you're after - so, you can " show off " your tri's. And as I'm sure you already know, reducing your overall bodyfat % is a simple matter of creating a calorie defcit thru a combo of diet, cardio and weight training....I am aware that spot reuction is not possible. I'm aiming for hypertrophy w/ soe increased definition. To be honest I have next to no fat on my tri's & am slowly reducing body fat.

2ndly even people with low body fat, will not not have much tricep definition, if any at all. These are difficult muscle group to develop & they need to be properly stimulated for adequate growth & development.....so I am looking for suggestions.

There are some tricep excerises that are better than others & I try to hit my tri's from all angles that are humanly possible& that I know of. Im just trying to find what works best in this case.

[toalan]

triceps are my specialty, for some reason I can grow then to insane size. The best thing i ever did for triceps were drop sets using the cable machines.

This is what I do, start out with the max you can do for 8 reps, then right after drop down the weight and do as many as you can, then drop again and continue until you can only do a pitiful amount of weight. I only do this with cable machines because they are very safe to do this with and you can quickly lower adjust the weight. There is no rest at all in between sets, just always keep you triceps at the edge of total fatigue.

usually I only do drop sets after I have completed several other tricep excercises, but just drop sets with cable alone was able to grow my triceps very well.

[poedua]

[COLOR=Navy] ..Yes Indeedy, im not an animal, I meant I was training them every 4 to 5 days, training for 4 or 5 days in a row would be counterproductive & insane.

...I am aware that spot reuction is not possible. I'm aiming for hypertrophy w/ soe increased definition. To be honest I have next to no fat on my tri's & am slowly reducing body fat.

Sorry. Perhaps it's me. You said you're aiming for " increased definition "again. High definition is primarily a function of low bodyfat - and you say - " I have next to no fat on my tri's " . If you want get more definition, I'd think you simply have to lose whatever fat layer is still sitting on top of your tri's beneath your skin via diet and cardio. Definition is a fat issue.

2ndly even people with low body fat, will not not have much tricep definition, if any at all.

i've never ever heard of that . Why is that ?

These are difficult muscle group to develop & they need to be properly stimulated for adequate growth & development.....so I am looking for suggestions.

I thought you already had "adequate growth & development ""- you said earlier that you "already [ have ] massive triceps "...so you want to increase the overall mass of your triceps beyond "massive "- more mass ? I didn't think mass was an issue ...but definition was for you. I can't see why you don't just stick with your current tri routine - as they are massive now - and simply focus on shredding fat.....crank up your cardio.

[toalan]

[COLOR=Navy]These are difficult muscle group to develop & they need to be properly stimulated for adequate growth & development.....so I am looking for suggestions.
COLOR]

In my opinion triceps are the easist muscle group to stimulate, there are very easily isolated and whenever you work chest and shoulders you are also working you triceps.

If you wanna do something that is very different that you really never see anyone doing, do some 1 arm pushups, they are very very very good for triceps.

with the issue of over-training, it is based on the individual, some people can barely work the same body group in the same week, others can work it the next day no problem. If you can work the same muscle group everyday then do it, do whatever works for you.

[poedua]

..Yes Indeedy, im not an animal, I meant I was training them every 4 to 5 days, training for 4 or 5 days in a row would be counterproductive & insane.

...I am aware that spot reuction is not possible. I'm aiming for hypertrophy w/ soe increased definition. To be honest I have next to no fat on my tri's & am slowly reducing body fat.

2ndly even people with low body fat, will not not have much tricep definition, if any at all. These are difficult muscle group to develop & they need to be properly stimulated for adequate growth & development.....so I am looking for suggestions.

There are some tricep excerises that are better than others & I try to hit my tri's from all angles that are humanly possible& that I know of. Im just trying to find what works best in this case.

There a re a lot of guys who are well-versed in intense training...i think for example that toalan has a good handle on training hard judging from some of his posts i've read.

It might help if you could supply your current tricep routine( s) so toalan and others can review it an come with some possibe suggestions to help you out. :)

[mpt]

Sorry. Perhaps it's me. You said you're aiming for " increased definition "again. High definition is primarily a function of low bodyfat - and you say - " I have next to no fat on my tri's " . If you want get more definition, I'd think you simply have to lose whatever fat layer is still sitting on top of your tri's beneath your skin via diet and cardio. Definition is a fat issue.



i've never ever heard of that . Why is that ?



I thought you already had "adequate growth & development ""- you said earlier that you "already [ have ] massive triceps "...so you want to increase the overall mass of your triceps beyond "massive "- more mass ? I didn't think mass was an issue ...but definition was for you. I can't see why you don't just stick with your current tri routine - as they are massive now - and simply focus on shredding fat.....crank up your cardio.


You are totally right poedua, sometimes you need to guess what the person means instead of what they say hehehehe :D

[mpt]

In my opinion triceps are the easist muscle group to stimulate, there are very easily isolated and whenever you work chest and shoulders you are also working you triceps.

If you wanna do something that is very different that you really never see anyone doing, do some 1 arm pushups, they are very very very good for triceps.


You can also try two handed push ups but tuck your elbows into your sides, this will cut out the chest somewhat and rely more on triceps. It all depends how heavy/strong you are if you can do them one-handed.

[poedua]

You are totally right poedua, sometimes you need to guess what the person means instead of what they say hehehehe :D

Something tells me I'm still mis-interpreting what he means by " definition ".

In any event, let's hope he sends long his current tricep routine so we can try and help him out. :)

[poedua]

..
There are some tricep excerises that are better than others & I try to hit my tri's from all angles that are humanly possible& that I know of. Im just trying to find what works best in this case.

It seems some exercises give you more "bang for the buck " in terms of which exercises engage the most parts of the muscle ( in this case..the 3 tricep heads ) at one time.

There was a great book I once had ( till I lent it out and never got it back ), that looked at all sorts of exercises and with the help of MRI they identified which exercise had the most "imapct "/ "stress " on a particular muscle . In other words , if you only had to do 1 exercise for maximum impact, which would it be. The book was " Muscle Meets Magnet ". Googled the book and got some info for you.

From one link, it identifies the best overall tricep exercises to be the " lying decline extension ", followed by the " overhead one arm dumbbell extension " and suggests a routine to blast triceps as well.....

"It [ the routine ] uses the most effective exercises. According to the book "Muscle Meets Magnet" by Per A. Tesch, Ph.D., which takes an MRI look at which parts of leg and arm muscles are hit hardest by certain exercises, the movements in the Compound Aftershock superset hit the target muscle structures completely, rather than focusing on certain heads.

Decline extension: This exercise puts maximum stress on the lateral, long and media heads of the triceps. You get total target-muscle stimulation with one efficient exercise. According to "Muscle Meets Magnet", lying extensions on a flat bench, the most common version of this exercise, somewhat neglect the lateral and medial heads and focus on the long head. If you want to totally torch your triceps do your extensions on a decline bench.

Overhead dumbbell extensions: This exercise also puts maximum heat on all three triceps heads when you use two dumbbells. What's interesting is that the same movement done with a bar instead of dumbbells ignites only the lateral and medial heads, leaving the long head lagging behind. The reason the dumbbell version may be more effective is the fact that your palms are facing each other. MRI analysis proves that varying your grip can have a substantial effect on target-muscle stimulation, as you'll see with the biceps exercises as well.

The Routine:

Decline extensions .......................1 x 7-9
Aftershock superset
Overhead dumbbell extensions ........1 x 5-7
Decline extensions ........................1 x 5-7
Kickbacks ...................................1-2 x 7-9

Routine Tips :

* Do one set of decline extensions - it's okay if your upper arms move so that you get some synergy from your lats and teres muscles. Just don't overdo it.

*Rest for a minute as you decrease the weight on the bar, then do one set of overhead dumbbell extensions supersetted with a second set of decline triceps extensions with the reduced poundage. Your triceps fibers will be screaming for mercy and pumped to the bursting point.

* Rest for about two minutes and notice how your triceps are so full, they feel as if they're a couple of inflated tire tubes hanging from your rear delts. Not finish them off with dumbbell kickbacks, making an effort to get your upper arms back past your torso on every rep as you contract your triceps hard. One set of this peak-contraction pain is all you have to endure - two if you're a real masochist.

http://bodybuilding.home.insightbb.com/trainingarticles/compoundaftershock/

Hope this helps.

[toalan]

You can also try two handed push ups but tuck your elbows into your sides, this will cut out the chest somewhat and rely more on triceps. It all depends how heavy/strong you are if you can do them one-handed.


2 arms = not cool
1 arm = godly cool

I vote 1 arm, just to make you feel like a hero.

[Neovingian]

2 arms = not cool | 1 arm = godly cool
I vote 1 arm, just to make you feel like a hero...I've been doing the 1 arm push up for minute now, so guess that makes me a hero....Thats a cool sig you got there BTW.

" I workout to get big so I can pickup bricks and Sh*t"..LOL

.....................classic

[toalan]

..I've been doing the 1 arm push up for minute now, so guess that makes me a hero....Thats a cool sig you got there BTW.

" I workout to get big so I can pickup bricks and Sh*t"..LOL

.....................classic


I pitty the fool that needs 2 arms to do something that 1 buff arm could do, with the exception of masterbation, if you need 2 arms for that then you are my hero also. My original sig was "I workout to get big so i can kick down walls and sh*t" then my bud asked me if "walls" was a metaphor for something, I had to clarify that I meant mostly drywall and occasionally brick.

[JAC]

Remember, steroids shrink your dick and make you stupid.

[poedua]

..I've been doing the 1 arm push up for minute now, so guess that makes me a hero....Thats a cool sig you got there BTW.

" I workout to get big so I can pickup bricks and Sh*t"..LOL

.....................classic

How about sending along the tricep routine you currently do...maybe be can be of help. :)

[mpt]

Remember, steroids shrink your dick and make you stupid.


Where did this come from? Secondly steroids shrink your testes, not your penis. Worse off, steroids most importantly lead to heart failure.