Trouble with triceps

[blueandwhite]

I'm having the damnedest time getting my arms big. As of now they measure 14 1/2" cold. I train them hard, but they don't want to get bigger.

I'm focusing on my triceps to get my arm circumference up. I'm sure my diet is right (4000 calories a day at 35/45/20% split). My triceps routine looks something like this:

Close-grip bench press, 3-4 sets
Weighted dips, 3-4 sets (failure on last one or two sets)
Skull crushers, 3 sets
Rope extensions or pushdown, 3 sets

I get a good burn from this, but not too much of a pump.

Part of my problem I think is that my arms are ridiculously long (31" from shoulder to fingertips). Still, I think I should be getting a better response.

Age- 20
Height - 6' 6"
Weight - 197
BF% - 12% (estimated)

PLEASE HELP!

[HarryManback]

I don't know what they are called, but you get on a incline bench with a curl bar and put the weight behind your head with your elbows in and static and push to the top. Or use the cable machine, face away and do over head pulls. If any of those make sense, im terrible at describing exercises. Dips have never done anything for me for tricep size. Pull downs either.

[MentalTwitch]

Lying DB ext.- 8x35 7x35
EZ skull crusher- 8x55 8x35 *drop to 10xbar
Overhead DB ext.- 8x70 10x75 (i got a little riled up.)
Cable kickbacks- 10x25 10x20

I am in the same boat as you till i went outside the box. I came up with my own routine and eliminated things in the past that proved useless to me. Obviously neglet my weights and use a 8 8 10 format. I also do a 6 8 8 10 range sometimes. I do 1 or 2 dropsets for 1 exercise.
My favs are...
Lying DB extension- new to me but when done with proper strict form and weight is ample, i get MASSIVE pump and i think it has to do with the intense stretch.
Overhead DB ext. has always been a staple ofmine for thickness and a bit inner tri development.
The others are there to make sure i hit the 3 heads in one workout. Just gotta try different things. To me dips and ropes have always been tone and seperation. You could try ending with cable pushdowns for a good stretch and pump too.

[brownstown89]

I don't know what they are called, but you get on a incline bench with a curl bar and put the weight behind your head with your elbows in and static and push to the top. Or use the cable machine, face away and do over head pulls. If any of those make sense, im terrible at describing exercises. Dips have never done anything for me for tricep size. Pull downs either.

same here diffnetely dont worry about pulldown weights maybe 3 sets to failure at the end of your workout for a pump. Dips hurt my elbows shoulders etc..

If you want mass take a barbell loaded it up and drop it behind ur head and do barbell extentions.. 3 x 5-8 reps

Palms in db bench. or rolling tricep extentions in football bar i just picked these up.. CG pin press should work good for tris as well takes the shoulders out the movement.

[lonewolf0420]

I'm having the damnedest time getting my arms big. As of now they measure 14 1/2" cold. I train them hard, but they don't want to get bigger.

I'm focusing on my triceps to get my arm circumference up. I'm sure my diet is right (4000 calories a day at 35/45/20% split). My triceps routine looks something like this:

Close-grip bench press, 3-4 sets
Weighted dips, 3-4 sets (failure on last one or two sets)
Skull crushers, 3 sets
Rope extensions or pushdown, 3 sets

I get a good burn from this, but not too much of a pump.

Part of my problem I think is that my arms are ridiculously long (31" from shoulder to fingertips). Still, I think I should be getting a better response.

Age- 20
Height - 6' 6"
Weight - 197
BF% - 12% (estimated)

PLEASE HELP!

You mention sets, but not what rep ranges you are doing.

[blueandwhite]

Rep range is 6-8 on CG bench, 8-10 on the others (except for occasional sets as low as 6 reps). Often, I don't feel much in the tris with low reps. I use strict form with as much weight as I can (I don't undershoot the weight). I'm looking to build mass, and have heard that skull crushers, CG bench, and dips are the best movements for doing so.

[country1911]

variation of classics may help. Try decline cg bench. You will have to find what works for you cause you are 6' 6''.

[Resolve]

I'm 6'4" and have long arms for my height - I wear a 38" sleeve shirt. My arms are about 18 3/4" cold right now. One of my winter goals is to get them to 20"

What has helped so far: Weighted Dips, Weighted Narrow-Grip Chins, Narrow-Grip Bench lockouts and an equal amount of reverse- and supinated-grip curls. High frequency, medial volume.

[BoyFromAus]

I'm 6'4" and have long arms for my height - I wear a 38" sleeve shirt. My arms are about 18 3/4" cold right now. One of my winter goals is to get them to 20"

What has helped so far: Weighted Dips, Weighted Narrow-Grip Chins, Narrow-Grip Bench lockouts and an equal amount of reverse- and supinated-grip curls. High frequency, medial volume.

whoa damn.. and what rep range do you use for each of those?

[BoyFromAus]

same here diffnetely dont worry about pulldown weights maybe 3 sets to failure at the end of your workout for a pump. Dips hurt my elbows shoulders etc..

If you want mass take a barbell loaded it up and drop it behind ur head and do barbell extentions.. 3 x 5-8 reps

Palms in db bench. or rolling tricep extentions in football bar i just picked these up.. CG pin press should work good for tris as well takes the shoulders out the movement.

are you talking about skull krushers or overhead extensions?

[Resolve]

whoa damn.. and what rep range do you use for each of those?

Varies each workout. One day I might to do, say 8 sets of 3 of Dips and Chins. Next day I may do 4-6sets of 15 for BB Curls and french press. Next workout, Hammer curls and Lockouts for 6sets of 6-8. Etc.

My routines are mixed up and changed frequently, so while I may do sets of 3 for dips one week, the next I may shoot for 12. Same goes for all the movements. I've also been rekindling an old love for oly bar preachers and db incline curls.

[brownstown89]

are you talking about skull krushers or overhead extensions?

overhead extentions with barbell helped my triceps when i first started lifting the most.

[JN230]

drop the dips, as most compounds are hard to feel for most trainers, throw in overhead cable tricep extensions, really squeeze these bastards, and also single arm cable movements have made a big difference in mine

[Jag]

My triceps lagged a bit in progress so i picked 2 exercises and bombed the hell outta them.

The two i settled on and got great results from were lying extensions, heavy and finishing with a drop set. And plain old push-ups, nice and slow to make the tri's really work and finishing with some static holds.

[phL8Tme]

My arm workout. It's different every time! I'll mix kneeling tri extensions with dumbbells, rope pulldowns, over the head with dumbbells, curl bar, bench dips with a 45 on my legs-haha figure that one out! And alternate curls wide/narrow reverse grip, inclined dumbbells, all suppersetted for about an hour. Now mine grow! 14.75-16+ in a year.

Lesson, it takes time to grow such a small muscle. When compared to one like a large muscle like your leg. Also, fromyour profile you seem light for your height.

[Swoldierboy]

one thing that i think only one person mentioned on here so far (i think...lol) is u gotta switch up your routine! i never do the same routine back to back (week to week). sure i do chest with biceps, but the exercises are different, not all but some are. and change up ur rep range

[Joshua86]

My arms aren't necessarily huge by any means and could definitely be bigger, but they're proportionate to my physique and are a good size for my build. I'm naturally a stick, so I have to really work hard to add muscle mass and it comes really slow, even with proper dieting. Try this...

Try doing less arm specific work. Heavy compound lifts will lead to larger, more powerful arms. I used to do a lot of arm work but I've found that I get more out of doing less as long as that less is really intense. With your curl movements, be really strict, do full arcs, flex at the top and lower slowly. Flex a lot after your sets and after your workout (then stretch a lot). For triceps, I get most of my work out of the pressing movements I do. I really like close-grip presses, dips and bar extensions.

I wish doing set after set of arms lead to bigger arms, but that's not how it works for most people. Hell, I could work arms for an hour if I wanted to, though that would be a bad idea. I save most of my direct arm work for the ends of my workouts, doing just a few sets (2-4 usually). Though, I am thinking about switching it up every once in a while so that I hit arms fresh.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents for the night.

[phL8Tme]

Good point Josh86, More is not always better, unless one wants to be really sore for a few days. Mixing it up has helped me alot in the arm size catagory. And I try to hit my arms a little every time I lift. Some days it's just close grip presses at the end of my benching routine. 12-20 reps with 135-150 lbs-and I'll explode the bar up. Other days it's the full arm workout. Suppersets bi's and tris-usually kneeling tri extensions, rope pulldowns, bench dips. mixed with preacher curls, incline curls, reverse grip curls....all till my arms feel like rubber bands. Thats gonna hurt for at least a day! HAHA

[blueandwhite]

I've noticed more results from compound movements, esp. heavy close grip bench press. Weighted dips are working too. My biceps continue to grow, and get nailed on back day as well as arm day. I think a big issue is the natural leverage in my tris is bad, but I'll stick to it. I've gained 12lbs since early September, and have noticed a huge change in my body and overall strength.

Thanks for the advice!

[stullsy]

I've noticed more results from compound movements, esp. heavy close grip bench press. Weighted dips are working too. My biceps continue to grow, and get nailed on back day as well as arm day. I think a big issue is the natural leverage in my tris is bad, but I'll stick to it. I've gained 12lbs since early September, and have noticed a huge change in my body and overall strength.

Thanks for the advice!

Might wanna try heavy close grip presses off a 3 board or off the floor to take the pecs almost totally out of the movement. Anytime you extend the tricep while the anterior shoulder is flexed is going to activate the long large head of the tricep...... oh yeah and eat more or youll never grow