Need opinions on tricep poundage

Young One

Member
My tricep longhead is lacking seriously.

I wanted opinions as to when to hit them. I only hit tris on Upper Body days (2) and it's indirect work (bench)
So I was thinking about adding some brief tricep training. I don't know when though.

Current split looks like this:
Upper body
Lower Body
Off
Upper Body
Lower Body
Off
Off

Opinions as to when to hit them? Was thinking perhaps Saturday, 2 sets of max reps on 2 exercises.

Thanks in advance.
 
My triceps began to grow only after I worked the hell out of them with a lot of weight. I don't believe you can overwork your bi's tri's as easily as some people seem to think you can. Until they started getting bigger I hit them hard on their own day with bis but i also hit them hard after chest day. Sometimes 3 times a week.
 
I think less frequent with more intensity is the best route to go. It's easy to overwork the triceps. Any pressing movement heavily involves the triceps. So you're getting triceps work during your chest and shoulder training, and then some people like to work their triceps on a completely different day. I started noticing more fullness when I dropped the frequency (I was doing triceps apart from chest and shoulder days, so that's 3x per week) to twice a week. I would add in some triceps specific work on either my chest or shoulder day. Since my chest is a weak point for me, I usually wait until shoulders day to train them.

I generally don't do any more than 2-3 exercises (usually 2) for specific triceps training, and around 3-4 sets per exercise, so that's about 6-8 total working sets for triceps, on average, for me. If you're trying to gain mass, the key is to use heavy weights. You may see triceps development from lighter, isolation exercises (which I don't completely avoid), but if you want more size and fullness, go heavy.

Some good mass exercises for triceps include:
- Close grip bench presses
- Parallel bar dips (weighted if possible)
- Bench dips (weighted)
- Extensions (not really a compound movement, but you can go heavy)

Really stretch your triceps out after you work them, regardless of when you're working them. After training the chest or shoulders, don't neglect to stretch out your triceps.

Also, if you really want to start seeing more size and fullness, concentrate on heavy compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, presses, ect.. I know it's preached around here daily, but you really do see overall body results from doing heavy squats and deadlifts (albeit you're doing them correctly with adequate rest and diet).

Train hard brotha!
 
Jayhawkk said:
My triceps began to grow only after I worked the hell out of them with a lot of weight. I don't believe you can overwork your bi's tri's as easily as some people seem to think you can. Until they started getting bigger I hit them hard on their own day with bis but i also hit them hard after chest day. Sometimes 3 times a week.
Click to expand...


Ill agree with Jay here - my bi's and tris didnt start responding until I really started pounding the crap out of them. More intensity AND more frequency.

You have to use it as a 'shock' treatment though - trying to work arms 4 days a week for a year and you'll burn yourself out and hurt your joints.


My arms seem to like heavier weight/lower reps as well - at least one exercisse I'll do 3 sets of 8/6/4. If Im short on time, the heavy set will be the only one Ill do.
 
Current split looks like this:
Upper body + close grip bench, weighted dips, reverse grip bench dips (fingers facing away)
Lower Body
Off
Upper Body + rope pushdowns, skullcrushers, reverse grip tricep pushdowns on "W" shaped bar
Lower Body
Off
Off

that's what i would do. tri's should recover as fast as the rest of your body :)
 
My biceps are actually huge, so the only thing I need to do is bring triceps up to par.
Thanks for the replies dudes. :)
 
Just remember, if you want big arms, yes you have to concentrate on sufficiently training them, but the key is to focus on overall growth. This is why when people ask how to get bigger arms, a lot of people recommend squats and deadlifts.

So focus on the heavy compound lifts to get you growing overall (assuming you're dieting to get big) and you'll see your arms start to get bigger. Even if you didn't do a single arms-specific exercise, your arms would still grow from doing heavy compound lifting (squats, deads, presses, ect..).
 
Young One said:
My biceps are actually huge, so the only thing I need to do is bring triceps up to par.
Thanks for the replies dudes. :)
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i have the opposite problem. biceps have trouble catching up w/ the tri's.

1. when?

so for you, i'd recommend doing them on saturday.

this way, you would be recovered by monday (hopefully) for your upper body exercises.

in addition, your arms will have recovered from your last upper body workout.


2. what/how?

i 2nd jay on this. i need to work tri's and bi's with many sets to see results, about 8-12 sets of 2-3 exercises per muscle.

here is what i do - i work tri's and bi's together on an off day, while at home.

i work them to failure, start heavy with exercises that involve both arms at the same (e.g. skull crushers) time and then lighter with exercises that involve one arm at time.

key has been finishing off with those lighter exercises with higher reps - this really works em, gets them really pumped
 
310lifter said:
i have the opposite problem. biceps have trouble catching up w/ the tri's.

1. when?

so for you, i'd recommend doing them on saturday.

this way, you would be recovered by monday (hopefully) for your upper body exercises.

in addition, your arms will have recovered from your last upper body workout.


2. what/how?

i 2nd jay on this. i need to work tri's and bi's with many sets to see results, about 8-12 sets of 2-3 exercises per muscle.

here is what i do - i work tri's and bi's together on an off day, while at home.

i work them to failure, start heavy with exercises that involve both arms at the same (e.g. skull crushers) time and then lighter with exercises that involve one arm at time.

key has been finishing off with those lighter exercises with higher reps - this really works em, gets them really pumped
Click to expand...
Good post, thanks for replying :)
Repped
 
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