Building Big Triceps - By Alex Brooker

Here we will refer to “Big” Triceps both in the sense “Big” in size, and “Big” in strength.

Big arms are as vital to the Alpha-male as mother’s milk to a baby. Triceps make up 2/3 of the upper arm yet a lot of lifters are far more concerned about their biceps. Given the size difference it would make sense that if you’re going to display your guns, BIG Triceps are a must!

The Triceps Brachii, as the name suggests, is comprised of 3 heads connecting the Humerous and Scapula to the Ulna. These heads are the Lateral, Medial and Long Heads. Their primary function is for extension of the elbow, and adduction of the arm (assisted by the Lats). It is the Lateral head that is most responsible for the desired ‘Horseshoe’ shape which in addition adds thickness to your arms – and we all know Women appreciate girth.

The Benefits of Big Triceps
Firstly, huge triceps look menacing! They are a status symbol and admired by men and women alike. They’re something premiership footballers can only dream of. Ronaldo may be driving a Lamborghini with a 20-something Supermodel riding shotgun, but behind her Sunglasses she’s admiring those monstrous Tri’s bursting out of your sleeves. Before you know it she’ll have ditched the poser and will have her arms wrapped around you. All thanks to your triceps.


Secondly, Big Triceps are of immense use, especially in contact sports. They assist in all pushing movements of the upper body and play a vital part in certain overhead throws. Increasing the strength of the Triceps will increase your pushing strength and your ability to apply a larger force during extension of the elbow. This is extremely beneficial in sporting situations such as a Hand-Off in Rugby, the completion phase of delivering a knockout punch and a throwing a cricket ball where the fielder does not have time to gather momentum with their legs.


These guys’ Triceps show no mercy!

This increase in pushing strength will transfer when under the bar. As you undoubtedly aware, the Triceps are key in the lockout phase of a Bench press and overhead press, so it makes sense that if you want to increase either lift you must develop strong Triceps.
Thirdly, big Triceps are a confidence booster. You feel strong, happy and more confident about yourself when your arms are big - and this positive psychology has been proven to improve performance in the gym, on the field and in general life!

Hypertrophy

Big Triceps are achieved through Hypertrophy – an increase in muscle cell size. However, there are two types of Hypertrophy – Sarcoplasmic and Myofibrillar – and each have a different training effect on the muscle cell, and determine the functionality of the muscle. It is rare however, to exclusively achieve one type of Hypertrophy without experiencing some of the other type.

Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy is where the volume of Sarcoplasmic fluid within the muscle increases without there being any significant increase in the strength of the muscle. It is typical of the muscles of certain bodybuilders. This type of Hypertrophy is achieved through higher repetition work, typically 8-12 repetitions for Bodybuilders or over 12 repetitions for muscular endurance work, using sub maximal weight loads. When performing this kind of Hypertrophy Time Under Tension (TUT) needs to be considered. The longer the muscle is put under tension the more fatigued it will become, helping to promote Hyperplasia. Longer periods of TUT does lead to a greater amount muscle soreness however, so ensure you allow sufficient recovery between workouts. If it is your desire to build aesthetically pleasing Triceps regardless of functionality, Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy is the best training style for you.

Myofibrillar Hypertrophy is the main reason someone may not look much yet lift like Hercules. It is the enlargement of individual the muscle fibres as it gains more myofibrils. With this type of Hypertrophy, the area density of myofibrils increases and there is a significantly greater ability to exert muscular strength. For this reason, Myofibrillar Hypertrophy is extremely beneficial to athletes as almost all sports involve an explosive movement of some nature. This type of Hypertrophy is achieved through low repetitions (1-5 reps) within the 85-100% 1RM weight range. It seems quite obvious to me that for Triceps ‘Big’ on the sports field, Myofibrillar Hypertrophy should be trained.

Our top 3 exercises for “Big Volume” Triceps (Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy)
• Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension – I like to Perform this exercise stood up as it forces the core to stabilise body movement, and I generally aim for 2 x 8-10reps
• EZ Bar Skull Crushers – This is a killer movement and really hits the long head. Perform 6-8 repetitions lifting the weight at a 3-1-1 second pace
• Weighted Triceps Dips – I like to perform 2 Maximal repetition sets with a weighted belt, choosing enough weight to aim for at least 15 repetitions per set.

Our Top 3 exercises for “Big Strength” Triceps (Myofibrillar Hypertrophy)
• Rack lock-outs – Perform 5 sets of 3 reps at 87.5%
• Close Grip Bench Press – This works all three of the Triceps heads so is a must! Perform 3-5 sets of 5reps
• Reverse Band Bench Press – Working within the 3-5rep range at 85-90% 1RM.


At Animal Performance Centre we like to program a mixture of rep ranges to develop both Myofibrillar and Sarcolplasmic Hypertrophy. We may hit the Triceps hard with a full range compound movement such as close-grip bench press, followed by a Maximal set of close grip rack-lock outs to ‘Finish’ them off. We have found that this helped our clients develop both big in cell size and Big on the sports pitch. Each Hypertrophy type has their benefits, so why not take the best of both?!

Example Body Building training Split for Big & Strong Triceps

Workout 1: Chest/Biceps – Focusing on Close-grip or Reverse Band Bench Press within the 3-5rep range.
Workout 2: Legs/Abs
Workout 3: Back/Triceps – Heavy set of weighted dips, followed by higher repetition DB Triceps extensions.
Workout 4: Deltoids


Wrap-Up
So, I guess you may be thinking what is THE BEST Triceps exercise? Well in our opinion, If you are only able to exercise the Triceps once per week then this exercise will give you the most beneficial and economic gains. Think of it as our MUST DO exercise.

Drop-Set Bench Press Lockouts

Set up a bench in a power/squat rack with the bar resting on the pins around 9inches from full lock out. Perform a set, strip the weight and repeat for the required amount of drops.

2 Drop Sets x Max reps @ 95% @ 85% @ 75% @70% (%1RM)

What ever your aim – performance or perfection – BIG Triceps are imperative. Incorporate these exercises in your workouts and arm yourself with Triceps even nature would be jealous of!



AnimalPerformance (APC) Ltd. is run by Adam Hope & Alex Brooker. They are currently in their last year of study at Loughborough University. APC was created in 2010 and already yields some exceptional clients such as international student rugby league representatives, semi professional rugby players, rock climbers and sprinters. They are the NEW generation in Strength&Conditioning, combining scientific methods into a hard working, results driven environment to maximize their results. Their slogan is: ENERGY PASSION SUCCESS and they currently offer online consultation service. Please check out the website for more details: www.AnimalPerformance.com
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