When it comes to building bigger arms, most people just do more bicep exercises. But it’s actually the triceps that are your secret weapon for filling out your shirt sleeves. They make up two-thirds of your upper arm size. The issue, according to Strength Coach and Physical Therapist, Jeff Cavaliere, is that many people don’t train them effectively.
“When we’re talking about filling in those shirt sleeves, you’ve got to target the long head, because this is the head of the triceps that provides the most width, and it’s the one responsible for that big gap or flatness that you’re seeing right now,” he explains in his latest YouTube video.
So, how do you do it?
“You’ve got to find exercises that put it [the tricep] in that shortened position, where your arm is going to finish back behind your body. And then you also have to find exercises that put your shoulder in flexion and your elbow up over head, to put that stretch on that long head of the tricep.”
These are five tricep exercises that Cavaliere recommends to help hit your triceps in both of these positions. You’ll probably recognise a lot of them, and may even be doing a few already in your workouts. But, with a few tweaks from Cavaliere, they’ll help take your triceps from looking flat to full.
1. Skull crusher
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Stretch position: hits the long head in the lengthened position
A classic for the triceps that can be performed with dumbbells, a barbell, cables, and even resistance bands. But, instead of lowering the bar down towards your forehead, Cavaliere says you need to focus on bringing the bar behind your head. “This will create a greater stretch on the long head of the triceps,” says Cavaliere. “Again, when I straighten out my elbows, I never allow the arm to drift or travel towards the torso. Once you’ve set this angle back behind you, now it’s just about opening and closing the elbow joint, keeping that arm pointed backwards the entire time, and that’s the way you’ll turn that exercise into a more effective one for building your triceps.”
2. Step through push aways
Stretch position: hits the long head in the lengthened position
This is like a tricep push away (more commonly known as a high overhead extension), but better – according to Cavaliere. Why? Because it allows you to use your body for a little more momentum, so you can push more weight. Perform it just as you would a high overhead extension – with your arms bent back behind you holding on to a rope or straight bar – then step forwards with one foot and extend your arms high. By keeping your hands high, Cavaliere says more tension is placed on the triceps. Then, as you bring your arms back, step your foot back too and control the eccentric.
3. Dumbbell overhead extension
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Stretch position: hits the long head in the lengthened position
A great exercise, but one Cavaliere says people struggle with due to their lack of shoulder mobility, which can cause the elbows to flare out to the side, taking the tension off the triceps. To help keep your elbows tucked in, Cavaliere suggests using an inclined weight bench. “This actually fixes whatever biomechanical limitations you’re inadvertently avoiding at this moment,” he says. Not only does it offer an insane stretch to the triceps, but it also angles your arms slightly in front of your body, relieving some tension on the shoulders.
4. The wolverine pull down
Stretch position: hits the long head in the shortened position
We wouldn’t blame you if you hadn’t ever heard of this exercise, and it’s because it’s a Cavaliere special. “What you do is take a hand-over-hand grip here on the cable machine, then you pull until your elbows are close to your body. After you pull, you extend the backs of your hands as far back behind you as possible. It’s one of the best contractions you’ll get.” Even better, you’ll also be working all the muscles on the back of your body, which is a bonus.
5. The drag kickback
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Stretch position: hits the long head in the shortened position
This exercise is essentially a tricep kickback using dumbbells, but with your chest supported on an incline bench. Cavaliere says the bench is key for three reasons. “Number one, it gives me a counterforce; I can push down into the bench to drive the dumbbells up more effectively. The second thing, pretty obviously, is it fixes the posture. You’re never going to have to worry again about the lower back fatiguing and tearing apart the mechanics of the exercise. The third thing, is it allows me to perform a ‘drag’ on the exercise.” When Cavaliere says ‘drag’ he’s referring to a row; so you’ll first row your arms up, then extend them behind you. “That ensures I’m getting my elbow as far back into extension so I can maximise the contraction on that long head,” he says.
