My triceps suck balls

[the.gladiator1987]

SO I got a good build, 5'9" 190lbs 10% BF. But my tris never grow! I can:

bench 315x4
cgbp 225 for reps
weighted dips - bw + 160lbs x 6
Behind the neck military press - 195x5

But my tris lack in size compared to everything else. I am an intermediate lifter, 21 y/o, but ive always hated machines and figured my tris would grow from heavy bench and dips. Well, they havent. So should I isolate them? I need a routine that focuses on strength with ome size to triceps, not biceps. Thanks guys

 

[the.gladiator1987]

late night bump

 

[kx250rider]

For me, cable pushdowns (on high pulley machine) work well. I also like db skull crushers, but somehow the pushdowns do best. I don't have great tri's, but they're OK for where I stand otherwise. I don't think heavy benching alone will target them enough.

Charles

 

[the_alcatraz]

Triceps Pressdowns (heavy)
Skull crushers
Narrow grip bench press
Reverse one hand triceps pressdowns

This will make your triceps grow....all this shit about bench heavy, deadlift heavy and dquat heavy and your arms will grow just doesnt work for everyone...I have huge arms and I have to isolate them to get them to be that big.

 

[ExtraMile]

One exercise I have done on and off in the past has been seated overhead dumbell extensions, with both hands gripping the inside of one dumbell. Works pretty well and you can get up to some heavy weight. Maybe worth a try but I cant say Im an expert because my arms have always been quite small...

 

[musclemom]

One exercise I have done on and off in the past has been seated overhead dumbell extensions, with both hands gripping the inside of one dumbell. Works pretty well and you can get up to some heavy weight. Maybe worth a try but I cant say Im an expert because my arms have always been quite small...

You know, I did that exercise for years and years, and I kept having problems with an upper rib, my chiropractor was constantly having to put it back. I realized that there is simply no way to lift the weight in a symmetrical manner (or, for that matter, a truly safe manner, it has potential to be a dangerous exercise if you think about it). I gave up on it. I started doing a reversed grip bench press and so far I'm liking it and no more rib problems.

I like barbell skull crushers and also really like triceps kickbacks but Needto said he could not, in good conscience as a man, recommend anything called a kickback to anyone but I am telling you, it gets you focused on the triceps very nicely and has the added bonus of NOT having anything over your head if you dump the weight.

 

[ramnares]

You should definitely look into training tricep independently. I usually do reverse grip bench presses, lying barbell tricep extensions, cable pull downs, and weighted dips for triceps. Remember leaning forward (slightly) with chin tucked is for chest while a more upright dip is used for triceps.

 

[ExtraMile]

You know, I did that exercise for years and years, and I kept having problems with an upper rib, my chiropractor was constantly having to put it back. I realized that there is simply no way to lift the weight in a symmetrical manner (or, for that matter, a truly safe manner, it has potential to be a dangerous exercise if you think about it).

Maybe its because I havnt really gotten up to heavy weight when comparing to adults, but right now if I do them even for low reps I can kick the dumbell from my thigh straight up onto my shoulder, I kick it back and flip the dumbell round in the air, its kind of hard to explain but once you have it on a shoulder its pretty easy to press over head. But yeah unless you have a stand I can see it being awkward when you get to real heavy dumbells.

Iv seen videos of people use 120lbs for 20 reps on that exercise and no problem so I guess its just differant for everyone...

Needto said he could not, in good conscience as a man, recommend anything called a kickback to anyone

lol +1 good post needto

rolling tricep extensions are another exercise Iv done on and off in the past, SouthernLord showed me them, Iv never used a barbell but Iv done them with dumbells before, Iv done them on a variety of angles on the decline bench and Iv also done them lying on the floor letting the dumbells rest down on the floor and pausing them there on each rep, pretty fun stuff.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Your muscle attachment points for the tricep and/or fiber ratio might not be the greatest.

I would guess based off your photo and what you said about your cgbp that your tricep strength is lacking in comparison to your chest and shoulder strength.

I would personally focus on fairly heavy, high rep cgbp around 12-15 reps and then as other's have suggested cable pushdowns heavy in the 6-10 range.

I prefer to keep it KISS in lifting and if the benching and pressing isn't enough I still think you are better off using the big boy tricep building exercises rather than kickbacks or skullcrushers.

 

[musclemom]

Maybe its because I havnt really gotten up to heavy weight when comparing to adults, but right now if I do them even for low reps I can kick the dumbell from my thigh straight up onto my shoulder, I kick it back and flip the dumbell round in the air, its kind of hard to explain but once you have it on a shoulder its pretty easy to press over head. But yeah unless you have a stand I can see it being awkward when you get to real heavy dumbells.

Iv seen videos of people use 120lbs for 20 reps on that exercise and no problem so I guess its just differant for everyone...

Well, I make no secret of the fact I have a lot of problems with my spine and joints so it's very easy for me to get things out of whack. I've never really worked outrageously heavy with the DB over my head. From my perspective one of the downsides to the exercise is that you're working a weight with two arms but at one point you're handling the majority of the weight, nearly over your head, with one arm.