Supersets for powerful triceps

Have your arms stopped growing? Target every head of the triceps with these supersets and you'll achieve dramatic strength gains and explosive muscle growth!

Author: Alex Nurse

You have already gained a lot of muscle mass, but for some reason at this moment your progress hit an invisible wall? Nothing is more frustrating than progress at a snail's pace on arm days, because we all want to add inches to our arm circumference. And if you've already tried all the methods - both necessary and unnecessary - to develop titanic arm muscles, it may be time to think about using a few biomechanical advantages.

Let's use the immortal advice "divide and rule". Divide, that is, isolate - as far as possible - each head of the triceps due to the strategic redistribution of the load - and conquer, that is, grow!

The triceps account for more than half of the muscle mass of the arms, and this muscle consists of three heads. All heads are involved in extension in the elbow joint and its stabilization. Let's take a close look at the techniques to help you target each of these heads. Remember, you cannot completely isolate a single head, but the position of the arm and hand will help you shift the focus to one or even two heads of the triceps.

The long head of the triceps is the only head that originates above the shoulder joint. The long head is fully extended only when the arm is extended above the head. Pay attention to this, because the muscle will not be able to contract as much as possible if it has not been fully stretched beforehand. Exercises in which the arms are along the body do not put too much stress on the long head, but overhead movements, such as the seated French press, do the job perfectly!

Even the French bench press—where the arms are perpendicular to the torso—uses the long head to some degree. Performing the exercise on an inclined bench, you can even more mix the emphasis on the long head. Not surprisingly, the seated dumbbell press also engages the long head of the triceps.

The most rational approach would be to start with bilateral (simultaneously with two hands) multi-joint movements. These movements will allow you to create a significant load; they should be followed by unilateral and single-joint movements. If you want to really bust that long head, don't do one-arm overhead extensions before the overhead press!

The medial head of the triceps is the most active of all heads during most strength training exercises. It works in all planes and at all possible angles, both during pressing movements (bench press or seated press) and during tricep extensions. All it takes to hit that head accurately is good old-fashioned training intensity. However, this head is relatively small, so unless you're King Kong, you won't be able to get to the big weights trying to isolate it.

There is an ongoing debate about whether the position of the hand really affects the involvement in the contraction of the medial head. Some argue that the reverse - or under - grip shifts the focus to the fibers of the medial head. However, the constant use of an overhand grip in triceps exercises also provides sufficient range of motion; you should try to work the muscle from different angles for a more harmonious development.

Most guys will not be able to take a lot of weight in reverse grip exercises, and therefore I recommend moving these movements to the end of the training session.

This head is most active in the final phase of the movement - when you fully extend your arm. If you never fully straighten your arm, guess which head you are cheating on?

Neutral grip movements (extensions with dumbbells or a cable handle on a block) along with an overhand grip are best for targeting this part of the triceps. The lateral head is active during multi-joint movements (dip-ups on the uneven bars, bench press with a narrow grip), as well as during the French bench press on an incline bench.

While you are likely to do many exercises as simple sets—do one set and wait about a minute before starting the next—you can increase the intensity by combining two exercises that target the same head of the triceps but attack it from different angles. By doing this, you increase your time under stress, which stimulates the secretion of anabolic hormones, specifically somatotropin and testosterone.

In addition, a high pace will help you complete your workout plan faster. By combining all three supersets, you will be able to land a targeted strike on each of the target zones in the shortest period of time.

The first exercise in each superset is multi-joint, that is, the elbow and shoulder joints are involved in the process, and the second in the bundle is a single-joint movement. In multi-joint movements, I recommend using a relatively large working weight so that failure occurs between 6 and 8 repetitions.

On the second exercise, work with a lighter weight that will get you to muscle failure between 10 and 12 reps. Heavy weight in the first set will be a powerful trigger for testosterone secretion. At the end of the superset, you will need more recovery time so that you can handle the maximum possible weight in subsequent sets.

Divide and rule. Try this approach and see if your arms start growing again.

Below are three supersets that will help you focus on all parts of the triceps. Choose the working weight with which you will get to muscle failure in the planned rep range. Repeat the sequence 4-5 times, minimizing rest between supersets. After completing two exercises, rest 2 minutes before the next set.