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With over two decades of experience, Kamal Elgargni is undoubtedly one of the more seasoned professional bodybuilders around. From Asia to Europe and Las Vegas, the 50-year-old IFBB Pro League athlete and former 212 Olympia Champion (2019) has posed on stages worldwide. If his recent exploits are any indication, it seems like he’s hungry for more glory.
On June 16, 2022, Elgargni provided an update on his current physique over his Instagram profile, with the 2022 Mr. Olympia roughly six months away. That competition will occur on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
After years of the prerequisite dedication to building muscle, Elgargni captured his first 212 Olympia title in 2019 once the legendary James “Flex” Lewis vacated it after a run of seven straight victories (2012-2018). Following that title, Elgargni came in second place to Shaun Clarida during the 2020 Mr. Olympia and finished in third place to Clarida (second) and Derek Lunsford (first) in 2021.
Before showing off where his physique stands at the time of this writing, Elgargni was previously most recently seen training his legs with rising star Nick Walker.
About Kamal Elgargni
While Elgargni didn’t disclose his current body weight, the Libyan athlete has typically competed at around 211 pounds. It might be safe to assume that is what he will aim for by the time December 2022 and the latest Mr. Olympia rolls around.
Here are some of the accomplished bodybuilder’s top results from his extended career that began when he was 29-years-old:
Kamal Elgargni | Noteworthy Career Results
2001 National Amateur Bodybuilders’ Association (NABBA) Mr. Universe(short) — First place | Competition debut
2002 NABBA World Championships (overall) — First place
IFBB World Amateur Championships (middleweight/light-heavyweight) — First place (2005-2006, 2008, 2013)
2005 World Games (middleweight) — First place
2006 Asian Games (middleweight) — First place
2007 National Physique Committee (NPC) Excalibur Bodybuilding Championships (light-heavyweight) — First place
2009 IFBB Arnold Amateur(light-heavyweight) — First place
2009 World Games (heavyweight) — Second place
2011 World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation (WBPF) World Championships (light-heavyweight) — First place
2013 Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation (ABBF) Asian Championships (overall) — First place
2013 IFBB Mediterranean Amateur Championships (overall) — First place
As one of the more prominent names in modern bodybuilding, Elgargni will undoubtedly continue to plug away with his training as he starts to ramp up toward the Mr. Olympia. According to his social media, the Libyan athlete’s latest physique update is the first that he has shared in an approximate month.
It very well might not be the last anyone sees of the bodybuilder’s progress before the 2022 Mr. Olympia on December 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Featured image: @ifbb_pro_kamal_elgargni on Instagram
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Almost a decade into his retirement (2013), bodybuilding great Jay Cutler remains a prominent voice in the strength sports sphere. At the time of this writing, the four-time Mr. Olympia Champion (2006-2007, 2009-2010) maintains a YouTube channel with 546,000 subscribers and has over 4.2 million followers on his Instagram profile. With these sizable platforms, Cutler strives to share some of the knowledge he gained from his accomplished career.
A recent YouTube video posted to Cutler’s channel on June 12, 2022, exemplifies how the former bodybuilder wants to pass on wisdom away from the stage while simultaneously taking care of his back in retirement.
Some of the more notable tidbits include Cutler comparing his current training process to meditation. Plus, while he’s still far larger than an “average” human being, the 48-year-old doesn’t want to maintain the size that helped catapult him to the upper echelons of bodybuilding.
All in all, it’s an illuminating insight into the thought process of one of the sport’s distinguished names.
A Different Mindset
In the past, while he was still an active competitor, Cutler alludes to how he would push himself to build mass and muscle. The bodybuilder says he would often push himself extremely hard, but he knows he doesn’t have to do that anymore.
Cutler doesn’t have to maintain his size as much as he focuses on simply training to stay lean when in the gym.
“When I want to get down to my business and meditate with what I call my ‘training meditation’ now,” Cutler says. “… You know how you used to go to the gym, and you would train and you’re like, ‘ah, I want to push this much weight. I want to get pumps. Oh, I’m doing chest; I want to see how full my chest can get.’ I said okay. What do I have to do to maintain a decent physique at my age and stay relatively lean and not be big? If that makes sense, I just don’t want to be big.”
Cutler’s mindset is understandable. It takes a lot of dedication and effort to maintain the world-class physique of a champion bodybuilder. As he approaches age 50, he might still want to be in decent shape, but he doesn’t want to pull out all the stops to meet a specific goal or size — like his past competition body weight. Instead, he plays it by ear.
“Even though everyone looks at me and says ‘what are you talking about, you’re already big,” Cutler explains. “But it’s not comparable to the vision I had of being 300-pounds. But that’s not what I want to be anymore. We all have different goals and mindsets for why we go to the gym and train. And mine right now, it’s a sense of relief for me. It’s a sense of, okay, I had a busy day, and I’m going to go train. As you know, it’s a little instinctive. I don’t have a time.”
As far as his approach to quality rest away from the stage, Cutler notes that he generally tries to wake up naturally now. Even still, it seems the former bodybuilding star maintains some semblance of a usual morning routine.
“I do sleep, but I don’t like getting up at a forced time,” Cutler elaborates. “Tomorrow I have to get up at 3:30 a.m. to make the flight. I got to leave by five. So that only gives me an hour and a half to cook breakfast and do what I need to do … shower, and odds and ends before I leave.”
Cutler’s Volume Back Workout
Once Cutler explains how he trains in retirement, he outlines a quick set of back exercises centered around volume. The entire workout is as follows:
Hammer Strength Front Lat Pulldown Machine
Sets and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
Before hopping on the Hammer Strength front lat pulldown machine, Cutler notes that he doesn’t want to “drag the video on too long” with his workout. Cutler says he wants to take it easy on his lat muscles while still getting the trademark “pull” of the exercise.
“I really like the pull on this,” Cutler says. “We talk about popping the lats for the front double bicep. I’m kind of duplicating it even though my lats are a lot smaller right now.”
Hammer Strength Chest Supported Row
Sets and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
After working his lat muscles, Cutler asserts that keeping his grip in the center of the Hammer Strength row machine will give him better contraction and, in turn, more of a challenge.
“I’m actually going to pull with my lats,” Cutler says. “The motion is to really get a contraction, and I’m going to grip this in the middle. When you grip it a little higher, it’s a little easier, to be honest. I’m going to keep my hands in the dead center. I’m going to keep my chest up and just pull back.”
Cutler’s bent-over rows with a barbell come with a degree of patience during this workout.
Remember this is free weight. Remember, very slow.
Machine Lat Pull Down
Sets and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
Returning to his lats, Cutler keeps it simple with the same aim of quality volume on the more traditional variation of lat pulldowns.
Seated Cable Row
Sets and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
In a consistent hallmark of this routine, Cutler once again suggests a high volume with good technique on the seated cable rows.
Lying Dumbbell Pullover
Sets and Reps: 2-3 x 10-12
To conclude the video, Cutler elects to roll with some lying dumbbell pullovers. He says he likes the exercise because of the way it pulls on his lat muscles and because of its grip versatility.
“Alright, so pay attention to that grip,” Cutler starts. “If I was going to do chest, I’m going to grip the dumbbell like this, I’m going to do like a diamond. For the back, I actually grip it like this. My hand goes around like this [Cutler balls a fist into the other]. That way, I pull here, and it pulls on the lats.”
Even if Cutler doesn’t push himself like one of bodybuilding’s elite athletes anymore, Cutler can still boast a stellar physique. At the same time, as he gets older, it seems the legend’s goals are more about long-term health rather than adding size and pushing his body to its limits. Now that he doesn’t regularly wear posing trunks, Cutler seems free to take any approach he wants in his training.
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On June 15, 2022, weightlifter Mahmoud H. Hassan (89KG) completed a clean & jerk of 193 kilograms (424.5 pounds) during the 2022 Youth World Weightlifting Championships (YWWC) in León, Mexico. The competition falls under the jurisdiction of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).
Hassan’s clean & jerk — where he wore knee wraps, a lifting belt, and lifting straps — is a new Youth World Record for the Men’s 89-kilogram weight class. The Youth World Record clean & jerk eventually helped the 16-year-old Egyptian athlete capture the gold medal for his division.
Clean & Jerk — 193 kilograms (424.5 pounds) | Youth World Record
Total — 343 kilograms (756.2 pounds)
Hassan’s clean & jerk Youth World Record surpasses Siarhei Sharankou’s previous top figure of 192 kilograms from the 2019 European Youth Weightlifting Championships (EYWC), according to the IWF record directory. Notably, Hassan’s record came on his third attempt amidst a massive 18-kilogram (39.7 pounds) progression from his first two tries of 172 kilograms (379.2 pounds) and 175 kilograms (385.8 pounds), respectively.
2022 Youth World Weightlifting Championships Recap
Even without his Youth World Record clean & jerk, Hassan would have still taken home the gold medal for the 89-kilogram division by eight kilograms (17.6 pounds). While not a Youth World Record, the Egyptian athlete’s 150-kilogram (330.7 pounds) snatch was also nine kilograms (19.8 pounds) better than the next best competitor. Overall, Hassan comfortably outpaced Georgia’s Nikola Esartia (second place) and Venezuela’s Carlos Enrique León Avella (third place) on the final podium.
Here are the complete results for the top-three finishers in the 2022 YWWC:
2022 Youth World Weightlifting Championships | Complete Podium Results (89KG)
1. Mahmoud H. Hassan (Egypt)
Snatch — 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds)
Clean & Jerk — 193 kilograms (424.5 pounds) | Youth World Record
Total — 343 kilograms (756.2 pounds)
2. Nikoloz Esartia (Georgia)
Snatch — 141 kilograms (310.8 pounds)
Clean & Jerk — 174 kilograms (383.6 pounds)
Total — 315 kilograms (694.4 pounds)
3. Carlos Enrique León Avella (Venezuela)
Snatch — 125 kilograms (275.6 pounds)
Clean & Jerk — 155 kilograms (341.7 pounds)
Total — 280 kilograms (617.3 pounds)
According to the IWF athlete directory, the 2022 Youth World Championships were the teenage Hassan’s debut international competition. In demonstrating his overhead prowess and strength, it seems Hassan found quite a way to burst onto the competitive scene by winning a gold medal and breaking a Youth World Record in his first appearance on a sanctioned lifting platform.
At the time of this writing, it’s not clear when Hassan will compete again in an official contest. Judging by the results of his first international competition, he might soon help represent the next bright youth movement in the Men’s weightlifting sphere.
The 2022 Youth World Weightlifting Championships will conclude on June 18, 2022.
Hey folks, Board-Certified Health Coach Chloe Maleski is here to answer your questions about intuitive eating. Wondering what intuitive eating is and whether it’s Primal? We’re here with guidance and support! Have a question you’d like to ask our health coaches? Leave it below in the comments or over in the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group.
Janice asked:
“I’m thinking about doing an intuitive eating program. What’s better? That or Primal? Can I do both? I’m confused!”
First, you’re not alone, Janice! It’s easy to be confused by the many approaches to diet and eating out there—many of which offer contradictory advice.
An important thing to keep in mind is that no one way of eating is optimal for everyone. What’s “better” or “best” for you depends on many factors, including individual characteristics and conditions, health and wellness goals, and factors related to resources and accessibility.
That said, there are certainly some foods and eating patterns that are detrimental to pretty much everyone. When it comes to health, longevity, and vitality, a diet full of sugar, highly refined seed oils, fast food, and processed food is never a good idea!
On the flip side, eating in ways that more closely match what our ancestors ate is far more likely to support healthy outcomes. On the most basic level, we’re really just talking real, whole food in its most natural state or with minimal processing. Think:
Animal protein, including ethically raised meat and organ meat, poultry, fish, and eggs free of added hormones and antibiotics
Healthy fats, including grass-fed butter, animal fat, avocado oil, and coconut oil (to name a few)
The above are Primal staples and give our body what it needs to thrive—not just survive. When eating in this way consistently over time, people usually become intuitive eaters in the sense of knowing what their body wants and when they are actually hungry. As a result, they’re less likely to engage in comfort eating or emotional eating out of stress, worry, boredom, or just plain habit.
Generally, this is not the case when we eat a diet full of “modern” foods that disrupt our endocrine system and metabolism while contributing to systemic inflammation. Grains and sugar are a major culprit in this regard. It’s hard if not impossible to “eat intuitively” if these foods have disrupted our body’s signaling system and desensitized us to the natural sweetness in whole foods as well as to feelings of hunger and satiation. Because of their very physiological impact on our endocrine system and insulin levels, grains and sugar promote cravings for, well, more grains and sugar!
Primal Eating = Eating Intuitively
All that’s to say, Primal eating is eating intuitively. This is especially the case if you commit to eating Primal in a consistent way, plus follow the other Primal Blueprint Laws. Those, alongside food choices, influence our body’s hormonal signaling system and determine whether we’re in touch with what we actually want and need.
While all 10 Primal Blueprint Laws are important, key ones here include:
Think about it. If you follow those three, plus eat plants and animals and avoid poisonous things (including the grains, sugar, and highly processed food mentioned above), you’re pretty much bound to feel better and intuitively know what foods your body wants and when.
Eating Intuitively = Intuitive Eating
Simple, right? And yet, we humans tend to complicate things…
There is a whole practice and methodology known as Intuitive Eating (with a capital “I” and “E”). This approach diverges from the Primal Blueprint Laws in a major way. Namely, one of Intuitive Eating’s core tenets is unconditional permission to eat anything in any amount that your body wants. As we learned above, this gets tricky in that what you eat will determine what your body wants.
For some people, this unconditional “green light” helps to take the pressure off and assists them in healing disordered eating and unhelpful patterns around food, dieting, and body image. In such instances, an Intuitive Eating approach truly might feed healthy, intuitive eating patterns (and may even lead folks towards Primal eating, which is the optimal diet from a physiological and evolutionary standpoint).
For others, the approach can backfire, for the simple reason that the foods we choose have a very physiological impact. If given permission to eat sugar and cake, you eat sugar and cake…well, your entire physiology will eventually want and demand more of the same.
Because there is no single approach that works for everyone, it’s up to you to experiment and to get really honest about why a particular approach resonates. Is it the “permission granted”? The carte blanche to eat cake? Or something different?
There’s no judgement here, but truly embracing a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle requires asking yourself these sorts of questions. As a Primal Health Coach, one of my main jobs is to guide clients towards self-reflection and to help them figure out which approaches and strategies will work best for them.
Primal Resilience = Good News!
Worth mentioning here is that a Primal lifestyle isn’t bad news! For one, the 10 Primal Blueprint Laws are really just parameters to guide the way. There’s no need or expectation to get it “perfect” at all times. Make a dedicated, consistent effort, and you’re likely to feel better, get healthier and fitter, and want to continue.
When we feed our body what it’s designed to consume and live in ways that help it move towards wellness and vitality, our intuition and internal barometer gets stronger. This makes eating intuitively and living intuitively something “we just do,” without having to depend on external rules and guidelines.
Food Freedom
When we eat Primal the majority of the time in a sustained way, we become metabolically flexible and increasingly resilient. In those instances when we feel a non-Primal food is truly worth it, bouncing back becomes easier and faster. We simply get up the next day, reset with Primal meals, and move on.
For me, this is actual food freedom: Eating and living to thrive. Knowing that one treat won’t derail the trajectory towards looking and feeling my best. Always remembering that our body is on our side and wants us to eat and live in ways that feel better.
Getting there can take time, yes. And the exact roadmap will differ from person to person. For support in that, consider working with a Primal Health Coach one-on-one! It’s more accessible than you might think, and we can help you get clear on what diet approach and lifestyle practices are best for you. Visit myprimalcoach.com to learn more and get started!
Do you eat intuitively? Have your cravings changed since going Primal? Let us know and drop other questions for me in the comments!
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On June 11, 2022, powerlifter Max Shethar (140KG) deadlifted 365 kilograms (804.7 pounds) during the 2022 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Matt Hurley Drug Tested Memorial Meet in Helena, MT. The pull from a conventional stance— where Shethar wore a lifting belt— is a new World Record for the Teen 18-19 division and is the heaviest-ever deadlift achieved by a 19-year-old, per Open Powerlifting.
In addition to his new record deadlift, Shethar’s final total of 907.2 kilograms (2,000 pounds) is a new World Record for the Teen 18-19 division. Shethar owned the previous top figure when he notched an 882.5-kilogram (1,945.6-pound) total at the 2021 USPA Ragnarok Invite II.
Deadlift — 365 kilograms (804.7 pounds) | World Record (Teen 18-19 division)
Total— 907.2 kilograms (2,000 pounds) | World Record (Teen 18-19 division)
Shethar is accustomed to breaking records on sanctioned platforms and lifting staggering weights during training sessions. In May 2018, when Shethar was 15-years-old, he squatted 260 kilograms (575 pounds). Then, in October 2019, he was the youngest athlete ever to deadlift 327.5 kilograms (722 pounds). Finally, in May 2020, at 17, Shethar captured a 283.5-kilogram (625-pound) deadlift double PR.
The Pacific Northwest native’s strength has only continued to improve since then. According to the caption of Shethar’s deadlift post on his Instagram, his recent pull is a new PR by roughly 33 pounds. That assertion adds up as he pulled 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) at the 2021 USPA Ragnarok Invite II.
About Max Shethar
Despite his youth, Shethar has already constructed quite the resume for a young powerlifter. In seven career competitions, he is undefeated, finishing in first place in every instance. Here’s Shethar’s complete catalog of results to date:
Max Shethar | Complete Career Results
2017 USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Washington State Championships (93KG) — First place | Teen 1 division
2018 USAPL Washington State Championships (125KG) — First place | Teen 1 division
2018 USAPL Raw Nationals (125KG)— First place | Teen 2 division
2019 USPA Drug Tested Washington State Open (140KG) — First place | Teen 16-17 division
2021 USPA Ragnarok Invite II (140KG) — First place | Open
2022 Big Iron Classic State Championships (140KG) — First place | Open
2022 USPA Matt Hurley Drug Tested Memorial Meet (140KG) — First place | Teen 18-19 division
At the time of this writing, Shethar has not announced his next competition. Whenever that contest comes, it seems likely he’ll continue to scribble his name all over the record books.
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After repeating as World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Champion in late May, two-time reigning winner Tom Stoltman (2021-2022) tried his hand at another sport. On June 12, 2022, during the annual Soccer Aid in London, UK — a friendly soccer match organized for charity since 2006 — Stoltman was part of an overall group that helped raise £15,673,728 million in euros ($18,908,393 million in dollars) for the Unicef UK.
While he’s one of the biggest names in strongman, Stoltman was merely part of an extended list of who’s who from the event. Other noteworthy athletes and famous people involved included two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Carli Lloyd, eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, actor Idris Elba, and musician Liam Payne.
Stoltman’s team won the match 4-1 on penalties after a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation. The participants on both squads were largely positionless as scorekeepers also only mainly tracked goals in terms of statistics.
According to UKFundraising, the £15,673,728 million in euros ($18,908,393 million in dollars) raised is a record for the friendly match, which has accumulated a total of roughly £75 million in euros ($80,025, 608 in dollars) to date. The Unicef UK is the United Kingdom’s division of the global organization for children, which aims to improve their access to nutritional food, clean drinking water, quality health care, and a good education.
Upon the match’s conclusion, Stoltman had appropriate words for his involvement in the event in a post on his Instagram.
“£15-plus million raised for Unicef UK with Soccer Aid, what an amazing total,” Stoltman wrote. “I’m so honoured and proud to be a part of this amazing cause.”
Tom Stoltman’s Future
Judging by his recent exploits, Stoltman appears to be following in a recent line of legendary WSM Champions who find a way to stimulate themselves in other ways aside from showing off their strength.
At only 28-years-old, Stoltman is likely a long way from hanging up his lifting belt before engaging fully in other athletic pursuits. His participation in the noble 2022 Soccer Aid is nonetheless an excellent example of what the elite strongman is capable of when not slotting Atlas Stones onto podiums.
Stoltman’s next strongman competition is the 2022 Giants Live World Tour Finals, which will take place on October 8, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. After a second-place finish in 2021, he will try to unseat his brother and the defending Giants Live World Tour Finals winner, Luke Stoltman.
At this rate, a win there might simply be another impressive notch in the belt for one of strongman’s superstars.
Unfortunately, the 58-year-old Coleman has fallen on hard times of late. The legendary strength sports athlete has undergone over a dozen surgeries on his neck and back. While his balance and leg strength have been improving, he walks with crutches for the time being. These developments certainly haven’t stopped Coleman from keeping an optimistic outlook and pushing himself wherever he can.
For example, on June 12, 2022, Coleman shared footage of a recent training session where he did some calf raises (weight undisclosed) for reps.
If his social media is any indication, Coleman’s calf-raise session appears to be about sharing regular updates on his progress. Coleman has been posting videos of himself training his legs in recent weeks. Per the caption of his Instagram post, it seems to be an apparent part of keeping himself as active and healthy as possible.
“Trying my very best to do calf raises with both of my feet being totally numb,” Coleman wrote. “Sometimes it’s not about how hard you try to do something, it’s about how bad you wanna do something.”
According to Coleman, he doesn’t let his mobility troubles keep him away from the gym. If anything, they seem to motivate him more based on his approach.
“I may have a little trouble with my mobility, but I still train legs twice a week every week,” Coleman wrote in another recent post on Instagram. “I miss doing squats more than any exercises I’ve ever done. But at least I still have some leg strength left.”
Coleman’s Health and Future
With one of the more decorated resumes in bodybuilding, some might consider Coleman an ambassador of the sport.
From 1998 to 2005, Coleman captured eight straight Mr. Olympias — tying Lee Haney for the most-ever Olympia wins. Throughout his 17-year career (1990-2007), he won 26 International Federation Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) competitions. Thanks to a rare combination of strength, conditioning, and heavy, challenging lifts, some might even consider Coleman the strongest bodybuilder ever.
His place in the pantheon of elite bodybuilders and his positive approach to life naturally have the greater bodybuilding sphere closely monitoring his recovery. The comments on Coleman’s social media posts often find a litany of stars like Breon Ansley and Phil Heath offering appropriate words of encouragement.
Last fall, in recognition of his many achievements, Coleman received the 2021 Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award from fellow Mr. Olympia legend Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two men possess a combined 15 Mr. Olympia titles and have maintained relative contact over the years.
Coleman has expressed hopes he’ll be able to walk unassisted again in the near future. If he keeps pushing himself appropriately in the gym while holding a cheerful mindset, it might only be a matter of time before the bodybuilding legend can accomplish his goal.
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Got a cable machine? Then you’ve got access to one of the most fundamental exercises to directly target and isolate the triceps. The triceps pushdown, sometimes called a pressdown, is perfectly suited to beginners and experienced lifters alike.
Credit: sakkmesterke / Shutterstock
The cable’s pulley system puts tension — and lots of it — right where it belongs. All you need to do is straighten your arms and build some muscle. Okay, there’s a little more to it than that. Here are all the details.
The cable pushdown is pretty straightforward. To put maximum tension on the triceps and minimize involvement of other muscles, your elbows should remain pinned to your sides as you extend your arms down. Here’s a more in-depth look at how to get set up and how to get the most out of the exercise.
Step 1 — Set Up At the Pulley Station
Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev / Shutterstock
Attach a straight bar to a high-cable pulley. Grab the bar with both hands in a palm-down grip. Take a small step back into a staggered stance. This will give you more total-body stability, especially when using heavier weights.
Bend your knees slightly and tighten your core. Pull your elbows toward your ribs to raise the weight from the stack. Your hands should be roughly in line with your chest, ready to perform the first rep.
Form Tip: The farther you move from the weight stack, the more your back and shoulders muscles will be engaged to keep your elbows pinned to your ribs. The cable running from the handle to the pulley should be at a slight angle.
Step 2 — Straighten Your Arms
Credit: vladee / Shutterstock
Squeeze your upper arms into your sides and pretend you are gluing them in place. Push straight down with both hands until your arms are straight but not fully locked. This maintains slight tension on the muscle and increases the muscle-building stimulus. Keep your hands in line with your forearm without bending your wrists.
Form Tip: Keep a strong, tall posture and an engaged core. You should only be moving at the elbows, not at the waist, as you drive the weights down.
Step 3 — Bend Your Arms to Lower the Weight
Credit: Lestertair / Shutterstock
From the nearly locked out position, bend your arms and slowly return your hands upwards. Keep your elbows stuck to your ribs. When your hands are in the top position, the weights should be hovering barely above the rest of the stack. If the weights rest completely on the stack, adjust your stance and take a very small step backwards.
Form Tip: Don’t allow the weights to pull your elbows forward. Tense your abs, grip the handle hard to engage your grip and control the bar, and pull your shoulder blades back to keep a stable body position.
Triceps Cable Pushdown Mistakes to Avoid
The cable pushdown requires tightness and stability through your entire body. This can be a benefit because keeping your back, shoulders, arms, abs, and legs fully engaged builds muscular coordination.
However, this total-body recruitment also creates multiple opportunities for technique problems to occur. Here are the most significant issues to watch for.
Misaligned Posture
Hunching forward or arching your back when lifting or lowering the weight will prevent you from fully stabilizing your core. You can’t tense your abs effectively without a neutral spine.
Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev / Shutterstock
Having an unstable or angled upper body reduces your ability to control the movement. When your arms and torso aren’t vertical, you’re working through a different angle of resistance and recruiting different muscles. More importantly, a lack of core stability means you could hurt your back.
Avoid It: Stabilize your posture and alignment before each rep. Pull your core muscles up and in. Staggering your feet can also reinforce a strong upper body position because it increases lower body stability, which is transferred through the upper body.
Moving at the Shoulder
The primary movement should be from your elbows, not from your shoulders. When your shoulders work to move the weight, stress is taken off your triceps and shifted onto your deltoids (shoulders) and upper back.
Credit: BLACKDAY / Shutterstock
Don’t allow shoulder rotation to flare your elbows. If your elbows point sideways to the walls instead of behind you, you’ve shifted out of position.
Avoid It: Check your elbow creases. If they turn in, tightness in your shoulders or chest may be pulling your arms forward. Start practicing shoulder and chest flexibility exercises to loosen up the area. Keep the shoulder and upper arms locked into place. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides and be aware of if/when your elbows start to come forward.
Bending Your Wrists
Don’t let your wrists crane back or bend forward. Doing so increases strain on the smaller wrist joint and increases the risk of injury. Keep your hands in line with your forearms, with a straight line from your elbow to your knuckles.
Credit: Luka Funduk / Shutterstock
Avoid It: If breaking at the wrist is an issue for you, consider a glove with wrist wraps or wrist wraps. This external support reminds you to keep the joints in line. Gripping the bar hard, instead of passively pressing through your hands, can also reinforce a stable hand position.
Benefits of the Triceps Cable Pushdown
The cable pushdown places the triceps muscle under constant tension for the duration of the set. This long duration of muscular stress is a key factor responsible for muscle growth. (1)
Credit: KorArkaR / Shutterstock
Pushdowns are a foundational triceps exercise, allowing lifters to focus solely on their triceps, which can improve the mind-muscle connection for greater activation and growth. (2)
Upper Body Strength
The triceps play a role in the majority of upper body exercises, either assisting in chest and shoulder pressing movements or as stabilizers during pulling movements. Increasing triceps-specific strength with cable pushdowns can carry over to improved strength in larger upper body exercises.
Aesthetic Muscle-Building
Cable pushdowns works all three heads of the triceps muscle, creating well-balanced muscle growth. The triceps are worked through a full range of motion with constant tension, making the pushdown an efficient way to directly target the tris.
Muscles Worked by Triceps Cable Pushdown
The triceps cable pushdown is primarily for the triceps, though several muscle groups stabilize the upper body and allow correct performance.
Credit: Slatan / Shutterstock
If other muscles get fatigued before the triceps during a set of pushdowns, it’s an indicator that your technique is off. Reduce the weight and be more focused on applying proper form.
Triceps Brachii
The triceps is a three-headed muscle responsible for elbow extension, or straightening the arm. It’s made up of the lateral and medial heads, which attach at the upper arm and below the elbow, and the long head which attaches to the shoulder blade and below the elbow. (3) Because the long head runs along the shoulder joint and attaches to the shoulder blade, it is also activated during shoulder movements when the upper arm is raised.
Pectoralis Major
The pectoralis major, or pecs, are the main chest muscle. The pecs are responsible for pulling your arms toward the centerline of your body. While the chest isn’t a primary mover during pushdowns, it is worked statically to provide upper body stability and to keep your elbows by your sides, particularly in the locked out position.
Upper Back
The upper back muscles include the trapezius, rhomboids, teres, and rear deltoids. This collection of muscles work in similar roles to control the shoulder blades, shoulder position, and posture. During cable pushdowns, the upper back is highly activated to stabilize your upper body and maintain a stable upper arm position as the lower arm moves the weight.
Who Should Do the Triceps Cable Pushdown
The pushdown can be used by any lifter looking to emphasize their triceps. The movement can be implemented into strength-building programs, as well as any arm day or muscle-specific routine designed to build size.
Beginners
When you’re first learning how to train various muscles of the body, the triceps cable pushdown is a useful movement to start with because it isolates the muscle group. This targeted work allows new lifters to feel the muscle working throughout the entire range of motion.
Training for Muscle Growth
Whether you’re a physique competitor or training for general aesthetics, this exercise can help to build to triceps. Increased triceps activation without interference from other muscles stimulates greater muscle growth in the target muscle leading, simply, to bigger arms.
How to Program the Triceps Cable Pushdown
The triceps cable pushdown is easy to implement into most routines as long as you have access to a cable machine. The exercise isn’t well-suited to extremely heavy weights and low-rep sets, because strict form becomes unmanageable and additional muscles are recruited. However, light or moderate weights can be highly effective for muscle growth due to the high tension provided by the cables.
Moderate Weight, Moderate Reps
Training the cable pushdown with three to four sets of eight to 12 reps is a classic muscle-building approach. This is a time-tested way to pack on triceps size and build larger arms.
Light Weight, High Reps
Using the pushdown as a finisher or burnout is a very high-intensity way to end any arm workout. One or two sets of 15 to 25 reps, reaching muscular failure at the last rep, is an excellent method for increasing training volume. The lighter weights make this approach is particularly useful for lifters who need to minimize joint strain.
Paired with Biceps Training
Because the cable pushdown requires minimal setup, one extremely effective way to program the exercise is to superset it with any biceps exercise. By alternating between a biceps curl and triceps pushdown, you can quickly and efficiently train your entire arm with high intensity.
Triceps Cable Pushdown Variations
The triceps pushdown is extremely versatile. With a simple adjustment of the handle attachment, you can change things up, add an extra challenge, and work the triceps in slightly different ways.
Rope Pushdown
Using a rope attachment puts your hands in a neutral (thumbs-up) grip, which can be beneficial for lifters dealing with wrist or elbow pain because it places the muscles around those joints in a stronger position, which relieves stress on the joints.
While this variation doesn’t necessarily recruit the triceps muscle differently, it offers a slightly longer range of motion. The hands begin close together in the top position and flare out to the sides in the bottom position. Your elbows should remain stuck to your ribs, only your hands should move.
Reverse-Grip Pushdown
The reverse-grip pushdown isn’t often seen in gyms, but it can be an effective variation to reinforce strict form. With a supinated (palm-up) grip, swinging your torso is less effective since the bar is only held in place with your fingers, compared to a more secure a palm-down grip which covers the bar with your entire hand.
This underhand grip also reinforces proper elbow position because it becomes more difficult to flare your elbows out with this setup.
Single-Arm Pushdown
Performing a single-arm pushdown emphasizes each individual arm during a set. This one-sided attention helps to fight strength and muscular discrepancies that may develop from over-focusing on bilateral (simultaneous two-arm) exercises.
Single-arm pushdowns can be performed with a single-handle, a rope attachment, or no handle at all holding just the attachment anchor.
Triceps Cable Pushdown Alternatives
If you don’t have access to a cable pulley, there are still plenty of effective options to work your triceps. It’s always fun to mix it up, and it’s important to challenge the muscles in different ways.
Diamond Push-Up
The diamond push-up, or close-grip push-up, is a reliable bodyweight exercise to emphasize the triceps. The narrow hand position recruits more triceps and relatively less chest muscles to complete the movement.
This is another extremely efficient exercise to alternate with biceps training to create a quick arm-building workout. Perform any set of curls, drop and perform diamond push-ups, rest briefly, and repeat.
Triceps Kickback
This dumbbell movement is often performed with very light weights for very high reps. However, maintaining good form while moving more challenging weights in the 10-12 rep range can be a serious muscle-building exercise.
The key is to keep your elbows stuck to your ribs and not recruit the back or shoulder muscles to move the weights. You can increase the time under tension and muscle-building stimulus for the triceps by pausing in the top position for a full one or two seconds.
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
This exercise works the triceps in a slightly different plane of motion, with the arms perpendicular to the body instead of alongside the torso. This can slightly change the muscle recruitment of different triceps heads and lead to a new muscle-building stimulus. (4)
Using dumbbells also allows more freedom for the wrist and elbows to move, which can reduce strain on the joints. Keep the dumbbells in line with your shoulders. In the bottom position, the weights should be near your ears.
FAQs
Do I need to work my triceps specifically?
While the triceps are worked actively during most chest and shoulder exercises, as well as serving a supportive role during most back exercises, direct triceps training is essential for maximum muscle growth.
The triceps also play a functional role in many daily activities, from closing a car door to getting up off the ground after falling. Building the triceps specifically, within a comprehensive training program, can play a critical role in improving overall functional strength.
What if my arms can’t stay by my sides?
A physical inability to keep your arms at your sides against resistance may be caused by chest or shoulder immobility. When the chest or shoulders are excessively tight, they want to pull the arms forward and inward.
Performing a simple doorway chest stretch daily is one efficient place to start. In addition, work on overall posture and alignment to encourage overall strength and stability.
Get Down with Pushdowns
The triceps cable pushdown is such a basic and effective movement in the gym, it is easy to pepper into your workout routine. Using strict form and a full range of motion will add size to your triceps, help to keep your elbows and shoulders healthy, and support all of your big pressing goals.
References
Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012;590(2):351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
Calatayud J, Vinstrup J, Jakobsen MD, Sundstrup E, Brandt M, Jay K, Colado JC, Andersen LL. Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016 Mar;116(3):527-33. doi: 10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7. Epub 2015 Dec 23. PMID: 26700744.
Tiwana MS, Sinkler MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle. [Updated 2021 Aug 6]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996/
Kholinne, E., Zulkarnain, R. F., Sun, Y. C., Lim, S., Chun, J. M., & Jeon, I. H. (2018). The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension. Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica, 52(3), 201–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
On June 12, 2022, strongman Tim Daglish won the 2022 England’s Strongest Man U80KG, which took place in the Kaos Strength Gym in Preston, UK. Josh Lancaster and Richard Molnar finished in second and third place, respectively.
While Lancaster didn’t come out on top, he set a new U80KG Monster Dumbbell World Record by pressing 100 kilograms (220.5 pounds) overhead. (A monster dumbbell is a loadable and adjustable dumbbell thicker than its traditional cousin.)
Here are the complete final results for the top-10 competitors in the 2022 England’s Strongest Man U80Kg:
2022 England’s Strongest Man U80KG | Top 10 Finishers & Scorecard
Tim Daglish
Josh Lancaster
Richard Molnar
Joe Daglish
Tommy Chivers
Thomas Hulme
Connor Cowens
Andrew Keys
Matt Whalley
Lewis Blackwood
A P.E. teacher by trade in England, Daglish continues to add to a growing noteworthy strength resume.
Among some of his more prominent achievements, Daglish is the reigning 2021 Britain’s Strongest Man U80KG Champion — which he won last summer. In addition, he also attained a first-place result in the 2021 Official Strongman World Deadlift Championships U80KG. Daglish won that competition by lifting a 230-kilogram (507 pounds) axle bar deadlift for 13 unbroken repetitions.
2022 England’s Strongest Man U80KG | Recap
Here’s how each of the Men’s U80KG competitors fared across the competition’s five main events in the Axle Clean & Press, Axle Deadlift, Farmer’s Walk, Sandbag Toss, and Sandbag Carry.
Event 1 — Axle Clean & Press
In the Axle Clean & Press, athletes had the task of cleaning and pressing a 120-kilogram (264.5-pound) axle bar for reps. On average, each competitor was lifting 1.5X their body weight in this event. With six reps, Tommy Chivers won the event. Five separate athletes — Daglish, Lancaster, Thomas Hulme, Lewis Blackwood, and Matt Nice — tied for second with four reps each.
Event 2 — Axle Deadlift
The second event saw the athletes deadlift an axle barbell, 15-inches off of the ground, loaded with 255 kilograms (562.2 pounds) for reps. Third-place finisher Richard Molnar won the Axle Deadlift with a staggering 18 reps. Daglish (17 reps) and Blackwood (15 reps) rounded out the top three.
A staple of many strongman events, the Farmer’s Walk asked the athletes to lift different 100-kilogram (220.5-pound) implements three times back and forth and carry them for a total distance of 45 meters. Chivers once again won when he finished with a time of 16.85 seconds.
Event 4 — Sandbag Toss
The sandbags in the Sandbag Toss ranged from 13.5 kilograms (29.7 pounds) to 22.5 kilograms (49.6 pounds). The athletes had to toss the sandbags over a frame that was 4.3 meters (14.1 feet) high. Brothers Tim and Joe Daglish came in first and second, respectively, while Hulme came in third place. These three athletes were the only competitors to each successfully toss at least four bags.
Event 5 — Sandbag Carry
In the final main event of the competition, the athletes had to carry a 100-kilogram (220.5-pound) sandbag for max distance. There was no time limit or timer. Eighth-place finisher Andrew Keys won his only event of the contest when he took the sandbag 210 meters (688 feet).
After the dust settled on the 2022 England’s Strongest Man U80KG, Daglish and the other seven athletes in the top eight obtained automatic qualification for the 2022 Britain’s Strongest Man U80KG. That competition will take place on July 24, 2022, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Featured image: @josh_lancaster_strongman_u80kg on Instagram
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Ask 10 lifters to name the body part they’re training on any random day, and you’ll probably hear some familiar answers — chest, back, arms, biceps, maybe even legs. But very few will say they’re working triceps. There’s generic “arm day,” which includes the triceps. But they rarely get a spotlight, and that’s a mistake.
Credit: Nikolas_jkd / Shutterstock
The tris are a powerhouse muscle, responsible for moving heavy loads during the more popular bench press and overhead press. They also cover more surface area on the upper arm, making them more responsible for increasing arm size than the more popular biceps. It’s time to put the triceps centerstage and give them the attention they deserve.
Training with dumbbells is an effective way to reduce joint stress because the arms are able to move freely without being locked into a strict range of motion. Because many triceps exercises can aggravate the elbow joint due to leverage, using dumbbells is one common alternative.
The Dumbbell-Only Triceps Workout
This all-dumbbell plan builds size and strength in the triceps without the need for a fully equipped gym, versatile cable stations, or a wide array of equipment.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
With a good set of dumbbells and a bench, you can work all three heads of the triceps with minimal joint strain.
Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press
How to Do it: As you lie on a flat bench, “kick” a pair of dumbbells into a locked out position above your chest. Face your palms toward each other and plant your feet flat on the floor. Keep your head and tailbone on the bench as you lower the weights to your chest. Point your elbows toward your feet and let them slide past your ribs as you lower the weight. The dumbbells should end up touching the outside of your chest with your elbows near the bottom of the bench. Reverse direction to press the weights up.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 6-8
Rest time: Two minutes between sets
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
How to Do it: Lie on a flat bench with a pair of dumbbells locked out overhead with your palms facing each other. Keep your head and glutes on the bench. Bend only at the elbows and lower the weights to the bench behind your head. In the bottom position, your elbows should point to the ceiling and your hands should be facing your ears.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 10-12
Rest time: One minute between sets.
Single-Arm Overhead Extension
How to Do it: Sit upright on a bench with a dumbbell locked overhead in one hand. Use your free hand to touch the triceps of the working arm. This maintains its position and reinforces muscle recruitment. (1) Bend your elbow to lower the weight in an arc without moving your upper arm. In the bottom position, the weight should be behind your opposite shoulder. Raise the weight while keeping your elbow pointed to the ceiling. Perform all reps with one arm before switching sides.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
Rest time: No rest between arms. 30 seconds between sets.
Best Bodyweight Triceps Workout
Bodyweight exercises typically target larger muscle groups like the chest, back, and legs because the majority of bodyweight movements involve multi-joint exercises primarily emphasizing those larger body parts.
However, certain exercise variations or specific exercises can emphasize the triceps while associated muscles, like the chest and shoulders, work in a supportive role.
Triceps Size and Strength Without Weights
This bodyweight-only triceps workout uses push-up variations to adjust the body’s leverage, which makes the triceps the primary muscle recruited.
Choose any one of these exercises to plug into a more complete upper body or full-body workout, or perform the entire workout as part of a triceps-focused training day.
Tiger Bend Push-Up
How to Do it: Begin in a kneeling position with your forearms, elbows, knees, and shins on the ground. Set your elbows directly under your shoulders, your knees under your hips, and your palms down. Press through your hands until your arms are locked straight. Don’t allow your back to sag or round. To make the exercise more challenging, move your feet and knees farther back. Performing the exercise with straight legs and only your toes on the ground is the most difficult progression.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 4-6
Rest time: Two minutes between sets.
Dip with One-and-a-Half Reps
How to Do it: Begin at a dip station or set up between two sturdy chairs or high benches. Jump to the top position with locked arms. Keep your torso upright and your head back as you lower your body by bending your elbows. As you descend, keep your elbows pointed straight back, not flared to the sides. Pause after several inches and press back to lockout. Lower yourself again as far as your shoulder mobility allows before pressing up to full lockout. That’s one complete rep.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 6-8
Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.
Close-Grip Push-Up
How to Do it: Begin with your hands on the ground slightly closer than shoulder-width and your feet on the ground, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Maintain a straight line from your neck to your feet. Lower your entire body until your chest nearly touches the ground. Keep your elbows aimed towards your feet, not flared to the walls.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-15
Rest time: 30 seconds between sets.
Best Triceps Workout for Muscle Mass
Big arms are a popular goal for many, if not most, lifters in the gym. However, over-focusing on building the biceps is an inefficient and ineffective plan for arm size.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
One common anecdote shared in gym locker rooms is, “triceps account for 66% of your arm size.” This well-meaning statistic is as arbitrary as it is widespread. However, the moral behind it is solid. The triceps muscle does have the potential for a greater impact on overall arm size compared to the biceps because it’s anatomically larger, even before weight training’s muscle-building stimulus.
More Size for Your Tris
For maximum muscle growth, the triceps need to be worked with the upper arm in a variety of positions relative to the torso. (2) Due to the varied attachment points of the three heads of the triceps muscle, complete development is achieved by working with the upper arm alongside the torso (pointed down), perpendicular to the torso (pointed forward), and above the torso (pointed up).
Rope Pressdown
How to Do it: Attach a rope handle to a high-cable pulley. Take the rope with both hands and pull your elbows to your sides with your hands roughly chest-level. Keep your knees slightly bent and your torso upright. Press your hands toward the ground for a complete contraction. Pause for one second in the bottom position. Don’t allow your elbows to move forward when lowering the weight.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
Rest time: 30 seconds between sets.
Dumbbell Overhead Extension
How to Do it: Sit upright on a bench holding one dumbbell with both hands above your head. Keep your core tight while lowering the weight behind your head toward the bench. Your elbows should point forward, not flare out to the sides. In the bottom position, your triceps should be stretched and your hands should be near the back of your neck. Raise the weight slowly, maintaining a forward-elbow position.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 10-12
Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.
EZ-Bar Skull Crusher
How to Do it: Hold an EZ-curl bar with a moderate-width (neither close nor wide) overhand grip. Sit on a flat bench. As you lie back, “kick” the weight into a locked out position above your face. Lower the weight towards the bench behind your head and allow your elbows to move slightly as you bend your arms. Rest the weight briefly in the bottom position before returning to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-12
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
EZ-Bar Close-Grip Bench Press
How to Do it: Remain lying on the bench while holding the same weight in the same hand position as the previous exercise. Begin with your arms locked straight above your chest. Lower the weight until it touches your lower chest. Keep your elbows close to your sides, not pointed away from your body.
Sets and Reps: 3 x AMRAP (As many repetitions as possible until muscular failure.)
Rest time: 90 seconds rest before returning to the previous exercise.
Best Triceps Workout For Strength
Triceps strength is essential for all pressing exercises, as well as providing stability during pulling exercises. Building stronger triceps will carry over to total-body strength, so time spent focused on stronger tris is time spent focused on a stronger body.
Triceps-Focused Strength Workout
While some lifters approach triceps training as assistance exercises performed with lighter weights and higher reps, training the tris specifically for strength using more traditional strength and power-focused sets, reps, and loads can yield more direct improvements in overall strength.
Credit: Bojan Milinkov / Shutterstock
It is important to note that training priorities should always be respected. Recovery and progress may be compromised if you try to focus on bench and/or overhead strength as well as triceps-specific strength simultaneously. Taking several weeks to prioritize the triceps before re-prioritizing chest or shoulder pressing is a more efficient long-term plan.
Close-Grip Bench Press
How to Do it: Lie down at a flat bench press station. Take an overhand grip on the barbell with your hands slightly closer than shoulder-width for increased triceps stress and decreased chest recruitment. (3) Keep your feet flat on the ground as you unrack the bar and lower it to touch your chest. Your elbows should point towards your feet. Press back to full lockout and pause at the top before beginning the next rep.
Sets and Reps: 5 x 3-5
Rest time: Three minutes between sets.
Weighted Dip
How to Do it: At a dip station, jump into the top position with locked arms. Keep your head up and your torso upright. Lower yourself under control as far as your shoulder mobility allows. To emphasize triceps recruitment, keep your elbows pointed backwards, not flared to the sides. Use a dip belt or weighted vest for added resistance.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 6-8
Rest time: Three minutes between sets.
Partial Overhead Press
How to Do it: In a power rack, begin in a shoulder press position holding a barbell with an overhand grip at roughly collarbone-height. Keep your knees slightly bent and your core tense as you press the weight overhead to full lockout. Lower the weight to eye-level before pressing to full lockout again. On each repetition, bring the weight no lower than your eyes to increase triceps recruitment and decrease shoulder activation.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-10
Rest time: Two minutes between sets.
The Triceps Muscles
The triceps muscles may not be one of the most popular body parts, but they play an active role in countless upper body exercises and a more supportive role in many lower body exercises.
Here’s a more in-depth look at how the triceps function and how they can be most effectively trained.
Triceps Brachii
The triceps brachii, or triceps, are composed of three separate muscle heads working in unison to extend the elbow, or straighten the arm. The long head, medial head, and lateral head all attach just below the elbow.
Credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic / Shutterstock
The medial head and lateral heads originate on the upper arm, while the long head connects to the scapula (shoulder blade). (4) Because the long head crosses the shoulder joint, it serves an added function in helping to control movement of the arm at the shoulder.
This shoulder function allows the long head to be more highly activated when the arm is brought overhead during triceps exercises, as in overhead extensions.
Triceps Warm-Up
A thorough warm-up is essential for optimizing performance and minimizing joint strain. A triceps warm-up should involve the surrounding musculature (chest, back, shoulders, and biceps) as well as the triceps directly.
Credit: Miljan Zivkovic / Shutterstock
Here’s a simple and effective resistance band warm-up to begin any triceps workout.
Triceps Band Warm-up
Band Pull-Apart: Take a palms-down grip on a resistance band. Begin with your arms extended in front of your chest. Keep your arms nearly locked while pulling your hands in line with your shoulders. The band should touch your chest before returning to the starting position. Perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise.
Band Chest Press: Secure the band to a stable point roughly chest-height. Face away from the anchorpoint. Take one end of the band in each hand. Press straight ahead until your arms are locked out in front of your shoulders. Perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise.
Band Curl: With the band still anchored at chest-height, turn around and grab one end of the band in each hand. Step back and extend your arms straight. Curl your hands towards your face with a thumbs-up grip while keeping your elbows at shoulder-height. Perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise.
Band Pressdown: Keep one end of the band in each hand and step forward. Pin your elbows to your ribs. Straighten your arms to full lockout with your hands near your waist. Return your hands to chest-level. Perform 15 reps before returning to the first exercise. Do a total of two sets of the complete circuit.
Tri to Focus
Don’t let your triceps be overshadowed, figuratively, by other body parts. They’re overlooked, quietly working alongside their more attention-grabbing counterpart, the biceps.
The tris only step into the spotlight when it matters most, whether it’s helping you lock out a bench press PR or fill out your shirtsleeves. It’s time to bring them front and center, choose a targeted training plan, and spend time giving them the attention they’ve been missing.
References
Oshita, Kazushige. (2021). Effect of internal focus of attention with touching cue on the agonist muscle activity during exercise. 10.14198/jhse.2021.16.Proc2.04.
Kholinne E, Zulkarnain RF, Sun YC, Lim S, Chun JM, Jeon IH. The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2018;52(3):201-205. doi:10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005
Lehman G. J. (2005). The influence of grip width and forearm pronation/supination on upper-body myoelectric activity during the flat bench press. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 19(3), 587–591. https://doi.org/10.1519/R-15024.1
Tiwana MS, Sinkler MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle. [Updated 2021 Aug 6]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996/
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