Tank Top Ready Triceps by Tina Jo Orban

Trying to look hot in a tank top requires toned triceps. It is May and summer is right around the corner. And flabby chicken wings are not very humorous (humerus). That’s a lot of alliteration and puns. And I am talking spicy of the good looking kind. Okay let us dispense with the metaphors and play on words and get down to business. The triceps is a three headed (brachii) muscle of the posterior portion of your upper arm or brachium (Latin).
The muscle is responsible primarily for extending your elbow or straightening out your arm. To work “tris” one can perform dips, narrow grip bench-press, skull crushers, triceps push downs, triceps kickbacks, narrow grip push-ups on ad infinitum ad naseum (that’s Latin too). In fact basically anything that extends your elbow—moving your forearm (radius and ulna bones) away from your upper arm (humerus) works this three headed muscle.

The long head of the triceps actually attaches to your scapula. It originates at a nice boney landmark coined the infraglenoid fossa (ah geez more Latin). While the medial and lateral head attach to the humerus bone on the posterior side. Therefore, overhead extensions putting your humerus bone with the most amount of tension (stretch) away from your body focuses on the long head. To work on the medial and lateral heads you can do most triceps exercises that also work the triceps long head. On a side note, it is the lateral head that gets all the attention and impresses people that you posses ripped triceps, but of course without the bulk built up of the medial and long head the triceps would appear wimpy.

What needs to be the take away here is in order to focus on the triceps long head effectively you need to have the long head under tension which requires you moving the humerus away from the body (as a starting position)! This is done  in overhead extensions or overhead triceps presses or easy-curl bar school crushers! Kickbacks (and we aren’t talking politics) and rope extensions on cable will effectively work the medium lateral head but not the long head.
If that is all too much for you to remember let me just lay out for you a blaster workout to hit all three heads. As the saying goes two heads are better than one. Three, well that has got to be the even better.
To get an effective triceps workout and use all three heads (Gee I’m not even a guy) do this:

Number One: Triceps Kickbacks
Four Sets
10-12 Reps
One-minute rest period.

Focus on warming up the muscles use the tried and true triceps kickbacks[1] and we’re not talking politics here!
This is a good exercise as it is difficult to overload the muscle in this position or have joint strain. It’s a good exercise to warm up the overall triceps. Next you could train a little heavier and move into school crushers the school crusher will put emphasis on the long head of the triceps up as well as the medial and lateral head it is important to use an easy-curl bar in this exercise. I find to have your grip narrow enough and make it easier on the carpal bones or your radial ulnar joint.

Number Two: Skull Crushers.

Four Sets
8 to 10 Reps
One-minute rest period.

Take an easy curl bar lay on a flat bench extend your arm straight up as in doing a bench press with the easy curl bar in hand. Keep the grip narrow elbows pointed at the sky perpendicular to the floor.
See image [2]

Number Three: Triceps Overhead Extensions
Four sets
8 to 10 Reps
One-minute 1 ½ minute rest period.

Next exercise over head extensions[3] you can do this with a dumbbell or a weighted plate such as a 25 pound plate or 45 pound plate or you can do this with cables whatever’s comfortable whatever you like make sure your joints are not strained and make sure you do slow and controlled movement in this exercise to guard your shoulder joint or your gleno-humeral joint Again for Seth’s to 10 repetitions one minute to one and a half minute rest. The reason being for longer rest periods as you might be getting fatigued by now and the replenishment of the ATP in the muscle tissue that you’re working may start to take a little bit longer. It’s called fatigue.
Lastly let’s finish off with a polishing
Exercise Four:  Cable Triceps Pushdowns.
Four Sets
8 to 10 Reps
One-minute 1 ½ minute rest period.

Again for 8 to 10 reps each if you’re feeling super fatigued lighten the weight and use higher the reps. I like to use the rope on this exercise as the neutral grip does not destroy my wrist. A metal V-Bar works nicely also! But make sure you have one that pivots at the center. You want the axis to be the bar not your" title="">[4] ).
One thing to keep in mind about “ripped” triceps depending on how you carry your body fat some people male or female have what is called android obesity meaning if you gain weight you gain it in your upper extremities your torso and your upper limbs however on the converse some people carry what is called gynoid obesity that is if you were to gain weight you would carry it in your hips and thighs and buttocks depending on the body type you have to really show ripped triceps you need to get your body fat down low enough is particularly hard for android obesity people unless they’re in the 10% 12% body fat range so if your arms are having a hard time getting cut you could always add exercises that do high repetition triceps work such as rowing or pitching so maybe you want to take your dog to the park and throw that ball hundred times a few times a week. Check out my ripped triceps [5]
Don’t forget to stay hydrated, eat well and do your “cardio” to get the most benefit out of the appearance and functionality of your muscles!

[1] Kickbacks image source: <https://workoutlabs.com/exercise-guide/bent-over-double-arm-tricep-kickbacks/>
[2] Skull Crushers image source: http://www.fitnessandpower.com/training/
bodybuilding-misc/new-skullcrusher-variations-triceps
[3] Overhead Extensions image source: <https://workoutlabs.com/exercise-guide/cable-rope-overhead-triceps-extensions/>
[4] V-Bar image.  Source: <https://livewellsports.com/troy-barbell-usa-triceps-press-down-v-bar-with-swivel?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkPm97pnq
2gIVA6rsCh0inQAYEAQYBSABEgJFNvD_BwE>
[5] https://toni-orban.squarespace.com/new-gallery-1/8ivdzetymlvk04jtm4pazmcf1590tm

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