3 Hacks to Build Bigger Triceps

The triceps muscle, located on the back of the upper arm, is crucial for achieving well-rounded arm development. It makes up about two-thirds of the upper arm’s muscle mass, which means that focusing on triceps training is essential for anyone looking to build bigger, stronger arms. Despite its importance, many people fail to target the triceps effectively, often focusing too much on biceps instead.

To maximize triceps growth, it’s important to understand the anatomy of the muscle, use the right training techniques, and incorporate specific exercises that target all three heads of the triceps: the long head, lateral head, and medial head. In this article, we’ll explore three scientifically-backed hacks that can help you build bigger triceps.

Understanding Triceps Anatomy

Before diving into the hacks, it’s essential to have a basic understanding of the triceps anatomy. The triceps brachii consists of three heads:

1. Long Head: This is the largest head of the triceps, running along the back of the arm and attaching to the scapula. It plays a key role in extending the arm at the shoulder joint and helps stabilise the shoulder.
2. Lateral Head: Located on the outer side of the upper arm, the lateral head is responsible for the horseshoe shape that many associate with a well-developed triceps.
3. Medial Head: This head lies underneath the long and lateral heads and contributes to arm extension at the elbow.

To effectively build bigger triceps, you need to engage all three heads through a variety of exercises and angles. Let’s take a closer look at three hacks that will help you do just that.

Hack 1: Focus on Compound Movements with Close-Grip Variations

One of the most effective ways to build bigger triceps is to prioritise compound movements. These exercises involve multiple joints and muscle groups, allowing you to lift heavier weights and stimulate more muscle growth. Some of the best compound exercises for triceps development include close-grip bench presses, dips, and push-ups.

Why Close-Grip Variations Work

Close-grip variations of compound exercises place more emphasis on the triceps by reducing the involvement of other muscles, such as the chest and shoulders. For example, during a close-grip bench press, the narrower hand placement forces the triceps to do more of the work compared to a traditional bench press.

A 2016 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that the close-grip bench press activated the triceps significantly more than the traditional bench press. By incorporating close-grip bench presses into your routine, you can maximise triceps activation and growth.

How to Perform Close-Grip Bench Press

• Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and your back pressed against the bench.
• Grasp the barbell with a grip that is slightly narrower than shoulder-width.
• Lower the bar to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in to engage the triceps more.
• Push the bar back up to the starting position by extending your arms.

Alternative Exercises

• Close-Grip Push-Ups: A bodyweight variation that targets the triceps more than traditional push-ups.
• Parallel Bar Dips: Focus on leaning slightly forward to emphasize the triceps.

By incorporating close-grip variations of these compound movements into your training, you can stimulate greater muscle growth and build bigger triceps over time.

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Hack 2: Use Mechanical Drop Sets for Triceps Isolation

Mechanical drop sets are an advanced training technique that can help you increase muscle size and endurance by taking your muscles to failure multiple times in a single set. This method is particularly effective for triceps isolation exercises because it allows you to continue working the muscle even after it’s fatigued.

How Mechanical Drop Sets Work

A mechanical drop set involves performing an exercise to failure and then immediately switching to a slightly easier variation of the same exercise, allowing you to continue the set without reducing the weight. This technique increases time under tension, which is a key factor in muscle hypertrophy.

A 2019 study in Sports Medicine highlighted that increasing time under tension can lead to greater muscle growth by enhancing metabolic stress and muscle damage. By applying this principle to triceps training, you can stimulate more growth.

Example of a Triceps Mechanical Drop Set

Let’s use triceps pushdowns as an example:

1. Start with a traditional triceps pushdown: Use a straight bar attachment and perform the exercise until failure, focusing on full triceps contraction at the bottom.
2. Switch to a reverse-grip pushdown: Once you reach failure with the traditional pushdown, switch to a reverse-grip variation. The reverse grip shifts some of the load away from the lateral head and onto the long head, allowing you to continue the set.
3. Finish with an overhead rope extension: After hitting failure with the reverse-grip pushdown, immediately switch to an overhead rope extension. This exercise targets the long head of the triceps and allows for a deeper stretch, which can further fatigue the muscle.

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Benefits of Mechanical Drop Sets

Mechanical drop sets are particularly effective for building bigger triceps because they allow you to maximise muscle fatigue without needing to reduce the weight. This method not only improves muscle endurance but also enhances the overall stimulus for growth by increasing time under tension and metabolic stress.

Hack 3: Emphasize the Eccentric Phase of Triceps Exercises

One of the most overlooked aspects of triceps training is the eccentric (lowering) phase of the exercise. The eccentric phase is when the muscle lengthens under tension, such as when lowering the weight during a triceps extension. Research shows that emphasizing the eccentric phase of an exercise can lead to greater muscle damage and subsequent growth.

Science Behind Eccentric Training

A 2017 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that eccentric training produced significantly more muscle hypertrophy compared to concentric training alone. This is because the eccentric phase creates more mechanical tension on the muscle fibres, leading to greater microtrauma, which in turn stimulates muscle repair and growth.

How to Implement Eccentric Training

To take advantage of the benefits of eccentric training, try slowing down the lowering phase of your triceps exercises. For example, during a triceps extension, take 3–4 seconds to lower the weight before explosively pressing it back up.

Example of Eccentric Triceps Training

• Eccentric Skull Crushers: Lie on a bench with a barbell or EZ curl bar. Lower the weight slowly towards your forehead, taking 3–4 seconds to complete the movement. Once the weight reaches your forehead, press it back up explosively.
• Eccentric Dips: Perform dips as usual, but slow down the lowering phase to 3–4 seconds. Focus on controlling the movement to increase tension on the triceps.

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Benefits of Eccentric Training

Eccentric training can lead to greater muscle hypertrophy by increasing time under tension and causing more muscle fibre damage. It also improves strength by enhancing neuromuscular adaptations. By incorporating slow, controlled eccentric phases into your triceps exercises, you can further stimulate growth and build bigger, stronger triceps.

Conclusion

Building bigger triceps requires more than just performing a few random exercises. By understanding the anatomy of the muscle and incorporating advanced training techniques, you can maximise your triceps development and achieve the arm size and strength you’re aiming for.

By applying these three hacks—focusing on compound movements, using mechanical drop sets, and emphasizing the eccentric phase—you can build bigger, stronger triceps and improve your overall arm development. Keep in mind that consistency and progressive overload are key, so be sure to progressively increase the weight or intensity of your exercises as you become stronger.

Key Takeaways