The Best Exercises To Strengthen The Triceps With Dumbbells
Training the triceps with dumbbells facilitates efficient strengthening of the posterior arm muscles. This type of work is very important to do as a complement to biceps training.
The triceps brachii is the muscle at the back of the humerus. In fact, it is the only one in the back compartment of the arm. It gets its name from having three heads ( tri means ‘three’ and cep means ‘head’).
The main function of the triceps is to extend the forearm at the elbow joint and act as an antagonist to the biceps brachii. In addition, the long head of the triceps contributes to the extension and adduction of the arm at the shoulder joint.
Some exercises to strengthen the triceps with dumbbells
Exercises to strengthen the triceps with dumbbells are fairly easy to do, but require extreme attention to posture.
On the one hand, good posture is vital so that the exercise is centered where it should be done (back of the arm). On the other, it is essential to avoid injuries, since the required postures are usually unusual and not necessarily comfortable.
Two Arm Triceps Extension
To do the two-arm triceps extension, you must stand or sit and hold a dumbbell with both hands behind your head, elbows up.
From this position the dumbbell is raised, extending the arm and making a slight pause. It is very important that the dumbbell remains perpendicular to the ground. This helps prevent hyperextension of the elbow.
The elbows are then bent again, returning to the initial position. The descent must be done slowly.
This exercise can also be done lying on a completely horizontal or reclined bench, leaving the arms out. Doing so helps you hold the posture more comfortably.
One Arm Tricep Extension
The one-arm triceps extension is a very similar exercise to the previous one. The starting position is the same. Only, when doing it with one arm, the movement is more lateralized.
To stabilize the arm we can help ourselves with the opposite hand, pressing gently below the elbow. Otherwise, the dynamics are the same: extend your arm making sure that the dumbbell is perpendicular to the ground, stop for a few moments and slowly return to the starting position.
Close grip dumbbell curls
Close-grip dumbbell curls help to target your entire triceps evenly. In addition, it also involves the activation of pectorals and front delts.
This exercise is done on the floor, in the manner of traditional push-ups (from the plank position), but instead of supporting the hands, grab some dumbbells. This changes the position of the arm, which helps to better focus the exercise on the triceps.
The close grip involves placing the dumbbells just below the shoulders. When the grip opens, the involvement of the triceps is reduced.
Triceps kick
To perform the triceps kick you need a bench to support one knee and one arm. With the hand opposite to the supported one, take a dumbbell and place the forearm parallel to the body, with the arm flexed at 90 degrees. The exercise consists of extending the arm, as a kick. It is important to be careful not to hyperextend the elbow.
If we don’t have a bench, the triceps kick can be done standing up, leaning the body forward, although it is more uncomfortable. Another way to do this is by sitting down and bringing your body forward.
In this exercise, you have to take care of your shoulder posture, which should be rotated downwards and backwards, preventing it from going forward.
Lying triceps extension
This exercise is done lying on your back on a bench or on the floor with your legs bent, holding a dumbbell in each hand. To do the lying triceps extension you have to grasp the dumbbells as if they were a bar, with the palms facing up and the elbows facing the front.
The advantage with two dumbbells and not with the bar is that both arms are worked equally, which can help avoid or compensate for a muscle imbalance. From the initial position an extension of the arms is carried out, bringing the dumbbells upwards.
To perform the movement well, it is important not to bend your wrists forward. After holding the posture for a few moments, the starting position is resumed slowly.
Stretching after exercising the triceps with dumbbells
It is very important to perform tricep stretches after any type of training; even more so if it has focused on the work of this muscle. Some of the best options are as follows.
Horizontal arm stretch
This is a popular exercise to stretch the triceps as well as the shoulder and upper back. But a lot of people get it wrong, because they don’t take care of their shoulder posture.
To perform the horizontal arm stretch, start by bringing your arm out, opening your chest, and placing your shoulder down and back. From there, take the arm to the opposite side, crossing in front of the body.
With the opposite hand placed above the elbow, help the arm to go further. A trick to get a good grip on the arm and help it stretch is to hold the forearm like a baby, with an open hand, and let it rest on it.
This will also help keep your shoulder in place, that is, down. This is very important, as many people tend to carry their shoulders up. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and switch arms.
Overhead triceps stretch
The overhead tricep stretch is another popular stretch for this purpose. However, it is not always done correctly, especially when there are problems with limiting range of motion at the shoulder level.
To do this, bring your shoulders down and back, opening your chest, to make way for arm movement. Then move one arm up and bend the elbow so that the hand goes down towards the back and the forearm is slightly behind the head.
With the opposite hand, press under the elbow to stabilize the posture. Also, press with your head to increase the stretch. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and change arms.
It is very important to note that the elbow must face upwards and the back must remain neutral. If the back bends, the shoulder will move forward. That will not allow raising the shoulder; on the contrary, it puts a brake on it.
Overhead Grip Triceps Stretch
To intensify the anterior stretch, you can add the grip with the opposite hand from behind the back. This, in addition to intensifying the stretch of the triceps, helps to stretch the opposite shoulder.
If the grip cannot be made, you can take a towel with the upper hand and take it from behind with the lower hand. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and switch arms.
Dumbbell triceps to increase mass
Strengthening the triceps using dumbbells is an effective way to achieve, not only the tone of the arms, but also an increase in muscle mass.
However, it is very important to take care of the loads, as well as the posture. Poor positioning along with excess weight can lead to back and neck problems.
