Proper Training for the Triceps

This post follows the series describing how to design adequate routines for training the different body-parts. This chapter provides you with the general guidelines for proper triceps training.

The size of your arms is highly determined by your triceps, since it covers about 2/3 of the muscle mass while the biceps covers only the remaining 1/3. The triceps brachii consists of three heads: the long head (a.k.a. inner head), the lateral head (a.k.a. outer head) and the medial head. The main function of the triceps is to extend the elbow (straightening the arm). In addition, the long head of the muscle is also the responsible of bringing the arm down towards the body. For this reason, the medial and lateral heads are recruited only by movements at the elbow joint, while the long head can be recruited by movements occurring at both the elbow and shoulder joints.

Your triceps routine must include exercises for stimulating the three heads of the muscle, using both compound movements and isolation exercises. Don’t use too much exercises (2 or 3 exercises will be enough), because the triceps receives already some work when working the chest and the shoulders and since it is an explosive and small muscle, it tires quickly.

Compound exercises involving the triceps include the french press and its variations (e.g. skull crushers or lying triceps extension), the close-grip bench press (which involves also the chest and the anterior deltoid to a great extend) and parallel dips (keeping your body straight up for hitting more the triceps and less the chest). These exercises provide an overall stimulation for all the triceps heads. This also occurs with triceps pushdowns (using a straight bar, a v-bar for a more natural wrist position or a d-ring attachment for the one-arm version), but this is more an isolation exercise.

Although previous exercises stimulate the long head of the triceps to some extend, if you need additional work for this head, you can use exercises in which your arms are raised overhead, such as overhead triceps extensions (barbell, dumbbell or cable variations). Focusing on the medial head and the lateral head is probably trickier. However, you can target the medial head to some extent performing exercises that use a hammer grip, such as triceps kickbacks (one arm at a time or both arms at the same time), the dumbbell french press (one arm at a time or both arms at the same time) or rope pushdowns (pulling your hands to the side at the end of the movement for achieving a better contraction). For recruiting the lateral head you can perform exercises using a reverse grip (i.e. supinated grip, the same you use in biceps curls), such as reverse pushdowns, reverse cable overhead extensions, reverse one-arm pushdowns or the reverse french press.

Proper execution is very important when training your triceps. Perform strict movements, keeping your elbows as close together as you can, and maintaining constant tension on the muscle. In addition, use full range of motion, emphasizing the muscle contraction and achieving a good stretch during the negative part of the movement.

If you need more information for designing your triceps workout, you can read the article “Tri’d & True: Your Journey to Dubs…” by Mike Hajoway or the article “Training the Triceps!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.

Proper Training for the Chest

This post follows the series describing how to design adequate routines for training the different body-parts. This chapter provides you with the general guidelines for proper chest training.

The chest is made up of two main muscles, the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is the main visible part of the chest and allows bringing the arms in front of it in a hugging motion and it is also heavily involved in any pressing movement that happens in perpendicular form to the body. The pectoralis major consists of two separate heads: the sternal head (a.k.a. lower pecs) and the clavicular head (a.k.a. upper pecs). The pectoralis minor is directly under the pectoralis major and it helps pulling the shoulder blade down.

Training the chest requires 3 to 4 exercises. The base must be some kind of pressing movement. The barbell bench press in a flat bench is the most popular exercise. It provides general chest stimulation, with special attention to the sternal head. Alternate this exercise with the dumbbell version, which involves also the stabilizers and allows better stretch. Your chest routine must include also some exercise for stimulating the clavicular head. This can be accomplished with the incline versions of the bench press. If you have started with barbell flat bench press, then use dumbbells for the incline bench press, and vice versa.

Pressing exercises tend to involve the triceps and the deltoids (the anterior head) to some extend in addition to pectorals. When performing these exercises, try to place the stress on the chest. To do this roll your shoulders down and back into the bench (i.e. scapular retraction) and keep them in this way throughout the entire movement. In addition, use a grip on the bar/dumbbells that puts the forearms perpendicular to the floor when arms are in a 90 degree position and emphasize the contraction (without locking the elbows) at the top of the movement.

For completing your chest routine you can choose from a variety of exercises. Flat/incline/pec-deck flies isolate the pectoralis major, developing especially the outer part. Flies are commonly used as a pre-exhausting exercise for the chest. Parallel dips (leaning a bit forward for hitting more the chest and less the triceps) and decline variations of bench press and flies can be also part of your chest routine, especially for giving special attention to the lower and outer parts of the muscle. Dips have the added value of all the exercises that move the body and not the weight, namely stimulating your hormonal release.

Close grip bench press, apart from working the triceps, hits also the chest, focusing in the inner part. Grab the barbell using shoulder width and squeeze the chest at the top of the extension. Cable crossover is a good isolator for the chest. Use light weights and maintain always a strict position in this exercise. Finally, for training the pectoralis minor you can use pullovers. This exercise has the ability of stretching the ribcage out a little bit and it hits also the lats and the serratus. Raise only the weight to the point where the tension on the pectoralis minor begins to drop off.

If you need more information for designing your chest workout, you can read the article “Champion Chest Development” which describes the right exercises for achieving symmetry and balance in your chest or the article “Training the Chest!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.

Proper Training for the Shoulders

This post follows the series describing how to design adequate routines for training the different body-parts. This chapter provides you with the general guidelines for proper shoulders training.

The primary muscles in the shoulder are known as deltoids. The main function of these muscles is lifting and rotating the arms on the shoulder joint, and also assisting the triceps in pressing weights overhead and the pectorals in pressing weight to the front of the body. The deltoids are made up of three separate heads: the anterior (a.k.a. front) deltoid, the lateral (a.k.a. side) deltoid, and the posterior (a.k.a. rear) deltoid. The shoulder includes also a group of four muscles, called rotator cuff, that help to stabilize your arm during movements and allows the shoulder joint to move in multiple directions.

For training the shoulders adequately you have to combine a compound movement for building overall size and strength in the muscle, with some isolation work for each head to maximize muscle growth and striation. This leads to at least 4 exercises. If you have a specific head that is lagging behind, you can add an additional exercise for it, or change the order of the exercises to prioritize this head. Remember that your goal should be achieving a full and complete shoulder development with a good balance between the deltoid heads, and you must adapt your routine to accomplish this goal.

Your choice for the compound exercise should be a variation of the shoulder press, preferably the dumbbell press or the military press. Dumbbell version is more complete, because it uses more supportive muscles and allows deeper stretching. When doing this exercise, be sure to describe a wide motion (the forearms must be always in a 90 degree angle with the floor). For your compound exercise avoid the behind-the-neck press, since it increases the risk of rotator cuff injuries.

Stimulating the lateral deltoid is crucial for adding width to the shoulder. The best exercise for this is the lateral raise or any variation thereof, including the dumbbell lateral raise, the cable lateral raise, the one-arm lateral raise, the seated lateral raise, the lying lateral raise or the incline and decline one-arm lateral raise that stress the upper or lower portions of the deltoids. When doing this exercise, control the weight during the whole movement and avoid cheating. The lateral deltoid can be worked also using upright rows but, as I commented in the trapezius post, this exercise puts your shoulder joint in a position very prone to injury.

The posterior deltoid uses to be a commonly neglected shoulder part for most people, but it is essential for proper shoulder symmetry. Your options for training it include the rear lateral raise and its variations (e.g. dumbbell, cable, etc.) or a machine that simulates that effect. In addition, you can also perform rowing exercises, but maintaining your elbows up.

The anterior deltoid receives a certain amount of work when you are training your chest (with bench press, and especially with incline bench press), and for this reason, it is uncommon to have development problems with it. If you need to isolate the anterior deltoid, you can choose among barbell front raises, cable front raises and alternate dumbbell front raises.

Finally, it is a good practice adding to your routine some work for the rotator cuff in order to prevent injuries, for instance doing internal and external rotation exercises with cable or dumbbells.

If you need more information for designing your shoulders workout, you can read the article “Boulder Shoulders” by Jon Huston or the article “Training the Shoulders!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.

Proper Training for the Trapezius

This post follows the series describing how to design adequate routines for training the different body-parts. This chapter provides you with the general guidelines for proper trapezius training.

The trapezius is a large diamond shaped muscle placed on the upper back which is the responsible of retracting the shoulder blades and carrying or assisting in all lifts that go from a lower to a higher point. Two different portions can be differentiated in the trapezius: the lower trapezius, which consists of the middle and the lower fibers, and the upper trapezius, which consists of the upper fibers and the levator scapulae muscle.

The trapezius is a commonly neglected muscle, but it is mandatory to work it for a proper upper back development. This muscle is trained in a very simple manner and responds even to the shortest amount of exercise. You need to hit the trapezius from two main angles in order to develop the upper and lower portions. The upper trapezius is stimulated using a shrugging motion (i.e. shoulder blades moving upward) while the lower trapezius needs a backward shrugging (i.e. shoulder blades retraction).

The lower trapezius is already worked in back rowing exercises and for this reason you won’t probably need additional training for it. Anyway, if you require more training for this body-part, you can do seated cable shrugs. Use the same stance as you would use for seated cable rows, but keep your arms straight and simply retract the scapulae.

The upper trapezius has been traditionally trained with the back or with the shoulders, since both recruit it to a point. You can alternate both options when designing your programs. The best known exercise for developing the upper trapezius is the shrug. This exercise includes several variations such as barbell shrug, dumbbells shrug or gripless shrug in a standing calf-press machine. Free weights exercises are perhaps best for mass building, but gripless shrug is a good choice for people with weak or sensitive hands, since the arms are not involved in the exercise. Dumbbell shrug is preferred over barbell shrug because it allows a more natural grip (i.e. hammer grip). In addition, barbell shrug forces you to stand slightly unbalanced, as the bar is a couple of inches away from your center of gravity. Upright rows also work the upper trapezius, as well as hitting the shoulders. However, I don’t specially recommend this exercise since it puts your shoulder joint in a position very prone to injury.

For proper development of the upper trapezius, you'll need at least 1 to 2 exercises, including always at least one shrug-based exercise. Use weights as high as you can handle them with strict form and keep the movement simple (shrugging upwards). Never rotate your shoulders when doing shrugs, since this can lead you to a chronic rotator cuff injury.

If you need more information for designing your trapezius workout, you can read the article “Bull-headed? Build a Massive Neck” by Matt Danielsson or the article “Training the Trapezius!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.

Proper Training for the Lower Back

This post follows the series describing how to design adequate routines for training the different body-parts. This chapter provides you with the general guidelines for proper lower back training.

The lower back is made up of muscles called erector spinae, which are mainly responsible of maintaining the posture (along with the abdominals), and for this reason, they act as a stabilizer in almost every exercise. In addition, they protect and guard the nerve channels, and they are the primary muscle responsible for straightening the back from a bent position and for arching the spine.

Training the lower back requires 1 to 2 exercises. Deadlifts are probably the best option. This is a great exercise, because apart from working the lower back, it also provides a lot of overall strength, it accustoms you to handling heavy weights and it stimulates the release of anabolic hormones into your bloodstream. It is important that you dedicate some effort on getting the right form in this exercise, since bad form can lead you to injury. Remember to keep your back straight during the whole movement. Deadlift variations can be also used for training your lower back. For instance, although stiff-legged deadlifts hit mainly the hamstrings, they also involve the lower back to some extent.

You can alternate deadlifts with hyperextensions and good mornings, which work the lower back by bending it using a full range of motion. However, I don’t specially recommend these exercises (in particular good mornings) because you are in a very harmful position and using too much weight or a bad form can lead to a serious injury that could end your training days. Therefore, when doing these exercises, use light weights and maintain always a strict form.

As a final comment, I want to emphasize the need of training the lower back, which is probably one of the most neglected body-parts. As commented, the lower back acts a supportive muscle in a great amount of exercises, and ignoring it will decrease your performance in these exercises, and even worst, will increase your chance of getting injured. In addition, the lower back plays an important role in your overall back development.

If you need more information for designing your lower back workout, you can read the article “All Out Back Training” by John Giljum or the article “Training the Back!” included in the I.C.E. Training Program developed by Big Cat.