Does anyone know a good isolation movement for the outer triceps?
My inner tricep tends to steal the show in overhead extensions, cable push downs, close grip flat & incline bench - even DB kickbacks.
Try a reverse grip triceps pressdowns, one or two armed is your choice, this really isolates the outer head, you should be able to feel the outer head working, just keep as usual the elbow movement to a minimum.
what fusion said. also try reverse grip skull-crushers and reverse grip french press.
Any hammer grip exercises (eg rope pushdowns) will hit your outer tris, but to a slightly lesser degree - you’ll feel it targetting the middle head as well
What fusion said but also I believe the lateral tricep is also called the lazy head and needs heavy weight to be recruited. DB kickbacks, I do not believe, offer enough resistance to recruit the triceps adequately compared to the many other tricep exercises.
If you slow down the tempo a bit you have a better chance to feel and control what part of the muscle being worked.
Fast tempo and ballistic movements tend to make you use whatever you have to move the weight, not good if you want to isolate.
[quote]hfrogs00 wrote:
What fusion said but also I believe the lateral tricep is also called the lazy head and needs heavy weight to be recruited. DB kickbacks, I do not believe, offer enough resistance to recruit the triceps adequately compared to the many other tricep exercises.[/quote]
Agreed - I think I read something by Pavel way back in the day stating the same thing. He said to activate said lazy head, you had to not wear gloves and increase the weight way up. I remember I doubled mine the first time on pushdowns to see what would happen. I didn’t think I’d be able to move it but I did and the difference in recruitment was staggering! I could feel the other heads actually kicking in. So, up the weight and then up the weight again. It works.
[quote]fusion360 wrote:
Try a reverse grip triceps pressdowns, one or two armed is your choice, this really isolates the outer head, you should be able to feel the outer head working, just keep as usual the elbow movement to a minimum.[/quote]
I occasionally do these, but I’ll give it more effort, I don’t usually remember to do them.
Thanks!
Eric
[quote]T-chick wrote:
what fusion said. also try reverse grip skull-crushers and reverse grip french press.
Any hammer grip exercises (eg rope pushdowns) will hit your outer tris, but to a slightly lesser degree - you’ll feel it targetting the middle head as well[/quote]
Hmmmm, I am sure that I have ever done reverse skull crushers, but I will definitely give them a try. I thought skull crushers and french presses were the same thing?
I have done reverse grip bench - which you cannot really do close grip. They seem to hit the outer tris, but leave bruises on my back where it contacts the bench.
Thanks T-Chick!
[quote]Mr. Moose wrote:
If you slow down the tempo a bit you have a better chance to feel and control what part of the muscle being worked.
Fast tempo and ballistic movements tend to make you use whatever you have to move the weight, not good if you want to isolate.[/quote]
I will start paying particular attention to the feel. I bet this is easier to distinguish with movements requiring lighter weight like kickbacks and 1 arm lying DB extensions.
Appreciate the input Moose.
[quote]flynniec6 wrote:
hfrogs00 wrote:
What fusion said but also I believe the lateral tricep is also called the lazy head and needs heavy weight to be recruited. DB kickbacks, I do not believe, offer enough resistance to recruit the triceps adequately compared to the many other tricep exercises.
Agreed - I think I read something by Pavel way back in the day stating the same thing. He said to activate said lazy head, you had to not wear gloves and increase the weight way up. I remember I doubled mine the first time on pushdowns to see what would happen. I didn’t think I’d be able to move it but I did and the difference in recruitment was staggering! I could feel the other heads actually kicking in. So, up the weight and then up the weight again. It works.
[/quote]
Interesting. Although I don’t wear gloves, I have just recently (i.e. one workout so far) started going much heavier on the pushdowns. Like you said, I didn’t think that I would be able to move 90 or 100 lbs on this, but I did! I will up it again next time. Thanks for the feedback!
Eric, just so you know- reverse skullcrushers and reverse pulldowns are part of later phases of the great guns series. Ian King didn’t forget that part of the triceps.
Fish