It is more than OK to say you got into weight lifting for health reasons. However once you pick up a set of weights the desire to get huge is almost instantaneous. In daily life your clothing covers the majority of your good work but with a short sleeve shirt you can display those "guns" at will. Or can you? Months and months of workout after workout and what are you displaying? For most of us we honk on the biceps. Just ask anyone in a gym to demonstrate arm musculature and immediately they flex up a bicep. Well, if that is your finished product you are doing it wrong.
The major muscles of the upper arm are the bicep AND the triceps. By definition the bicep is composed of two parts and the triceps of three parts. Mathematically then the triceps is fully two-thirds of arm musculature. Then why do we ignore it in most workouts? Most lifters begin by concentrating on the bicep because this can be called a "glory muscle". Flex the old arm and what do you see? Bowling balls!--well actually maybe tennis balls if you are a beginner. However you get the picture. Without education on the anatomy of the arm it is a simple thing to bypass the triceps. And if you bypass work on over half of your arm the look will suffer.
The triceps is situated at the back of your upper arm. In action and position they oppose the bicep and come into use when you straighten your arm or push something away from you. Right now hold your arm out straight and "wiggle" that part that hangs down. Pretty flabby, right---work and improve your triceps and you will get rid of this bit of toneless meat.
Just like anytime you are working for improvement you need to be sure you do things correctly for desired results. Remember the triceps is designed to straighten the arm or push away from you. Concentrate on form where you will get a full range of motion movement for maximum gain. Strict form. Keep that elbow tucked in this routine. Exercises as skull-crushers and triceps extensions will reach deep into the triceps if you perform correctly to benefit from a full range of movement effort. Similar exercises such as diamond pushups and cable pushdowns do not offer that range of movement and do not offer the same increases. Of course you still need to do all triceps work available, you just should concentrate on the ones that will offer the most gain for the effort. Work them full and work them heavy. And as with other muscle groups this will give you desired results.
Cannot leave out the usual statement on nutrition. If you perform the proper movements with the proper weight and the proper repetitions for a muscle group and you do not feed the muscle you are wasting your time. Diet is the key. Without a diet which is inclusive of protein, fats and carbohydrates you could work your muscles all day long and not achieve gain. So learn the anatomy and the exercises. Learn the necessary form and technique. Get plenty of rest in order for your stressed muscles to repair and grow. And finally, FEED THEM! A solid diet is half of the battle in any muscle mass campaign. Anatomy, technique, rest and diet. All of these lead to growth!
Gordon Chandler
Escape Your Shape
Turbulence Training Techniques
