This 8 week triceps workout plan is mass and definition for triceps builder to help you add serious size to your upper arms. You’ll train your triceps twice a week during an 8-week period, using tight rest between the sets.
As you can see in the picture given below, I have shown all three heads in three different colors so that you will be very easy to understand. Foremost, let me tell you that the triceps is 60% and biceps is only 40% of your arm are biceps muscle. If you want a bigger arm, make sure to train your triceps.
Triceps muscle function
Tricep (Tricep brachii) function is extending elbow, means extending arm. Arm extending is all depends upon tricep, with the help of tricep we extend the arm. It helps our posture as well as posture depends all on tricep.
These triceps is a large, thick muscle on the dorsal part of the upper arm. It often appears as a horseshoe shape on the back of the hand.
All tendons have different origins, but all three heads together form a single tendon distal.
Before doing tricep workouts, it is very important to know about its muscle heads or groups. Tricep brachii (Tricep) has three heads (tri = three, cep = head), which include the lateral head, the long head, and the medial head.
The three heads converge into a single tendon, and this tendon attaches to the proximal part of the olecranon process (prominence of the elbow bone) at the top of the ulna.1
Although you can emphasize different heads with different types of exercises, all three heads will be involved in some degree of triceps exercise. Additionally, if you’re focusing on a lot of compound movements like the chest press and shoulder press, you’ll already be getting a decent amount of triceps work.
If you want to see the proper definition, properly defined triceps, then you have to train all three muscles. This will make your muscles sharper than other muscles, so you have to make a mind-muscle connection, which is very essential. Workout for long head like; all overhead extension, dumbbell skull crusher, barbell skull crusher.
Lateral head
The lateral head is the most visible head (originate from the humerus). The tricep push down with a bar mainly hits it. Dips are another exercise for the lateral head.
Long head
The long head is the back of the triceps (originates from the infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula), which is mainly affected by overhead exercises.
Medial head
The medial head is the shortest visible and sits just below the long head (originate from the humerus). Tricep push downs with a rope instead of a bar, give it a little more thrust, though any tricep push down will still hit both heads.
Overall, all three heads have a similar function, so you’re probably already hitting each one to some degree. If you find that one area is lagging, you can incorporate more exercises for that head.
You should add body-weight dips for sure! In body-weight dips, you train both lateral and medial head in this exercise your long head is not training. And in the rope press-down exercise, all three heads are trained. So make sure you go all the way up and squeeze all the way down, which is essential for you.
However, the complete 8-week triceps workout plan for mass and definition are given below to add serious size to your upper arms.
8 weeks triceps workout schedule
EXERCISES | TRAINING |
---|---|
Monday | — |
Tuesday | Triceps workout for mass |
Wednesday | — |
Thursday | — |
Friday | Triceps workout for definition |
Saturday | — |
Sunday | Off day |
Triceps workout for mass
EXERCISES | SETS × REPS |
---|---|
1. SUPER SET | |
(a) Decline Barbell Skull Crushers (b) Barbell Close Grip Tricep Presses | 3 × 8 |
2. REGULAR SET | |
Triceps Press-downs | 3 × 8 |
3. REGULAR SET | |
Triceps Machine Press Down | 3 × 8 |
4.REGULAR SET | |
Dumbbell Overhead Extension | 3 × 8 |
Note: There is no rest between super sets, rest 90 seconds after each super or regular sets.
Tricep workouts for Definition
EXERCISES | SETS × REPS |
---|---|
1. REGULAR SET | |
Incline Barbell Skull Crusher | 3 × 16 |
2. REGULAR SET | |
Cable Underhand Press down | 3 × 16 |
3. REGULAR SET | |
Cable Kickback | 3 × 16 |
4. REGULAR SET | |
Triceps Bench Dips | 3 × 16 |
Note: Rest 45-60 seconds after each regular sets.
- Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle. Manpreet S. Tiwana; Margaret A. Sinkler; Bruno Bordoni. Available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996/[↩]