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Skull Crushers

Q: The lead-off exercise for the triceps sweep workout [in the X-traordinary Arms e-book] is lying extensions, or skull crushers. You describe the best grip width and how to use an EZ-curl bar for more long-head involvement, but I don’t like dragging a bar over to a flat bench. Can I use dumbbells for lying extensions instead of a bar?

A: Magnetic resonance imaging shows that lying extensions on a flat bench with a bar (skull crushers) mostly stress the triceps’ long head, so we classify it as a sweep exercise in the X-traordinary Arms e-book. You would think using dumbbells would be the same—but that’s not the case. [Read more…]

Weird Exercise for Massive Tri’s

Q: I was browsing through old training articles on your site and noticed that you guys sometimes include dumbbell pullovers in your triceps routine. What’s up with that?!

A: While the dumbbell pullover is an excellent stretch-position move for the lats in Positions-of-Flexion mass training, it’s also one of the best exercises for the long head of the triceps. That’s the section that really fills out the back of the upper arm and gives it that eye-popping sweep when it’s down by your side or up flexing your peak. [Read more…]

Dumbbells or Bar for Triceps?

Q: The leadoff exercise for the triceps sweep workout [in the X-traordinary Arms e-book] is lying extensions, or skull crushers. You describe the best grip width and how to use an EZ-curl bar for more long-head involvement, but I don’t like loading up and dragging a bar over to my flat bench. Can I just use dumbbells for lying extensions instead of a bar?

A: Magnetic resonance imaging shows that lying extensions on a flat bench with a bar mostly stress the triceps’ long head, so we classify it as a sweep exercise in the X Arms e-book. You would think using dumbbells would be the same—but that’s not the case. [Read more…]

Huge Arms: Quick Hits for New Size

Q: I’m using the Direct/Indirect 4X Mass Workout [pages 30-32], so do I only do delts/arms once a week on Wednesday. My arms lag, and I think they need more. I’ve seen you recommend another arm workout on the weekends. I can’t do that, so I’m thinking about adding a biceps and triceps exercise to my Monday and Friday workouts, pushdowns after chest, and concentration curls after back. What do you think?

A: For readers unfamiliar, let’s first outline the Direct/Indirect 4X Mass Workout split and how we use it… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 24: Mike Mentzer’s Triceps

In a previous newsletter, we talked about Mentzer’s incredible overall mass and his Heavy Duty training style. But Mike Mentzer’s triceps were one of his most impressive muscle groups… [Read more…]

Elbow Problems: Solution

Q: Do you know a good workout that I can use to add size to my triceps without aggravating elbow tendonitis? I’m over 50 and I’m having elbow problems that are really ruining some of my workouts.

A: Join the club! Steve sometimes battles minor elbow problems in his left arm, more on the inner elbow. That’s known as golfer’s elbow (even though he doesn’t play golf). Pain on the outer elbow is commonly known as tennis elbow.

You’ll have to experiment to find exercises that don’t aggravate it. Steve found that bench presses were his prime elbow antagonist; however, he can do declines. So he’ll sometimes start triceps with decline close-grip bench presses. [Read more…]

Arm Immensity with Ultimate Density

Q: I’m on The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout [pages 25-28 of that e-program], and I look and feel much bigger already. Thank you! My problem is that on some of the last isolated exercises I lose touch with the muscle, like on concentration curls for biceps. Arms have always been a problem area for me. Should I do a second double-drop Density set for that exercise?

A: Interesting that you should mention concentration curls, as we’ve found that getting the best Density effect on the contracted-position exercise for many muscles, like biceps, works best with a cable move.

What? Aren’t free weights best because they have more negative resistance due to zero weight-stack drag? Well, free weights are usually best for the big midrange exercises that trigger the max-force mass-building component—like presses and rows…

[Read more…]

POF Triceps Program

Q: I’m making great gains with 3D Positions of Flexion [training each bodypart through its midrange, stretch, and contracted positions], but my triceps still look small. I’ve noticed they have pretty good sweep from the side, but from the front, my arms look skinny. How should I alter my POF triceps program to address this problem?

A: Your medial and long triceps heads are getting the brunt of the work in your current arm program. You want to shift the focus of your triceps program to getting the outer heads as beefy as possible so they give your arms width when they’re viewed head-on. Here’s one of the triceps “width” routines from our X-traordinary Arms e-book (see note below about how to get this e-book)…

[Read more…]

Gymnasts’ Muscles—Olympic Size-Sculpting Method

If you’ve watched the male gymnasts during the Olympics before, you no doubt noticed their eye-popping upper-body mass. Some have delts, arms, and torsos that resemble competitive bodybuilders’. Very impressive, especially considering that muscle mass isn’t one of their goals; it’s just a side effect of their sport…

[Read more…]