Many athletes and natural bodybuilders are striving to build bigger triceps.
Having arms like Mr. Burns or Olive Oyl is a serious liability for any athlete or natural bodybuilder. Weak triceps will limit all your pressing movements and get you manhandled on the field. And soft-looking triceps will have you looking real bad on stage when you hit the side triceps pose.
But there’s a way to avoid those scenarios. Using the decline dumbbell tight press will boost your strength. It will also help you build bigger triceps.
Tri-City
Seasoned lifters know that the best exercises for bigger triceps haven’t changed. Dips, close-grip bench presses, skullcrushers, and push-ups will add size to your triceps.
Another great exercise for building triceps is the decline dumbbell tight press. It will give you horseshoe-shaped triceps. The decline dumbbell tight press and a standard dumbbell press differ in one way: elbow positioning.
During a standard dumbbell bench press, your elbows are in semi-flared position. This results in more stress on the chest. This is not bad if you are looking to add more beef to your pecs.
But during the decline dumbbell tight press, you will tuck your elbows in close to your body. This change in elbow position will stress your triceps more and your chest less. This is how you build bigger and stronger triceps.
You can use the flat bench for a good workout. But the decline angle of the bench works the triceps harder. There are three methods that you can use to maximize your strength and muscle mass:
There are three methods that you can use to maximize your strength and muscle mass:
1) Pause Reps
Pause reps are great for athletes who need to increase their pressing strength from a dead stop.
When you reach the bottom of the decline dumbbell tight press you will pause for 1-3 seconds. This will eliminate all the momentum and force you to work harder to press the weight up. Your body should remain tight and tensed during the pause. Do not relax and become lazy while you tuck in your elbows, as losing focus leads to injuries.
If you have never performed pause reps before, use a lighter weight than your usual amount. Your triceps will definitely not be used to the lack of momentum. The greatest aspect that pause reps bring to the table is that they keep you honest.
2) Constant Tension Reps
Constant tension reps are the gold standard of bodybuilding rep styles.
You will start the press and before you reach the top, cut the rep slightly short. Then, start the descent back to the bottom.
You are performing these reps with no lockout, as this will keep supreme tension on your triceps. Your concentric and eccentric reps should take 1-2 seconds each. They should be smooth and consistent, like a piston. When you keep tension on the muscle throughout a set, you will have a massive pump when the set is over.
3) 1 and 1/4 Reps
1 and ¼ reps lead to a ridiculous pump.
They are excellent for hypertrophy. When you complete a standard rep, you will start your descent back to the bottom of the rep. Once you reach the bottom, you will press the dumbbells up only 1/4 of the way before coming back down to the bottom. At this point, you will press the weight to the top. That completes one rep.
Your arms will feel massive when the set is over. The quarter rep adds up very quickly if you choose the correct weight.
Conclusion
The decline dumbbell tight press will be a great addition to your quest for bigger and stronger arms.
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman
