An overload of sets for a bigger triceps workout

Basically, my gym gets so busy at peak time and you seem to spend half your session sitting on the chair waiting for someone to get off the machine that you want to use. I grew frustrated of this so decided that I was just going to get on one machine and pump out my whole session using only one exercise.

How it went down
I ended up using the cables and it was my triceps day so I decided I was going to do 12 sets of overhead cable extensions. I love this exercise because the cables are always pulling back on your triceps meaning you get zero rest time in between each repetition. I started out heavy and did three sets of six repetitions. I then dropped the weight and made each extension a little faster whilst still keeping the decline part of the exercise slow and controlled. Finally I stripped off some more weight and did a few sets of 12-15 repetitions or until complete failure.

After the workout
As soon as I finished this workout I knew I was going to be sore. My arms were so tired I could hardly take my shirt off to have a shower! I stretched out for about 10 minutes and really felt an amazing burn.

The next day my triceps were as sore as if I had been having a pushup contest with Rocky himself. I cannot remember the last time my arms were this sore. The soreness took a good week to fully go away.

The results
The most important thing, however, is that after a few more sessions done in a similar style my arms have been growing better than they have in a few years. Not only are my arms bigger, they are stronger and my bench and dip weights have all increased.

Why an overload of sets might work

I am not 100% sure why this works so well but I have known a few people in my life who train in this “single exercise” style. They have a range of reasons that support why they do it.

My theory is that you exhaust the muscle properly because you are focussed on one motion and one movement. This means you get the technique perfect and each repetition is really hitting the muscle as hard as you possibly can.

However, the other reason is probably because my muscles were not used to this kind of stress. The fact that this style of training is only done occasionally makes it all the more powerful. It is for this reason that you should only do these overload of sets workouts once in a while. This is in line with one of RMO’s most basic principles - mix it up. Keep your body guessing all the time so it is forced to grow and respond to the changes.

Conclusion on the overloading style triceps workout

I think this workout would be great with any muscle. Perhaps do it once a month for a chosen muscle. For example, you might spend a whole session doing chin ups or a whole session doing just bicep curls. The added intensity works if you only do it once in a while.

Anyone had any other similar experiences?

5 quick tips for bigger triceps

The triceps are an easy muscle to train. The exercises are not hard to learn and it is pretty easy to get a good burn in the muscle time after time. However, there are some simple things you can do to make those same exercises much more effective.

1. Stretch them well
One of the best things you can do to make sure your triceps get hit well is to stretch them before, during and after your workout. Stretching your triceps makes it easier to tense them. You learn what it feels like to get a proper contraction/stretch and you will warm up the muscles much more thoroughly.

2. Use cables
Getting on the cables is a great way to boost your triceps workout. The reason for this is simply that the cables keep a constant tension on the muscles. This works particularly well for the triceps in exercises like the cable pushdown.

3. Tense hard
When you get to the point in the exercise where you straighten out your arm you should really do a strong mental contraction of the tricep muscle. This is one of the main areas overlooked by a lot of beginner who think that simply doing the movement will bring growth. Tense the muscles and train them to work.

4. Use a lighter weight
A lighter weight? Are you crazy? I can hear you now. However, the reason a lighter weight is good for the triceps is that a lot of the exercises require quite a precise movement. For example, the tricep kickback needs to be done in just the right way or you end up doing some sort of a half triceps, half shoulder exercise. I see people at the gym doing it all the time. However, if you take a light weight and really focus on the muscle contraction and getting your technique perfect then there is no way you can go wrong.

5. Slow right down
Make sure each movement is done slowly. Each rep should be concentrated and mindful. Do not rush to get through them. Weak people rush through exercises; banging them out like they are a tough guy. The really strong people can handle a heavy weight with perfect technique - each repetition slow and steady.

This is how you grow big triceps.

Variations on the pushup

However, most people don’t know how to do it.

Want firm arms? Here’s how to tone up!

It seems to me that a lot of people are going after toned arms in a really poor fashion. For example, there is the old myth that low weight and high reps somehow magically tones your muscles so that they appear firmer and with greater definition.

Not true.

You see muscle toning is all about losing the fat that is covering the muscles. It is not about toning the muscles themselves but about burning the adipose cells that are stopping your muscles from showing their natural tone. You see everyone has toned muscles but not everyone is lean.

So how do I tone my arms?

Now that you know that you need to lose weight to tone your arms you need to do a few things.

1. Weight train to gain muscle
Here is the part where most people get confused. If you want to tone your arms you need to pack on some muscle because the more muscle you have the easier it will be to “tone” them. Once the fat starts to melt away you will have more to “reveal” and this is very important.

Also, weight training increases your metabolism and helps you burn fat a lot faster. So weight training and muscle toning should go together - it just shouldn’t be a “high reps” affair.

2. Eat healthy
If you want to be super toned you need to make sure your diet is super awesome! I am talking about fresh fruit and vegetables and other foods that are not man made. If you get healthy you will get lean and this weight loss is not the kind that only lasts a few weeks.

3. Cardio hard
Start doing cardio workouts that really challenge your body. High intensity is much better for burning fat and it will help get your whole body toned in a much shorter amount of time.

Conclusion on toning your arms

Toning your muscles is not about high reps and low weight. It is about losing the fat that is covering your muscles so that they take on the appearance of being more toned. Don’t let fancy gimmicks fool you. This is the bare essential facts.

The full series is Part I, Part II and Part III.

This is Part 2 of our series on brutal backyard shed training. In this post we will be looking at the best bodyweight exercises that you can do at home to build some real size and strength.

Why Bodyweight Exercises?

Many “bodybuilders” dismiss bodyweight exercises as being unprofessional and not hard enough.

They are kidding themselves.

If took the 100 strongest and biggest men in the world I bet you close to 90% of them would spend a lot of time doing bodyweight exercises. Here in Australia we have the Australian Football League which is the toughest sport in the world. The players are big and fast and very strong. If you take a look at their training routine they spend a lot of time doing explosive bodyweight exercises. And it works. Many US NFL players have watched Australian Rules Football and remarked that they are crazy people for playing such a rough game!

So next time someone tells you bodyweight exercises are for beginners you tell them about the AFL players down in Australia.

The reason I have dedicated a whole post to these exercises is that they are easy to do and you don’t need any equipment. You can do them at home by yourself and still get amazing results.

Don’t cheat on your technique

When you are training at home there is the temptation to cheat on your technique a little bit because no one is watching. This is a big mistake that you need to avoid.

If you want to make big gains and not injure yourself you need to make sure your technique is solid. Read as much about every exercise that you do and start off slow. Never try and overdo it because your joints will not forgive you in the long run.

Furthermore, if your technique is poor your muscle gain will also be poor. Each exercise is done in a certain way. It is done that way firstly because it is the safest way and, secondly, because it is the best way to work the muscle. So, if you cheat on your technique you are only cheating yourself.

The best bodyweight exercises for backyard shed training

Now we can get into the real stuff. I am going to present the best few bodyweight exercises that you can do at home in your backyard shed. The are simple but elegant. If you do them correctly and with the right intensity you will see some amazing progress.

1. Clap pushups

Everyone knows how to do these but almost no one does them. The AFL teams make their players do a lot of clap pushups because they are so good for building explosive real world power. They really shock your muscles into growth.

The great thing about the clap pushup is that it forces your muscle to contract and then expand very quickly. Many studies have shown this is the best way to make fast strength gains without damaging or slowing down your muscles. Normal weight lifting, on the other hand, has been shown to slow down your movement. For a martial artist or sportperson this will not do.

How to do a clap pushup -
To do a clap pushup simply get in the normal pushup position and lower yourself down to the bottom. Instead of pushing yourself up as normal you should powerfully push down and cause yourself to jump with your hands. While your hands are off the ground you should clap your hands together under your chest before hitting the ground and repeating. Keep doing this over and over until failure.

2. Dips

Dips are like a bench press but more full on. Many of you are not going to like that statement but it is true. There is literally nothing harder than strapping some heavy weight discs to your weight belt and pumping out a set of dips.

You can make your own dip station at home by setting up two narrow bars parallel from each other. In high school I used to use sturdy old chairs but now I own my own dip and chin station.

How to do a dip -
To correctly do a dip you simply grab on to the two bars and lower yourself down as low as you can. Don’t try to keep your body upright. You should allow yourself to naturally lean forward as this will work both your chest and your triceps. Once you have lowered yourself down fully explode upwards for a fast incline. This will blast your muscles into some serious growth!

It is very important to take care of your shoulders during the dip. I know of many people who have ended up with pretty serious shoulder joint injuries. Never do dips on a dip station where the bars are too wide apart. If you can make your own that is the best idea because you can set it to your own width. The narrower the better.

3. The chin up

When you want to develop full body power and strength as well as adding some serious size you need to work with the chin up. All of best boxers in history had huge backs. Just take a look at Muhummad Ali’s back. It was enormous! The chin up is a poweful way to train your back and biceps and is one of the best ways to add some size in a hurry.

How to do a chin up -
Grab a thick bar with and underhand grip and allow your body to hang free. The thicker the bar the better because this will work your forearms. Once you are comfortable you should pull yourself up as quickly as possible. Imagine that you are pulling with your elbows as this will help you focus on your back muscles. Once you reach the top slowly lower yourself back down to a count of five or six seconds. This is when a lot of the strength is built. The slowe the better.

4. Jumping squats

Do you know the feeling of wanting the throw up because an exercise has pushed you beyond your limits? The jumping squat will do that to you.

The jumping squat is one of the best bodyweight exercises on the planet because it mixes aerobic and anerobic exercise in such an intense way. It will challenge your whole lower body as well as your back and abs and it will make your lungs burn like you are running a 100m sprint. People who stick at the jumping squat (not many do!) are blessed with huge legs, better running power and a truck load of lower body strength.

How to do a jumping squat -
Crouch down in a squatted position with one foot in front of the other. Spring into the air as high as you can and land with your other foot now in front. Allow gravity to take you all the way down to the fully squatted position and then, without any break, spring yourself back into the air again. Repeat this until failure.

5. Frozen crunches

The frozen crunch is something my buddy and I used to use a competiton. We spent so long trying to out do one another and prove that we were better than we never noticed our abs getting really stong. After a few weeks of doing them every night at martial arts practice we noticed some amazing abdominal growth.

How to do a frozen crunch -
The idea is simple. Get in a regular crunch position and crunch yourself up to the top. Instead of lowering yourself back down for a second rep you hold that top position and keep tensing your abs. A great trick is to push down on the floor as hard as you can with your fingers. This makes the contraction even tighter. You can also change which area of your stomach is emphasised by shifting the position of your fingers. If anyone can do longer than a minute of this on their first go I will be impressed.

Conclusion

These five bodyweight exercises take care of the entire body. If you did a workout that consisted of these only you would find you get some amazing overall development. However, you can mix these up with some of the exercises that use cheap equipment. In the next post I will show you some more brutal backyard shed exercises using some of that equipment you’ve got lying around.

5 Tricep Blasting Workout Tips

If you want to make your triceps workout a little bit more intense then try a few of these tips. They will help you build strength, size and power faster than usual.

1. Stretch them out
Stretching your triceps before, during and after a workout is a simple tip that can allow you to make a heck of a lot more progress. The tricep muscles respond really well to a good stretch and are particularly pleased when you stretch them after a workout. It allows the muscle to recouperate faster and will minimize muscle soreness meaning you can get back to training much quicker.

2. Reduce the weight
What the…! Reduce the weight? I knew you would be shocked by this one. In actual fact the triceps are one of those muscles that respond really well to perfect technique. One of the best ways you can muck up your perfect technique is to add too much weight too quickly. It forced you to cheat and do your reps with a little bit more momentum. Not good. Reduce the weight on your triceps exercise and focus on getting a good smooth motion with very tight contraction. You will see better results.

3. Do more dips
People often fail to realize that the bulk of tricep building gets done when you are working out your chest. Although the isolation exercises like pushdowns and kickbacks are good, the heavy dips and bench press type exercises are even better. The weighted dip is one of the best ways to really get your triceps working. It is especially good if you are stuck on a bit of a plateau.

4. Hit them first
If you are anything like me you probably have a huge set of pecs and some less impressive triceps. For too many years I concentrated on the pecs and other chest building exercises and forgot to give the triceps the attention they deserved. If you want to inspire some new growth try doing your triceps exercises first in the workout while they are fresh and full of power.

5. Decrease rest time
I have had particular success with my triceps by reducing the amount of time I rest inbetween sets. The triceps love being flooded with blood (like the shoulders) and reducing the rest time and reducing the weight you use is one of the best ways to do this. If you can push through a little bit of pain and are disciplined enough to keep your technique tight then decreasing your rest time is a great tricep blaster.

Conclusion
It is always good to change up your workout with some new tips and creativity. Don’t be afraid to try something new. The triceps respond really well to change and love to be challenged. Hit them hard!

Have you ever wondered which is better for your workout? The pushup and the bench press are both exercises that have been used for decades to produce excellent strength and muscle growth but is one better than the other?

This post will look at the advantages and disadvantages of both.

Advantages of the push up

The push up is a classic. Almost everyone uses it from martial artists to bodybuilders. It is popular with the young and old. Here are the main advantages of the push up.

1. Simple to do
The push up does not require that you master and particularly complicated technique or movement. You simply place your hands on the ground, let your body drop and the push yourself back up. Of course, there are things you need to watch out for and ways you can improve your technique but all in all it isn’t that hard.

2. No equipment
You really don’t need any equipment to do a pushup. You can do it it home or at the gym. You can add equipment to the pushup if you like (weight on your back or a chair to elevate leg height) but these are not essential.

3. Many variations
You can change the muscles that you hit bit shifting the position of your hands or adding a little bit of height under your feet. For example, a wide hand placement will target your chest while a narrow one will hit your triceps. I love this about the triceps because if you can’t get to the gym you can get a pretty good upper body workout by using different variations of the pushup. You can even add in things like claps after each pushup. There is no way you could do this with a bench press!

4. Safe
As far as exercises go the push up is pretty safe. You don’t have to worry about a massive bar falling on your chest and not being able to lift it up! You laugh but it has happened to everyone.

5. Muscle tension and expansion
When you do an explosive exercise like the clap pushup your muscles tense and then expand in a very short amount of time. This has been shown by science to improve a persons strength and power more than any other exercise. It has also been shown to do this without slowing down the muscles like heavy weights can do. Many football players use this technique to develop speed, power and strength all in one exercise. This is the main advantage that the pushup has over the bench press.

Advantages of the bench press

Ah the bench press! One of the king bodybuilding exercises famed for it’s ability to bring massive muscles growth results. Used by people everywhere. Here are the main advantages of the bench press.

1. Massive weight
The leading advantage of the bench press (as compared to the pushup) is that it allows you to handle a lot more weight. When you do the pushup you are restricted by how much weight you can add. Off course, you can add weights into a backpack or something like that but it is not where near as easy as the bench press.

Adding more weight allows you to progress and challenge your muscles. If you lift the same weight all the time (your body) you are bound to reach a point that you cannot get beyond. This is the distinctive reason as to why the bench press outdoes the pushup.

2. Variety
Incline, decline, flat, barbell, dumbbell, heavy, light… there are so many different ways to change the bench press and this makes it a very important tool.

Changing your workout is very important if you want to make constant progress. Your body adapts to hardship and that is how you make muscle or strength gains. If you do not keep changing it up your body will have no reason to grow and adapt. Keep mixing it up all the time by taking advantage of the different methods of training. If you are targeting your chest and triceps the bench press provides many methods to keep your workout different.

Conclusion
The best idea would be to use both of these great exercises for a more well rounded approach. Each one has its own distinct advantages and as such should be given due consideration. It is impossible to say one is completely better than the other because it is impossible to know what each person’s goals are.

The bench press is famed for helping people build real world strength and power as well as developing some big pectorals.

Shift your grip slightly and you have got yourself a powerful triceps builder.

Here’s how to do it.

Tips for correctly performing the narrow grip bench press

Before you jump into the narrow grip bench press you need to know a few little tips and tricks.

Firstly, I need to remind everyone that like any other bodybuilding exercise the narrow grip bench press is only effective if it is done with picture perfect technique. If you cheat and skimp on the technique you are going to find your triceps are going to be below average - not huge.

Secondly, when doing the narrow grip bench for the first time you need to start with a small amount of weight. This weight should be built up over time, of course, but while you are still mastering the form you should keep it light so you are not too focussed on not getting crushed to death!

Thirdly, the narrow grip bench press requires some special attention on the decline part of the exercise. It is unlike almost any other weight lifting movement in this regard. If you want to use it to develop some bigger triceps then you should pay close attention to this part of the exercise.

How to do the narrow grip bench press

Here is how you should do the narrow grip bench press for some super big triceps:

1. Lay on a flat bench.

2. Place your head high up on the bench so the bar is almost above your lower chest.

3. Lift the weight off the rack with an overhand grip and hold your arms straight while you find the right balance. Inhale.

4. Here’s the important part! Lower the weight down to your nipples slowly keeping your elbows by your side and when the weight is just about to hit your chest quickly push it back up again in the reverse direction for about 6 or 8 inches. This fast movement from decline to incline prevents your larger chest muscles from taking over in the work.

5. Slowly press the weight back up to starting position while exhaling and repeat.

As you can see step 4 is a little more complex than most weight lifting exercise and as such will take a little bit of time to master. However, the effort will not be wasted as this part of the exercise is crucial to making some serious gains. When I started doing the little decline “jump” I straight away noticed my triceps were sorer and growing faster.

Conclusion
Developing some big triceps takes a lot of work but the narrow grip bench press can really speed things along. It allows you to handle more weight than other triceps exercises like the dumbbell kickback and as long as your technique is good you should see some pretty nice results.

The skull crusher is one of the best exercises for building some big triceps. It is a little bit trickier than most triceps exercises but once you master it is will allow you to take your triceps workout to new heights with added stretching, range of motion and muscle isolation.

Why is the skull crusher so darn good?

The skull crusher is one of my favorite triceps exercises for many reasons. I use it in every triceps workout and I usually do it first before any other.

The main reasons the skull crusher is so good are:

- Increased tricep stretch
When you lower the weight down behind your head you get a really good deep stretch all down the back of your arms. The whole tricep really gets stretched. This is a really important part of any bodybuilding exercise and you should try to look out for exercises that give you a nice deep stretch as they will probably bring you nice big results!

- Increased range of motion
The next thing I love about the skull crusher is that it allows you to take the movement of the triceps to new lengths. With an exercise like the tricep kickbacks you really only work the triceps when you kick the weight back and then not much happens on the decline. With the skull crusher, however, you are working the muscle the entire time over quite a large range of motion. This is another crucial element of muscle and strength development.

- Isolation
The skull crusher isolates the tricep muscles almost perfectly. It is almost like the reverse of the bicep curl as it simply focusses on that one muscle and not many others. This is important if you are training with a split routine as the other muscles need to rest up and recover after their own workout day. It also means you can hit the triceps with more focussed energy.

Downfalls of the skull crusher

Like any exercise, the skull crusher is not without its negative aspects.

Firstly, the skull crusher quite dangerous if you do not know how to do it properly. It is not called a skull crusher for nothing! If you try to do with with too much weight and incorrect technique you will end up dropping the weight on your head or face.

Secondly, it can put a lot of stress on the shoulder joints. Again, this will only happen if you try to handle too much weight and use poor technique. In the beginning I felt the strain in my shoulders because I had my elbows in the wrong position. Bad news. Once it was corrected, however, I had no troubles at all.

Step by step guide - how to do a skull crusher

Here is the step by step guide on how to do a skull crusher. While there are some variations floating around there this is my preferred method which has brought me the best results.

Pre Lift
Lay on a flat bench and make sure your lower back is firmly pressed against the bench. Position yourself so that your head is right up the top of the bench so that the weight will not touch it when it is lowered behind your skull.

Pick up a barbell and hold it with an overhand narrow grip above your head ready for the movement.

Lift
Using your triceps muscles allow the weight to slowly decline towards the top of your skull. The weight should drop down slowly until your elbows are fully bent and pointing upwards and slightly back.

Once you are in this fully decline position drop the weight even further by pointing your elbows a little bit more behind you. This allows you to get maximum stretch in the triceps.

From this poision tense your triceps and lift the weight back up to the starting position by doing the exact reverse of the decline. First bring your elbow back to the top position and then raise the barbell until your arms are almost fully extended. At this point give the triceps a good squeeze and repeat.

Important tips
The most important thing you need to remember during this exercise is to keep the elbows close together. Letting them come apart is going to put stress on your shoulder joint and take stress away from the triceps. This is not what we want.

Keep your attention on all the tension in your arms during this exercise and if you feel any joint pain you should stop right away and try a less difficult exercise like the dip, pushdown or narrow grip bench press.