Q: I’ve been told that dips really help you add girth and help shape the tris. I’m currently doing push downs, skull crushers and kickbacks, but don’t know what else to do. If I want to change the shape of my triceps, what exercises can I do? A: Plenty! It sounds like you got off to a good start, but I do have some suggestions. First, if all you’re doing is these three exercises, you’ll want to expand your workouts a bit. It’s not that you have to do 6 exercises per workout—in fact quite the contrary. You really only want to select about 3 exercises per workout for either bis or tris. However, you want to mix things up and have some kind of plan as to what you do and when. I always say to people that “why” ...

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Q:   Are dips on a roman chair better than dips done on machines or with a plate on your stomach between two benches? A:   It's really personal preference and I recommend doing at least two of those because you hit different areas of the chest and shoulder and triceps. Dips with a plate on your belly, with hands on one bench and heels on another, really works the triceps alone, whereas Roman chair (depending upon whether you face the wall or face out) will work shoulders - at least - if not upper chest (facing inward) much more. Dips on a machine are certainly safest in terms of avoiding injuries. Remember, you greatly compromise your shoulders doing dips both other ways so you must be careful. I recommend dips highly, however, I think you really need a lesson on proper form from ...

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Q:  Are dips on a roman chair better than dips done on machines or with a plate on your stomach between two benches? A: It's really personal preference and I recommend doing at least two of those because you hit different areas of the chest and shoulder and triceps. Dips with a plate on your belly, with hands on one bench and heels on another, really works the triceps alone, whereas Roman chair (depending upon whether you face the wall or face out) will work shoulders - at least - if not upper chest (facing inward) much more. Dips on a machine are certainly safest in terms of avoiding injuries. Remember, you greatly compromise your shoulders doing dips both other ways so you must be careful. I recommend dips highly, however, I think you really need a lesson on ...

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Most bodybuilders have fairly well developed upper abs. A few sets of crunches, a few times per week, and the upper four abs (of the entire 8-pack) begin to emerge. Some bodybuilders don’t even have to do that much. Relatively low body fat levels, coupled with some stimulation from cardio and other compound lifts cause those lucky folks to possess those visible upper abs year-round. The lower abs, however, receive far less spillover stimulation from other exercise. Additionally, in most people, the body tends to store a fair deal of fat in the lower stomach area. For this reason, both cardio and specialized lower-abdominal training are required. Here are a few popular lower abdominal exercises. Leg Raises On Bench These are a very common way to train the lower abs. Lying on a bench, put your feet together ...

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If you’ve spent some time in the gym, you’ve probably seen some pretty ridiculous things. Many bodybuilders, in search of ways to challenge themselves into new growth, often discover some pretty silly training methods. When you put two eager bodybuilders in a nearly-empty weight room, they seem to come up with some creative ways to challenge each other. It seems that with no non-testosterone agitated minds in the room, creative exercise techniques make sense, at the time. We’ve all seen the magazine pictures of Arnold training at Gold’s gym in the 1970s. He’d often employ one or more training partners to sit on his back as he completed set after set of standing calf raises. Recent pictures of Ronnie Coleman have shown his partners sitting atop a leg press machine, working to add a few hundred additional ...

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There are actually two different types of dips which can be used to train the triceps. Both movements hit the triceps, and both have a secondary effect upon the chest and shoulders. Both are commonly called “dips” by trainers. But they are performed entirely differently. Let’s learn more! Parallel bar dips These are great mass builders for the triceps, and deliver some stimulation to the chest and shoulders are well. Most effective when completed on a combined chest/triceps day, this movement requires a set of parallel bars. Gripping the bars, use the triceps to lower the body down, and then back up. It’s a very simple movement, and many gyms offer machines which reduce the bodyweight during the parallel bar dip movement. For some beginner (or heavier) athletes, using the full bodyweight ...

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Q:  No matter how hard I try I just can’t seem to develop that horseshoe look in my triceps. The outer part is easily visible but the rest of it just ain’t there. What can I do bring out the rest of the muscle? A: The first thing you need to do is understand the anatomy of the muscle and then identify which exercises are best to work specific parts of it. As the name implies, the triceps consist of three heads. The medial and lateral heads originate on the upper-arm bone and attach on the ulna, which is one of the forearm bones. The long head originates on the shoulder blade and travels down the back of the upper-arm bone to attach on the ulna. Clearly, then, full development has to involve a variety of movements that work each of the three ...

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When most bodybuilding routines call for “dips”, many trainers become confused. There are actually TWO bodybuilding exercises, which are referred to as dips. One movement trains the triceps, the other movement trains the chest AND the triceps. Often, bodybuilders will complete both exercises on chest/triceps day, which further contributes to the confusion. Let’s clear the air right now by analyzing the two similar movements and how they are completed. Chest Dips aka Dips The chest is targeted as the main muscle group, with the triceps receiving secondary stimulation in this movement. Take hold of the parallel bars (dip machine). With your palms facing the ground, slowly lower then raise your body. Try to lean forward in order to target the pectorals (chest muscles). Stay ...

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Q:  I’ve been told that dips really help you add girth and help shape the tris. I’m currently doing push downs, skull crushers and kickbacks, but don’t know what else to do. If I want to change the shape of my triceps, what exercises can I do? A: Plenty! It sounds like you got off to a good start, but I do have some suggestions. First, if all you’re doing is these three exercises, you’ll want to expand your workouts a bit. It’s not that you have to do 6 exercises per workout—in fact quite the contrary. You really only want to select about 3 exercises per workout for either bis or tris. However, you want to mix things up and have some kind of plan as to what you do and when. I always say to people that “why” you’re doing something is probably ...

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