Every bodybuilder loves training the biceps. Let’s be honest – when people find out you lift weights, they usually ask you to “Make a muscle”, which typically involves flexing the biceps. The reality is that the triceps are actually two-thirds of the upper arm, and the muscle group responsible for the “big arm” you like to show off. A ripped, peaked biceps matters naught if your triceps are scrawny and untrained. Many beginner bodybuilders make the mistake of ignoring their triceps. They end up with “epic 14 inch arms” after training biceps for 2 years and playing around with triceps movements when they feel like it. Once they finally get serious about their training and develop a well-rounded routine which emphasizes triceps at least as much as biceps, they begin to see growth. Here are a few tips for boosting your triceps mass. These will be particularly useful for beginner to intermediate bodybuilders who have neglected their triceps for the first few years of training.

Train heavy – but don’t neglect form!

Go watch a bodybuilder with 21-inch arms train. You’ll notice something right away. He trains with a lot of weight. You don’t. And if you do train with as much weight as him, it’s very likely you don’t use good form. Take another look at the man with the 21-inch guns. He’s probably controlling the weight much better than you do. Every time you use ‘swing’ to move the weight, you take stress away from the triceps and place them on your back or hips. This is counterproductive.

Gain weight

You cannot build larger triceps while remaining the same bodyweight. Muscle is very heavy and cannot just come from out of thin air. Adding 5 pounds of beef to your upper arms requires an addition of 5 pounds to your total bodyweight. Additionally, it’s very hard to add muscle to one area without beefing up other areas. If you’re training your full body and you gain ten pounds, the weight will be distributed to the legs, arms, chest, back, etc. If you gain 5 pounds, it will most certainly not be limited to the arms only. In order to gain 2-3 inches of muscle on your arms over an 18-24 month period, you will need to gain 15 to 25 pounds.

Avoid machines

Machines are very good for helping to isolate the muscle group being trained, and they will always have a place in bodybuilding training. However, machines limit your range of motion and very often eliminate the use of ‘stabilizer muscles’, those muscles which help guide the path of the weight. As far as the triceps are concerned, ignoring the stabilizers means you’re ignoring some of the triceps muscle fibers. Ask your friend with 21-inch guns what his favorite movements are. It’s very likely his answer will include bench dips, triceps presses, and close-grip bench presses.

Adding mass to your triceps isn’t rocket science. Train heavy using free weights, and eat a lot of food. Don’t overthink the growing process, and you will grow!

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