Ask any new trainer in the gym what he does for triceps, and he’ll invariably point over to the cable machines.  Good answer. There’s nothing wrong with using cables.  They do provide the triceps with stimulation, which brings blood into the region.  The muscle grows and detail is etched into the region.

Ask any advanced bodybuilder in the gym how he built those hanging slabs of meat he calls triceps.  Chances are, he’ll point to the free weight section.  Cables are terrific for working the triceps.  But for adding thickness to the upper arms, free weights always have been, and always will remain, the king. 

When you enter the gym with the desire to look like an advanced bodybuilder, you’re going to have to train like one.  The second half of your triceps workout can be all the cable work you’d like.  Pump them until they turn purple – that is fine.  However, the first half of your workout - roughly 6 to 10 sets- should be comprised of heavy free weight work.

Ready for your first set of lying triceps extensions?  First, select an EZ-curl bar.  Place a 25-pound weight on each side.  Even if you feel you’re capable of using more weight, start light.  You will be required to balance the weight in a very awkward angle, so starting light is required to avoid injury. 

Start by lying on a bench with your knees bent.  Your head should be hanging off the edge of the bench.  Hold the EZ bar in your hand, and then lower it almost to the ground.  Using your triceps to move the weight and keeping your upper arms stationary, bring the weight up over your head.  It’s a long range of motion, but it works the entire triceps muscle, from elbow to shoulder.  Don’t short-circuit your efforts by cheating or swinging the weight.  The goal is to make the triceps do the work.