The right way for a huge tricep

Yesterday i received this question from one of my readers (Mr.John,Kansas).The very next moment I struck at an idea of making it a post which i think will be of help to many.

I've been working out regularly for the last one and a half year. I dedicate 3/4 of my arms workout to triceps. I do about 5 to 6 types of exercises for triceps (20 sets in all). How can I really bulk up my upper triceps? I do all mass builders like skull crushers, close grip bench, pull down, kickbacks etc. The weights I use are in the range of 20 pounds to 30 pounds. I really want to bulk up my upper arm in a big way!

Answer:

You're doing way too many exercises for your triceps! The reason you're not growing is probably because you're overtraining and your muscles are screaming to recover.

Here is a basic outline for the total number of sets for each muscle group:

Do no more than 10-12 sets for larger muscle groups. These include chest, back, legs, and calves.

Do no more than 6-10 sets for the smaller muscles. These include biceps, triceps, deltoids, and abdominals.

To really add mass, make sure to limit your workouts to an hour max and make each set really count by going to positive failure (after warm-up). If you have a training partner, have them spot you when going past failure and really push your muscles to grow. Stick to a rep range of 6-8 with the heaviest weight you can list. Get at least 3 minutes of rest between each set. Another key element is rest after your workout. Make sure to get at least 48 hours of rest between muscle groups to fully recover and grow.

Alcohol Destroys Muscle Gain

Too much alcohol will almost definitely have a significant negative impact on your muscle-building results. Alcohol is far more harmful than most people think, and it’s very important that you understand how this drug (yes, alcohol is a drug) is affecting your progress. This is not an anti-drug speech, but if you’re serious about achieving a truly impressive physique, you should definitely be aware of the 5 main ways that alcohol is slowing down your gains...

1) It negatively affects protein synthesis.
Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids are joined together to form complete proteins. Excessive alcohol consumption slows this process down by up to 20%, and since your muscles are made up of protein, you can see how this is a problem.

2) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.

Testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body. One of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can gain is their level of free-flowing testosterone.The pic here shows how the testosterone level decreses with age.

3) It causes dehydration.
The kidneys must filter very large amounts of water in order to break down the alcohol, and this can result in severe dehydration within the body. Water plays an absolutely crucial role in the muscle-building process, and being even slightly dehydrated is a recipe for disaster. The muscles alone are comprised of 70% water.

4) It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.
Alcohol consumption causes vitamins A, C, the B's, calcium, zinc and phosphorus to all be drained at rapid rates. Vitamins and minerals keep every little process in your body functioning properly, and many of these processes involve muscle growth and maintenance.

5) It increases fat storage.
With 7 empty calories per gram, alcohol can actually be quite fattening. Alcohol also disrupts the Kreb’s Cycle, which plays an important role in fat burning.

It’s important to have fun in life, but too much fun can lead to problems. If you’re serious about achieving significant muscle-building results, you definitely need to monitor your intake of alcohol and make sure that you are consuming it in moderation. A few drinks here and there shouldn’t be a problem, but if you find yourself drinking every weekend you can almost certainly kiss your muscle gains goodbye.

If you do decide to go out and party, make sure to drink plenty of water and to properly nourish yourself with vitamins/minerals and a protein rich meal.

I don’t recommend revolving your entire life around your muscle-building program, so don’t be afraid to go out and have a good time once in a while. Just make sure to keep your drinking nights infrequent (no more than once a month) and properly nourish yourself to lessen its effects. As long as you monitor what you’re doing you can achieve an impressive physique and have a social life at the same time.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Workout Routine

The following is a sample exercise routine Arnold frequently used.

Mon, Wed, Fri
Chest: Bench press - 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Flat bench flies - 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Incline bench press - 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Cable crossovers - 6 sets, 10-12 reps Dips - 5 sets, to failure
Dumbbell pullovers - 5 sets, 10-12 reps

Back: Front wide-grip chin-ups - 6 sets, to failure
T-bar rows - 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Seated pulley rows - 6 sets, 6-10 reps
One-arm dumbbell rows - 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Straight-leg deadlifts - 6 sets, 15 reps

Legs:Squats - 6 sets, 8-12 reps
Leg presses - 6 sets, 8-12 reps
Leg extensions - 6 sets, 12-15 reps
Leg curls - 6 sets, 10-12 reps
Barbell lunges - 5 sets, 15 reps

Calves:Standing calf raises -10 sets, 10 reps
Seated calf raises - 8 sets, 15 reps
One-legged calf raises (holding dumbbells) - 6 sets,12 reps

Forearms:Wrist curls (forearms on knees) - 4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse barbell curls - 4 sets, 8 reps
Wright roller machine - to failure

Abs:Nonstop instinct training for 30 minutes


Tue, Thu, Sat
Biceps:Barbell curls - 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Seated dumbbell curls - 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Dumbbell concentration curls - 6 sets, 6-10 reps

Triceps:Close-grip bench presses (for the all three heads) - 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Pushdowns (exterior head) - 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Barbell French presses (interior head) - 6 sets, 6-10 reps
One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions (exterior head) - 6 sets, 6-10 reps

Shoulders:Seated barbell presses - 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Lateral raises (standing) - 6 sets, 6-10 reps
Rear-delt lateral raises - 5 sets, 6-10 reps
Cable lateral raises - 5 sets, 10-12 reps

Calves and Forearms:Same as Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Abs:Same as Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Tricep Kickback workout

Tricep kickbacks are the king of single arm tricep isolation exercises. Tricep kickbacks are great for hitting your triceps after close grip bench press.Out of all the tricep exercises, the tricep kickback has the biggest reputation for poor technique. If not performed correctly, the tricep kickback will not build your tricep muscles.

Starting Position: With a dumbbell in one hand stand next to a flat bench and position one knee on the bench, keep the other knee bent with the foot flat on the floor. Bend forward from the hips, and place the free hand on the bench. Keep the lower back in neutral and bend so that your upper body is parallel to the floor and the head facing down. Bend the arm holding the dumbbell and raise the elbow past the torso.

Keeping the elbow in place, push the dumbbell back and up by extending the arm backwards. Pause, and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat until the set if finished, then perform with the other arm.