Lateral Head Triceps Exercises: Targeting Your Outer Triceps
The triceps brachii muscle is a large muscle on the back of your upper arm, responsible for extending your elbow. It's made up of three heads: the lateral head, the medial head, and the long head. While all three heads contribute to elbow extension, each has a slightly different function and position, which makes them trainable individually.
This article will delve into lateral head triceps exercises, focusing on how to effectively target this outer portion of your triceps for increased muscle growth and definition.
Why Train the Lateral Head Specifically?
Targeting the lateral head of the triceps can be beneficial for several reasons:
- Enhanced Aesthetics: A well-developed lateral head contributes to a fuller, more balanced triceps look, enhancing the overall shape and definition of your arms.
- Improved Strength: Focusing on the lateral head can lead to increased overall triceps strength, as this head is crucial for extending the elbow with a neutral grip.
- Reduced Muscle Imbalances: Targeting the lateral head can help to address potential imbalances between the triceps heads, ensuring a more symmetrical development of your arm muscles.
Exercises for the Lateral Head
Here are some effective lateral head triceps exercises, along with tips for proper form and execution:
1. Close-Grip Bench Press
- Execution: Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grip the barbell with a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width, palms facing down. Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in and pointing slightly forward. Press the barbell back up to the starting position, maintaining a controlled motion.
- Tips: Focus on keeping your elbows tucked in throughout the movement to emphasize the lateral head. Avoid flaring your elbows outwards, as this shifts the focus to the medial head.
2. Overhead Triceps Extension
- Execution: Stand or sit with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell with an overhand grip. Raise the dumbbell overhead, extending your arm fully. Lower the dumbbell slowly behind your head until your upper arm is parallel to the floor. Extend your arm back up to the starting position.
- Tips: Keep your upper arm stationary throughout the movement. Avoid swinging or jerking the dumbbell, as this will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
3. Skull Crushers
- Execution: Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width. Lower the barbell towards your forehead, keeping your elbows slightly bent and pointed towards the ceiling. Press the barbell back up to the starting position.
- Tips: Keep your elbows pointed towards the ceiling throughout the movement to maximize the activation of the lateral head. Avoid letting your elbows flare out to the sides.
4. Triceps Pushdowns (Close Grip)
- Execution: Stand or sit in front of a cable machine, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Attach a straight bar attachment to the cable machine and hold it with an overhand grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width. Extend your arms fully, keeping your elbows close to your body. Slowly lower the bar towards your chest, maintaining a controlled motion. Push the bar back up to the starting position.
- Tips: Focus on keeping your elbows tucked in and stationary throughout the movement. Avoid using excessive momentum or swinging the bar, as this will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
5. Reverse-Grip Pushdowns
- Execution: Similar to triceps pushdowns, but use an underhand grip instead. This variation emphasizes the lateral head.
- Tips: Keep your elbows close to your body and control the descent of the bar to maximize the engagement of the lateral head.
6. Triceps Dips
- Execution: Place your hands shoulder-width apart on parallel bars. Lower your body down by bending your elbows, keeping your body close to the bars. Push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Tips: Focus on maintaining a controlled descent and keeping your body close to the bars throughout the movement.
7. Single-Arm Triceps Extensions (Dumbbell or Cable)
- Execution: Stand or sit with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell or cable attachment with an overhand grip. Extend your arm fully, keeping your upper arm stationary. Slowly lower the weight behind your head, keeping your elbow slightly bent. Extend your arm back up to the starting position.
- Tips: Keep your upper arm stationary and focus on controlled movements to isolate the lateral head.
Important Considerations:
- Progressive Overload: To stimulate muscle growth, it is important to gradually increase the weight you lift, the number of sets and repetitions you perform, or the difficulty of the exercises.
- Proper Form: Always prioritize proper form over lifting heavy weights. Using improper form can increase your risk of injury and limit the effectiveness of the exercise.
- Rest and Recovery: Allow your muscles time to recover between workouts. Aim for at least 48 hours of rest before working the same muscle group again.
- Balanced Training: Focus on building a balanced physique by including exercises for all major muscle groups in your workout routine.
Conclusion:
Training your lateral head triceps is an important aspect of building a strong and symmetrical physique. By incorporating these exercises into your training routine, using proper form, and progressively overloading your muscles, you can effectively target and develop this often overlooked muscle group. Remember to listen to your body, prioritize proper form, and allow for adequate rest and recovery. This will help you achieve your fitness goals and build a well-rounded, strong, and aesthetically pleasing set of triceps.