Common Triceps Training Mistakes

The triceps make up a large part of the arm so training them correctly is important, but they can get neglected a bit since we don’t see them as much as we see the biceps. Here are some common tricep training mistakes and how to fix them.

Focusing Too Much On the Biceps

We basically just said this, but one common tricep training mistake is not training them and overemphasizing the biceps. You should be spending equal time on training them to make sure that they balance out.

Overtraining

Sometimes the triceps get overtrained as well. The muscle doesn’t get fatigued all that easily but that doesn’t mean that you need to be working them out everyday, or else you risk overtraining them. Many people can stick with one to two days a week and be fine.

Not Using Enough Weight

Sometimes people make the mistake of not using enough weight when they’re working out their triceps. The triceps are a really strong muscle group so they need a lot of weight to respond to anything. Incorporating partial reps can help load the triceps if you don’t feel like you’re getting enough response from them.

Not Working All Three Tricep Heads

There are three different heads on the triceps and you need to make sure that you’re hitting all of them. It’s a common mistake to overwork the lateral heads and neglect the medial and long heads a bit thanks to how the force shifts as you go through a move. To keep track, remember that the lateral head is worked when your arms are by your side in neutral or overhand grips. The medial head is worked when you arms are by your side in an underhand grip. And the long head is worked when your arms are in front of you or above your head.

Skipping the Triceps Stretch Exercises

There are a variety of different ways to train the triceps, and switching things up can be very beneficial. Contraction tricep exercise like dumbbell kickbacks are crucial, but so are the tricep exercise that actually stretch the triceps. Both are important if you’re trying to add some gains to the arms. An example of tricep stretch exercises would be behind the head tricep extensions.

Skipping the Free Weights

You should not overlook the importance of using free weights when you’re working out your triceps. Free weights help you to follow more natural movements, (although you still have to think about form), and they can help to improve the stability of the joints. Using free weights can also be a lot more challenging than using machines, but in this case that’s a good thing.

Doing the Same Thing Every Time

When you are working out your triceps you need to make sure and pay attention to how much weight you are using and what sort of exercises you do to make sure that you’re not just repeating the same workout each time. If you do that, you might not get the gains you’re looking for.