The lovely triceps!
So, before I demonstrate a few simple tricep exercises on the video below, I'll just briefly share what they are & what they do!
The triceps (the muscle at the back our our arm) known to many of us as "bingo wings," are made up of three heads. The lateral head (on the exterior) is the most visible of the three, and therefore this is the one we tend to focus on as part of our training.
The tricep muscle is the muscle that extends our arm, so as not to over complicate things I won't cover what the three heads specifically do.
Why train our triceps?
The main difference between the front of our arm (the bicep) and the back of our arm (the tricep), is that, the back of the arm is an important storage area for fat for us ladies!
By training our triceps frequently, just by using light weight and high repetitions, we can prevent the deposit of fat - Bingo!!!
Tricep training is important not only for immediate results but also for the future.
After menopause, many women lose the fat covering the triceps as a result of hormonal change. This shift can leave an excess of skin hanging from our arms.
Once this happens, the chances of us getting shot of this sagging skin are virtually impossible unless through surgery. This is why it is important to prevent the accumulation of fat on our triceps early in life. That said it's never too late!
3 Tricep exercises to get you started:
You will need either some light dumbbells, resistance band, bottles of water, a couple of cans or even nothing at all - you will still work them! It will also be useful to be close to either some stairs, sofa or chair to perform one of the exercises.
- WARM UP - always start with a warm up - I'd suggest doing one of the exercises with a very light weight or none at all, this helps to get the muscle warmed up and will protect the elbow joint. Please note I've gone straight into demonstrating the exercises on the video to reduce the video time for you
- EXERCISE ONE - TRICEP KICKBACK
- EXERCISE TWO - TRICEP EXTENSION
- EXERCISE THREE - TRICEP DIPS (this is where stairs, sofa or chair are required)
- POST WORKOUT STRETCH - Lift one arm so that your bicep is right next to you head. Pull on your elbow with the other hand so that you arm bends as much as possible. Ideally, the hand of your stretched arm would touch that side's shoulder while your elbow is placed as high as possible. Repeat on the opposite side and as many times as you need to.
