Want to train your triceps but don't know where to start? A look into two exercises that anyone can perform!
HOW DO I PERFORM IT?
Since there are two different exercises for this week, I would first like to touch on the dips set up. To set up, find a dip bar, or any two handles that you can grip without discomfort. Since this is bodyweight-oriented, a few ways to add resistance will be through the use of; resistance bands and/or weights using either a dip belt, or propped up between your legs. I am going to assume a grip where my palms are facing towards the ground, and fingertips are facing away from me. As I bring myself down closer to the bar, I am thinking about bending my elbows while getting my shoulders from rolling forward. On another note, you should be keeping a neutral position in your spine as you descend. When I want to bring myself up to finish the rep, I am thinking about pressing through the "heels of my palm" until my elbows are fully extended. Now, let's tackle the next set-up: cross body cable extensions. To set up, you can use resistance bands, or a cable machine if they are accessible to you. I am going to grab the cables or resistance bands on opposite sides of your body (meaning your right arm grabs the left cable, and left arm grabs the right cable and criss-cross). Bring your hands down to your side, and position your elbows slightly away from your ribcage. Lastly, keeping your shoulders and elbows in their fixed state, think about drawing your hands away from your body, and slowly back to center as you finish off the rep. As I mentioned, make sure you are keeping your elbows and shoulders from moving or rolling forward, keeping constant tension onto the target muscle, your triceps.
WHAT MUSCLES DOES IT WORK?
Both of these movements are a great addition to working the long head of your triceps. On to the topic of dips, your chest, back, core, and shoulders will also play a part in the movement, as they work as secondary movers and stabilizers for this exercise.
VARIATIONS/REGRESSIONS
As seen in the video, dips using a dip rack may be too difficult for some. In this case, the bench dips will be a great regression. To set up, find a bench that you can comfortably rest your hands on. The heels of your palm will be planted on the edge of the bench, with your fingertips facing your body. Here, the set-up is important in terms of your difficulty level. When your knees are fully extended, the movement will create more tension and stability purposes, therefore making it harder. Whereas the knees slightly bent, will mitigate the need for stability and holding your bodyweight up as much. To progress, you can add weight to your lap, use tempo, or even prop your legs up on a box in front of you. Just like before, bend your elbows as both your elbows and shoulders stay in their fixed position, and press through the heels of your palm until your elbows are fully extended, or locked out. Some other variations that can be included for working the triceps as a whole will be: overhead tricep extensions, tricep pushdowns, neutral grip close grip bench press, skull crushers, lying dumbbell sickouts, etc.
HOW DO I PROGRAM/PROGRESS IT?
Personally, I like to incorporate these with a set range of 2-5, and reps between 8-20. If I am looking to increase my dips in terms of reps, I will use sub maximal sets spread across the day. If I am aiming to increase muscular strength/size, I am using various techniques such as AMRAPs, drop sets, supersets, etc.
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