Try Triceps -

Triceps are a muscle group that is often neglected. Left as the poor cousin to your biceps, this can effect your whole training routine. Besides, women dig them - they are a sexy muscle and make your guns look even bigger.

In this article, I team up with local amateur bodybuilder and gym veteran Paul Stewart to work up a work out for the Average Joe who wants to build strong arms.

In 2004, I embarked on a journey to trim down, build muscle and be in the best shape of my life. As a side-show to keep me focused, I decided to compete in the International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA) titles in Canberra. Like most guys, prior to 2004 I trained the "poser's" workout of everything quite pedestrian except for chest and biceps. A chance meeting at the gym changed all that for me - the man responsible is the ACT's Paul Stewart.

The target of the bodybuilding competition kept me focused on reaching my personal goals but was not nearly as strong a driver as my mate Paul who was training me. Paul was a mentor, inspiring me to train hard with the right focus. Together we developed a well balanced set of principles for a tricep routine that I live by to this day.

In this artcicle, I will share with you the routine that Paul and I developed together that has helped me grow some decent arms.

Tricep Principle 1: Heavy Compound Movement

Building quality muscle is based around compound movements. These movements usually incur the use of other associated muscles. Bench Dips are the perfect compound tricep movement to get hard and heavy and set your biceps up for growth.

For this exercise, you will need two benches, one for your feet and one for your hands. Space them about the length of your legs, from the waist down. You should ready yourself for this movement by sitting in an "L" shape with you feet together on one bench and you hands, knuckles forward propping yourself up on the bench.

You should be aiming for around 8-12 repetitions per set, aiming for failure. This means until you feel you can do no more. Only do 3 sets on this exercise.

As you can see, if your own body weight is not enough, step it up with some extra weight on your lap.

Watch and learn from the master - Check out Paul loaded up with some extra weight. Beware: this is only for the hardcore!

Tricep Principle 2: Isolated Movement, focus form

The next exercise is about isolating the triceps and focusing the form of the exercise. Focus on the workout rather than the weight on this one. Most good gyms have a kneeling tricep extension maching and a rope attachment. The rope is critical in getting an end-to-end pump across the three heads of the tricep. It is important to maintain the same elbow positioning on the forward leaning pad. Also important is bringins the rope as far back behind your head as possible, to push forward until arms are slightly bent. Here is the trick though - the hands are kept together from behind the head until the last part of the movement.

When your elbows are just shy of being locked (never lock them), turn your hands out so your hands are no longer together, they are then about a 10cm apart. Hold it at this point for 2 seconds (yes, that's right 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississipi...). You will get a great pump from this. Keep it nice and slow and even throughout the movement. You should not be jerking or flinging the rope overhead.

This is a very controlled movement. Aim for around 10-12 repetitions and only do 3 sets.

Tricep Principle 3: Heavy Isolated Movement

The final exercise is a heavy isolated movement. The reason for this is that you want to hammer the tricep to failure, but not too hard. You also don't want to do another compound movement that will use other muscle groups - compensating for the fatigue in your triceps and taking more of the burden.

As such, good old tricep push-downs are a good isolated movement to finish off. Any gym worth paying for has a machine that is purpose built for this exercise or can accomodate it. This one is with a twist though - do it with your back to the machine, keeping yourself pressed up against it. This reduces leaning into the movement and cheating.

As you can see from Paul's shots, this is a grunter of a movement, keep your triceps in, hold the movement at the extension and get your mate to spot you. For those not into gym lingo, "Spot" means to help your training partner by giving them just enough of a push so they can keep it moving, not do the movement for them.

Again, this exercise should be done through 8-12 repetitions (to failure) and in 3 sets, no more.

I took a photo, below, to give people a real view of what sort of a result they can expect. No fake tan, no oil, no special lighting and no dehydration. The result is a solid set of triceps that make the whole arm look bigger and something the Average Joe can achieve given consistent training and time.

Champ's David B lights up his triceps at the 2004 INBA Titles in the ACT.

OK guys, we have a tricep workout that can make your whole arm look bigger and will support growth across your whole upper body. With triceps supporting key upper body pressing excercises like bench press or military press, they really are a fundamental that shouldn't be ignored. Now you know!

I am not a personal trainer nor a doctor or mind reader so please check that this tricep routine, as part of a healthy diet and exercise program, would be suitable for you with the professionals.

I am keen to hear from anyone who chooses to try this workout as a part of a 3-4 day per week split program, over at least 6 weeks to let me know how you go. All the best in trying triceps.