Last updated 21:19, Thursday, 20 November 2008

IN ORDER to have big arms you need to back up the biceps with a good set of triceps.

It’s the forgotten muscle on the upper body yet it’s actually the most important in terms of pushing movements.

Generally most of the chest exercises we perform involve pushing movements and your triceps play a major role in this.

The tricep is two thirds of your upper arm. This means you can bicep curl all you want but if you don’t work the triceps you will not have the guns you desire.

Be very careful with any tricep exercise, however, as it is a muscle part that is prone to injury. For years many people stack the cable machine and perform tricep extensions without realising the stress it places on the tendons attached to the elbow.

I developed tennis elbow a number of years ago that affected every tricep exercise I did, so please ensure to gradually increase the weight.

There are probably just as many tricep exercises as there are bicep exercises. For such a small muscle group the alternatives are endless but don’t be fooled into performing every single one.

We need the key exercises, the ones that will target the areas safely and progressively.

Cable machines and a set of dumbbells is all you need to blast your triceps into another league.

Cable machines are brilliant for combining different types of tricep exercise and dumbbells allow you to work the tricep in a more isolated fashion.

Two of the best exercises that you can perform on triceps are tricep extensions and kickbacks. Both of these can be performed on the cable machines, although I do recommend performing kickbacks with dumbbells where possible.

Tricep extensions: Form is key with this exercise – and whatever you do, don’t lean into the cable machine as this will decrease the intensity we want. Always keep your knees flexed throughout this exercise as this helps support your core. Keep your head up and, like they say at Alton Towers, “don’t look down”.

Don’t stand too upright but you should be in neutral alignment. Your starting position should have your elbows at a 90-degree angle. You then extend your elbows but never lock them out as this will increase your chances of injury.

I’m applying this more to the people who have trained for a number of years and haven’t quite got the size on their arms they wanted.

Start from the top of the stack and work your way down to the bottom and heaviest weight. This is extreme drop setting and even though the first few will seem like a walk in the park, after that you will start to feel the lactic acid in your triceps.

Beginners and intermediates can also perform drop setting on the cable machines but don’t try to fulfill the aim of getting to the bottom.

Overhead tricep extensions: Another variation of the normal tricep extension is the overhead exercise. This does something different as it works the tricep inside rather than just focusing on the outside of the tricep. Ensure the bar is overhead and grab the arm and lean forwards so that your back is away from the cable machine. With one foot out in front and the other behind, extend your elbows so the bar is now level with your eyes. Again drop setting on this exercise is a must as it increases the intensity and while you’ve already worked the outer tricep you now have balance with the inner tricep.

Dumbbells: In all truth, you could perform at least 10 different tricep exercises with dumbbells. The only problem is some of them work the same area. Let’s look at another balance exercise.

Kickbacks: I was first introduced to these during an exercise class. At first I thought they were easy and didn’t really work the tricep like extensions do. Forty-eight hours later I could hardly move my triceps. I then knew that kickbacks would form the stable of any workout.

The starting position of kickbacks reminds me of the skier’s position: knees bent, bend over slightly and keep your arms close to your sides. With elbows flexed, extend your arms and repeat this motion. Always look straight ahead and if you feel like you haven’t bent over enough then flex your knees more.

Top rack in the sports centre gym is ideal for drop setting this exercise.

Behind the neck dumbbell extensions: I recommend performing this seated and with your back supported by a bench. The dumbbell will be held by both your hands and extend your arms overhead then flex your elbows so the dumbbell lowers behind your neck.

This is the dumbbell exercise that works the inner tricep and because you are using both arms it will not make one tricep bigger than the other.

Drop setting isn’t recommended here but a combination would be good and I certainly recommend dips with this exercise.

Bodyweight exercises generate a different kind of force and test the tricep to the max.