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STOP, You're Training Your Triceps Wrong!

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Rating: 4.5; Vote: 2

Are you training your triceps wrong? You are about to find out in this video on how to get bigger triceps by implementing a triceps workout strategy that may be completely new to you. We look to the teachings of the late goat Mike Mentzer to give us clues as to how we may want to switch up the way we do our triceps exercises, and all of our workouts for that matter, to get bigger arms in the long run. It starts with a declaration by Mentzer where he says that the best triceps exercise for growth is hands down the dip. Now, keep in mind that the dip also works the chest and shoulders. If you focus on the angle of your body when performing the dip, you can more effectively target the triceps or the chest while also hitting the shoulders in the process. That said, is he right? Well, I want to go back to time earlier this year where I had an MRI done on my shoulder. After throwing a baseball when I was working with the New York Mets, I had torn my labrum and rotator cuff. Not only that, but I had serious degeneration of the shoulder joint as well. Up to that point, where I was feeling discomfort, I was performing a lot of pressing exercises to build the triceps that I have today. What I liked about some of these pressing exercises, such as the close grip bench press, was that I was able to overload the triceps with a decent amount of weight. We know that overloading a muscle, especially one like the triceps, is a good stimulus for growth that sometimes we don t explore. By using a heavy weight and allowing muscles that want to work together such as the chest, shoulders and triceps, we can build big triceps in the process. The only issue was, with the amount of shoulder problems I had, I was getting a lot of discomfort in my shoulder while doing these pressing exercises. That is when I remembered the lecture from Mike Mentzer discussing his favorite triceps exercise. I tried it and it was a game changer. I started using the dips for triceps training a great deal. Not only was it something I could scale using weight all the way down to negative only reps, but I was also starting to feel more comfort in my shoulder that had gone missing when performing other triceps exercises. That said, I didn t stop at just one triceps exercise. I come from a long history and background of doing more than just the one set or exercise that Mike recommends in his Heavy Duty training, So I performed some classic triceps exercises. That said, I used a method that would dramatically cut down the volume of triceps training that I was doing. I used a mechanical drop set shown in the video. After a brief warmup, I started with a lying triceps extension with an EZ Bar. As soon as I reached failure, I started performing a JM Press or modified French Press and continued to rep out to failure once again. After reaching failure, I started performing a close grip bench press (with the EZ Bar) and repped out to failure for the final time with no rest between any of the exercises. This torched my triceps and was all that I needed, in combination with the dips discussed before. On the dips, I was able to implement another mechanical drop set where I started with bodyweight, followed by assisted dips, and finally negative only reps. Finally, I had to consider the final premise of Mentzer training that was largely responsible for the gains that could come from using it - rest and recovery. Given my limitations with triceps training due to my shoulder, I figured that now was the time to cut back the frequency of my triceps workouts and see if Lost any gains because of it. Shockingly, I did not. In fact, I gained much more size back on my triceps as a result. What was once a scenario where I trained my triceps 2x per week, I was now doing them about once every 10 days or so and capitalizing on the indirect work that they would get with my chest, shoulder, and push workouts. I highly encourage you give these lessons learned a try in your own triceps training and exercises. You may be shocked by the results - injured or not.
Date: 2023-09-04

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Comments and reviews: 20

John
I'm a firm believer in high-intensity + lower volume. It's a shame a lot more people aren't doing it.
Mentzer's very specific takes on the concept are interesting. Sorry Mike, but I always do a 2nd set even though the 1st one is extremely intense. I compensate by resting a bit more between sets. I also avoid dips because DB BP, OH DB presses and heavy triangle cable pushdowns grow my chest, delts, and triceps vey well.
Bottom line: IMO, the concept of high-intensity + lower volume is the most important thing to gain here, not Mentzer's exercise list and his one set only idea. I've found diminishing returns doesn't really bite hard until the 3rd set if you go to RIR 0 on the first two. RIR 0 is not the same as failure.
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Born
I have been telling people this for years. I am 5 6 tall, 170 lbs and 56 years old. I have been doing weighted dips for years. Even at my age and size I can wrap the belt chain twice around a 120lbs dumbbell and rep for 10. I then go to 135 by wrapping the dumbbell and looping the chain through a 15lbs kettlebell and shooting for 8 reps. Then I switch out to 150lbs by exchanging the kettlebell to 30lbs and rep out as many as I can. If you want to see incredible gains in your overall strength and size, especially benchpress, weighted dips are phenomenal. Stop focusing on your bicep for arm size and light up those triceps, because it will give you more volume in your arm. Hope this helps.
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Fatman
Ive been training for years and I got up to HEAVY pulldowns for reps. Iam talking the whole stack plus all the add and weights and another 25 lb plate on the stack. My triceps barely EVER grew. In the last year or so Ive been doing dips, mostly on the assist at first and now Iam down to just the first plate. And let me tell you, my triceps have NEVER grown so fast.
Side note: Ive also been training in Mike Menzters style over the last year or so and I have also shown more gains then I ever have in 10 years of training. Iam growing like a weed in terms of size and strength.
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Charles
It's not really one set when you have 2 warm up sets prior. It's a 3 set program. It works very well. I did this recently using a 5x5 method for rack pulls. First 3 sets were warmup sets, light weight, 5 reps, nothing too intense, gradually increasing until my set 4 was a hard 5 reps. I'd focus a 10 second hold at the end of each set. By set 5 I was doing my max for 1 rep with a hold for as long as I could. Did this twice a week for 2 months and added 100 pounds to my deadlift and rack pull in that time and got me past my plateau of 305 to 405 for my 1 rep max.
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Abdelbasset
On my way home from the gym where I applied the Mike Mentzer biceps workout based on your last Biceps video( the greatest mind muscle connection ever for me, tbh, I said to myself that it would be great if Jeff made another one with the triceps, and here it is popping on my laptop just the moment I walk home and turn my TV on! Incredible, isn't it? no wonder when it's up to Jeff, You never disappoint, man! All the the love from Algeria.
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AngMori
I do the one (work) set only approach, but I usually do 2-4 exercises per intended body part in order to hit all the desired heads. And dips are done with Chest focus, so I do 2 tricep exercises as well. I've found that low volume, high intensity works much better for me. I recover better, I can stay focused during my workouts and I enjoy my workouts more. And less problems with my right shoulder.
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MrAlfable
I've always kind of ignored it as a gimmick, but Mentzer's advice sounds not too dissimilar from the X3 program, where that guy also touts one set per body part done to complete failure. I might be too programed to the idea of weekly volume, especially given the overwhelming amount of data out there, but would definitely like to see more research about these one set programs/ideas.
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FRANK
Given Mentzer s theory, do these gymnasts do their dips with low frequency or are they doing many sessions with many repetitions? Same can be said of those who do every day work with their hands, eg. plumbers and mechanics, who have strong, well developed forearms. Mentzer s theory goes only so far. Volume and frequency are also important along with intensity
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sport
Hello, i am french and need a clarifiaction, from 5: 45 to 6: 52, mike explains the mistake it is to do a second set. What i understood is that a second set is doublind the rest needed to counter the bigger stimulus a doubling in sets produce, but how is it a problem when he himself is a big advocate for long rest periods between workouts?
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Chris
Always love these videos! I can learn so much and can already claim gains in the right directions. I really appreciate the science behind the different workouts (presenting all sides) and I think this resonates with many people. Thank you for sharing your content! Wish you, your family, and Jesse always the best!
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Jackie
Always protective of my shoulders so I work in dips every 4-5 workouts on my 3 day PLP split. Wish I could do them more frequently, just don't like the stress on my shoulders but it is one of the best overall upperbody exercises. I like the upperbody squat term because that's exactly what it feels like.
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John
Jeff, this was a great video. Thank you. It would be nice if you could do a short video about Mike Mentzer's HIT approach. I know you described some of it in this video but it would be great seeing a more generic (i. e. not triceps specific) discussion. Thank you again.
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Rob
No matter how I position myself dips always wreck my shoulder and not in a good way. I guess my physical structure is just not meant for them. I like them as I can feel my chest working better than other exercises but I d rather not have debilitating shoulder pain
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Scarywoody
Very timely video for me. I have been checking out mentzer's videos and really like the approach. I am taking some of his advice and reduced my volume. It makes my workouts quicker, and that is motivating me to stay more consistent. Appreciate the video!
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Pierre
What a great video, back to the basics! In a workout world of so much information overload this just makes sense! Hey Jeff- why can t we buy your stuff up here in Canada without paying an arm and a leg for shipping?
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Zrksys
Give us with these advices a full workout plan. no need for in a week but how to spread it so it c9vers everything. or explain to us why does he hit legs 2 times before he hits chest 2 times and back for that matter
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mike
I m actually running a program based on the bronze era training. These old school lifters kept it simple (although sometimes a little weird ) and got the job done. More people need to remember this in my opinion
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PS
There was a research paper released a while back that showed that triceps get the most stimulation being in its most stretch position (over head.
Research shows a lot of these old things to be quite outdated.
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MMbaseball
Great video Jeff, I should start doing dips more often!
Can you do a Mike Mentzer hamstring video? I feel like my hamstrings get sore for so long compared to my other leg muscles
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Kalle
Inspired by this I started to do 2 drop sets to failure and only training for 3 times a week. High intensity and less volume, alot of rest. Suits my lifestyle and I make great progress.
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