I'm wondering if there are any tricep exercises that focus mainly on the lateral head of the tricep. When ever i do my tricep exercises i hit mainly the long head, and i've noticed its quite a bit bigger than my lateral head.
Any tips/tricks, like certain exercises, or modifying a particular motion? i really want to hit that head hard, but no matter what i do i have a hard time isolating it.
thanks guys!
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Thread: Isolating Lateral head (tricep)
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06-14-2007, 05:54 PM #1
Isolating Lateral head (tricep)
"Nature designed my body,
but nature lacks intelligence,
I do not.
and I will build a better body than nature ever could."
-sikboy
"Just be satisfied that you'll never be satisfied" - TheJuicedchase
"basically, your friend is gonna get some erections, bloat with water, then shed the water, have painful joints and painful pumps then die" - amerigovespucci
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06-14-2007, 06:07 PM #2
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06-14-2007, 06:10 PM #3
great thanks, i dont do too much close grip bench, so maybe i'll start to incorporate this into my workout...the reason i dont is because my tri day follows my chest day and i dont want to hit my chest the next day doing close grip. dumb idea? or am i on the right page with that?
"Nature designed my body,
but nature lacks intelligence,
I do not.
and I will build a better body than nature ever could."
-sikboy
"Just be satisfied that you'll never be satisfied" - TheJuicedchase
"basically, your friend is gonna get some erections, bloat with water, then shed the water, have painful joints and painful pumps then die" - amerigovespucci
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06-14-2007, 06:11 PM #4
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sorry to be the provider for bad news.. but you can't isolate one particular head..
I've seen people with overdevelopped pecs or a particular deltoid head (anterior) but I've yet to see someone overdevelop a tricep head.
the tricep is a small muscle group that flexes as a whole.
the best tricep growth will get triggered from heavy compound lifts such as pressing on chest day. or to a certain extent pulling on back day. it even takes a good hit on leg day (squats)
reverse grip bench is one of the best movements I've done for triceps... every single other movement no matter what it is.. is an extension movement or some kind of variation.. they are all the same.. some more dominent then others such as kick backs (worst) vs overhead db/cable extensions (best).
if that etched in detail of that tricep to elbow connective tissue is what your after.. then your gonna have to lower your body fat.. which from the looks of your picture ain't all that high in the first place (edit...as I was... isn't high)The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and hear all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds. ~Henry Rollins
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06-14-2007, 06:16 PM #5
i'm around 7-8% bf right now, and i can see my triceps great, and i notice when doing single arm pulldowns, if i turn my wrist slightly at the end i can hit the lateral head harder, it gets a much tighter contraction...things like that are what i'm after...i know theres no way to fully isolate the head, but like chest for example. If you want to hit upper chest you do incline, lower, decline, etc...its all one muscle but you can isolate parts of it with different exercises. thats what i'm looking for with triceps.
"Nature designed my body,
but nature lacks intelligence,
I do not.
and I will build a better body than nature ever could."
-sikboy
"Just be satisfied that you'll never be satisfied" - TheJuicedchase
"basically, your friend is gonna get some erections, bloat with water, then shed the water, have painful joints and painful pumps then die" - amerigovespucci
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06-14-2007, 06:24 PM #6
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06-14-2007, 06:26 PM #7
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06-14-2007, 06:28 PM #8
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06-14-2007, 06:29 PM #9
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06-14-2007, 06:31 PM #10
all good suggestions so far...i will def. take all of this in and try it out tomroow, as tomorrow is my tri day. i just feel like no matter what tricep exercise i do, i only hit the long head of the tricep hard enough to feel it pumping up and such.
"Nature designed my body,
but nature lacks intelligence,
I do not.
and I will build a better body than nature ever could."
-sikboy
"Just be satisfied that you'll never be satisfied" - TheJuicedchase
"basically, your friend is gonna get some erections, bloat with water, then shed the water, have painful joints and painful pumps then die" - amerigovespucci
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06-14-2007, 07:09 PM #11
Isolate?
No.
Emphasize?
Yes.
I've found lying skulls done w/a hammer-grip barbell [basically, palms facing in] fry my outer heads like nothing else - I also read recently that the lateral head is most recruited closer to the "lockout" portion of tricep moves, so you could try doing some partials at the end of your sets too.
I have the same problem, my outer head is much weaker/smaller than the other two. I started working to even that out but unfortunately hit a bit of a snag in the form of a dislocated shoulder back in March, so I just started lifting again recently. Otherwise, I'd hopefully have some more "real world" experiential advice to give ya.You're = you are.
Your = your.
I have no respect for those with no respect for logic.
- Arnold, "Twins"
When life gives you a T-Rex, go Ninja-kick it in the head.
- Rayne Summers
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06-14-2007, 07:25 PM #12"Nature designed my body,
but nature lacks intelligence,
I do not.
and I will build a better body than nature ever could."
-sikboy
"Just be satisfied that you'll never be satisfied" - TheJuicedchase
"basically, your friend is gonna get some erections, bloat with water, then shed the water, have painful joints and painful pumps then die" - amerigovespucci
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06-14-2007, 07:33 PM #13
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06-14-2007, 08:14 PM #14
Exactly, emg's will show you can emphasize a certain head of the triceps. Besides lying skull crushers with a neutral grip, some other good ones are close grip bench press, behind the neck overhead press (virtually no long head involved), and kickbacks will all work the lateral head with less emphasis on the long head.
Kickbacks seem like a good choice if you want to emphasize the lockout portion. I know they get a bad rap for the lack of weight that can be used, but for pure bodybuilding purposes, they may provide just the stimulus you need, especially to the lateral head. I personally think they have their place and are worth a shot.Get my free motivational fat loss and muscle building guide for busy people @ excuseproof.com.
Author of "50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew" and "How To Stick To A Diet"
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06-14-2007, 08:25 PM #15"Nature designed my body,
but nature lacks intelligence,
I do not.
and I will build a better body than nature ever could."
-sikboy
"Just be satisfied that you'll never be satisfied" - TheJuicedchase
"basically, your friend is gonna get some erections, bloat with water, then shed the water, have painful joints and painful pumps then die" - amerigovespucci
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06-14-2007, 08:29 PM #16
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06-14-2007, 08:42 PM #17
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06-15-2007, 07:24 AM #18
Examine the exercises, in this thread, for greater lateral head activation:
http://forum1.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=2745401
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06-15-2007, 08:44 AM #19
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06-15-2007, 08:50 AM #20
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06-15-2007, 08:55 AM #21
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06-15-2007, 09:14 AM #22
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06-15-2007, 09:22 AM #23
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06-15-2007, 10:19 AM #24
I have always had the same problem as the TS. My long head is much more developed, and is genetically predisposed to be, than my lateral head.
The information I have gathered regarding emphasizing different heads are all based around arm positioning. To my knowledge, the long head crosses the shoulder joint, so when the arm is extended overhead like in OH dumbell extensions, OH rope extensions, and french presses, the long head is in a stretched position, which emphasizes it more than the other heads. This is similar to the way the calf and soleus work during standing calf raises (stretched calf position, emphasizes calves more) and seated (relaxed calf muscle, which allows the soleus to be emphasized more).
With that in mind, try to stick to tricep exercises where the long head is not in a stretched position. I also agree with Defiant1, that when the elbows are flared, it emphasizes the lateral head more.
My favorite exercise for the lateral head are wide grip press downs. Take a pulldown bar, put it on your favorite stack, use a wider than shoulder grip, lean over it a bit with your head on one side of the cable and press down. It acts like the top 25% of a bench press, but with little to no chest activation.
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06-15-2007, 11:47 AM #25
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06-15-2007, 11:51 AM #26
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Dips, CGBP, supine dumbell extension, V-grip pushdown, weighted diamond pushups...
If it really bugs you to an extreme level, go get some synthol and shove it up in that lateral head for a efw months. Then work the crap out of your triceps once it gets out of there, muscle will take the place of the synthol. Keep in mind, I am NOT giving professional advice nor advice that I would personally follow.
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06-15-2007, 12:53 PM #27
- Join Date: Jun 2007
- Location: Columbia, South Carolina, United States
- Age: 35
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Best Method
The best method I know of to isolate the lateral head above everything else is:
pushups with a resistance band.
It's pretty simple, the further the band stretches, the more resistance it gives. The lateral head is most active towards the end of the movement on pressing, so if you wrap the band around your neck and hold it in each hand and start pushing, you'll feel an incredible burn once yuo're done.
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