Compound vs Isolation for Triceps

[Keyser_Soze11]

Like most DC trainees, I have used mostly compound exercises in my training. However, as I am going through the motions more and more I had a question. Do you guys usually do more of a compound movement for triceps or tend isolate them? Or both?

Currently my three main tricep movements are

-Dips (upright and altered slightly to target triceps)
-Close Grip dumbbell bench with neutral grip
-Close grip dumbbell floor press

I am just getting back into a FULL dc split after 3 years of a hybrid routine, I was competing in armwrestling so I couldnt lift as heavy every week. From the research I have done it appears more pushdown/extension movements will target the triceps more, but I know DC training is all about big movements you can progress on. I just started my new wave this week so any advice would help. I am so pumped be doing DC training full time again.

[Collabera]

I tend to use mostly compound movements like close grip bench either free weight or in the smith machine. This has been effective for me. One move I will eventually throw into my routine is a close grip 3 board press. When competing in powerlifting my triceps were much bigger and I attribute that size to the heavier weight in a shorter range of motion with the pause like a floor press.

I have had isolation moves but they didn't last long before I had to scrap them. If I'm doing an isolation I prefer an overhead cable extension or overhead DB extension.

[LG1]

Like most DC trainees, I have used mostly compound exercises in my training. However, as I am going through the motions more and more I had a question. Do you guys usually do more of a compound movement for triceps or tend isolate them? Or both?



Currently my three main tricep movements are



-Dips (upright and altered slightly to target triceps)

-Close Grip dumbbell bench with neutral grip

-Close grip dumbbell floor press



I am just getting back into a FULL dc split after 3 years of a hybrid routine, I was competing in armwrestling so I couldnt lift as heavy every week. From the research I have done it appears more pushdown/extension movements will target the triceps more, but I know DC training is all about big movements you can progress on. I just started my new wave this week so any advice would help. I am so pumped be doing DC training full time again.

Timely post. Also need a new tricep exercise. Haven't tried the cng db press. How did you like those?

I like the hoist seated dip machine.

[Keyser_Soze11]

I like the close grip db press. You just have to make sure you keep your elbows tucked and your arms at a neutral grip (keep the chest out of it the most you can). Dips done properly work well too. I can rep out dips with over 100bs with standard form on a standard set of bars no problem. However, I use a more narrow set of dip bars for my tricep dips. I lean back a little so all the load in on my triceps and make sure the eccentric is 3-4 seconds. So much harder

The reason I started this thread is bc I have read in the past that certain isolation movements actually activate the triceps more. Not sure if that really matters??

[thundergod]

I've been having some tendon issues in my elbow lately, so I use a band that I purchased from elitefts.com, wrap it around a high bar, slip a V-bar into the loop and do 100 reps as fast as possible to warm up the elbow/triceps. This is an idea I got from Louie in a video where he talked about guys having/not having tricep tendon issues. After I've warmed up a bit, I move onto my compound movement. Other than that, I do very little if any "isolation" work.

[DC_catholic315]

I think it's really YOUR triceps need the most that dictates ur exercise choice, and your execution or tweaks to a movement (like inclined or declined, lower to eybrows, behind head, flare elbows don't flare ect ect)
As well as your response to reps versus wt
Some guys grow like hell off heavy ass lockouts on bench variations
Some jus do better slowly adding more and more reps and really have to stretch and squeeze to isolate more of a particular pos in the movement pattern

Like for mass by the elbow in the medial head
Reverse grip bench press
Jm presses
Tate presses
Board presses
All helped me get thicker by the elbows

I mean reverse grip pushdowns are good
As are reversing the motion of a high cable curl (palms toward celing, arm parallel to floor, start with arm behind head and extend away from body)
But they are a bitch to progress

I seemed to get a better look to my arm
(As it's mostly the HANG in arm overhead poses and lateral head i need, as it is for a lot of long arm guys) when I stressed the long head

Pjr pullovers (these wreck the entire back of my arm)
Overhead dumbbell ext (I get too much elbow stress from a curl bar and a barbell makes me flare too much elbow)
Smythe machine French presses (smooth killer stretch and contraction)
Incline skullkrusher or skip ext (rough on elbows and hard for me to progress but u might be different)

And for the pop from the front and side (lateral head)
HEAVY Pushdowns with a steep angled v bar (with full rom and hard squeeze leaning forward slightly pushing in straight line so your arms are sorta angled 45 dg or so in relation to torso, flare elbows... Not pushing it down under you)
*if u use a seated cable row attatchment knuckles facing it puts u in that biomechanical pos with the flare and roll ur shoulders forward slightly)
Close grip smythe machine press (elbows flared like inhuman explains...there is a post recently about this)
Perform a skullkrusher with a straight bar...lower to your eyebrows In a straight line, press back up in a straight line... Arnold loved these)

I always felt full range dips
Dip machines
and deadstop skullkrushers (lowered behind head resting the bar on bench behind head) distributes it pretty evenly (FOR ME any way) across my whole tricep

But I feel it's more the angle of what ur doing, where u lower the bar, if your elbows are tight or flared, and the angle of the upper arm in relation to body that u tweak to put the stress where u need it that really helps u milk a movement

For rp I always did ext very deliberate and slow (as opposed to stressing about huge jumps in wt I always focused more on adding reps... Hitting the upper rep ranges...adding maybe 2.5 to each side... Slow progression in wt but drastic progress in reps

For compounds it was more add wt to the bar...

My favorite 2 blasts were
Dips
Pjrs
And overhead smythe ext

And
Deadstop skulls
Dip machine (very deep emphasize the stretch)
And reverse smythe presses

[Keyser_Soze11]

I think it's really YOUR triceps need the most that dictates ur exercise choice, and your execution or tweaks to a movement (like inclined or declined, lower to eybrows, behind head, flare elbows don't flare ect ect)
As well as your response to reps versus wt
Some guys grow like hell off heavy ass lockouts on bench variations
Some jus do better slowly adding more and more reps and really have to stretch and squeeze to isolate more of a particular pos in the movement pattern

Like for mass by the elbow in the medial head
Reverse grip bench press
Jm presses
Tate presses
Board presses
All helped me get thicker by the elbows

I mean reverse grip pushdowns are good
As are reversing the motion of a high cable curl (palms toward celing, arm parallel to floor, start with arm behind head and extend away from body)
But they are a bitch to progress

I seemed to get a better look to my arm
(As it's mostly the HANG in arm overhead poses and lateral head i need, as it is for a lot of long arm guys) when I stressed the long head

Pjr pullovers (these wreck the entire back of my arm)
Overhead dumbbell ext (I get too much elbow stress from a curl bar and a barbell makes me flare too much elbow)
Smythe machine French presses (smooth killer stretch and contraction)
Incline skullkrusher or skip ext (rough on elbows and hard for me to progress but u might be different)

And for the pop from the front and side (lateral head)
HEAVY Pushdowns with a steep angled v bar (with full rom and hard squeeze leaning forward slightly pushing in straight line so your arms are sorta angled 45 dg or so in relation to torso, flare elbows... Not pushing it down under you)
*if u use a seated cable row attatchment knuckles facing it puts u in that biomechanical pos with the flare and roll ur shoulders forward slightly)
Close grip smythe machine press (elbows flared like inhuman explains...there is a post recently about this)
Perform a skullkrusher with a straight bar...lower to your eyebrows In a straight line, press back up in a straight line... Arnold loved these)

I always felt full range dips
Dip machines
and deadstop skullkrushers (lowered behind head resting the bar on bench behind head) distributes it pretty evenly (FOR ME any way) across my whole tricep

But I feel it's more the angle of what ur doing, where u lower the bar, if your elbows are tight or flared, and the angle of the upper arm in relation to body that u tweak to put the stress where u need it that really helps u milk a movement

For rp I always did ext very deliberate and slow (as opposed to stressing about huge jumps in wt I always focused more on adding reps... Hitting the upper rep ranges...adding maybe 2.5 to each side... Slow progression in wt but drastic progress in reps

For compounds it was more add wt to the bar...

My favorite 2 blasts were
Dips
Pjrs
And overhead smythe ext

And
Deadstop skulls
Dip machine (very deep emphasize the stretch)
And reverse smythe presses

Thanks so much for the detailed response... it helps so much. Since I am just starting DC training out again for a full split, I will jut try things out and switch as necessary, I have become pretty good at listening to my body. I love tinkering with angles and movements, it makes it so much fun and almost experimental. I spent the last 3 years working out at home, doing very few basic movements like : Heavy weighted dips, weighted pullups, various suspension trainer rows and curls, pistol squats/band squats. It is nice to be in a proper gym again.

BTW: I have heard so much good stuff about PJR Pullovers I need to try them. I have seen videos on technique, and it looks like a deep stretch followed by a slight yet deliberate movement for the tris

[DC_catholic315]

@ pjrs
Yep it's like lay crosswise on a bench
Lower in skullkrusher/semi pullover hybrid
And engage tris upward

I have VERY long arms (and I am tall anyway) so I actually prefer to do mine on an incline bench, sitting it with basically jus my shoulders/scapulae/upper back in contact (the incline really is jus to give me enough room to like not hit the dumbbell on floor lol... Idk how tall you are so if that's a problem there your fix... Jus like first incline notch gets it usually)

Be warned lol you will be FUCKED UP in the upper inner long head region of the tricep
Like the first time u ever trained legs really hard... And was like fuck me I'm sore

Like that kinda sore lol

[Keyser_Soze11]

@ pjrs
Yep it's like lay crosswise on a bench
Lower in skullkrusher/semi pullover hybrid
And engage tris upward

I have VERY long arms (and I am tall anyway) so I actually prefer to do mine on an incline bench, sitting it with basically jus my shoulders/scapulae/upper back in contact (the incline really is jus to give me enough room to like not hit the dumbbell on floor lol... Idk how tall you are so if that's a problem there your fix... Jus like first incline notch gets it usually)

Be warned lol you will be FUCKED UP in the upper inner long head region of the tricep
Like the first time u ever trained legs really hard... And was like fuck me I'm sore

Like that kinda sore lol

Sounds like my kind of party