There are many contenders, but what is the best triceps exercise?
Walk into any gym and you have a multitude of choice nowadays. From pushdowns to close-grip push ups, skull crushers to dips.
When pushed for an answer, the majority of fitness lovers shoot for the triceps pushdown as the king of the jungle. It is well known for it's brutal assault on the back of the arms, particularly when used with techniques such as dropsets.
However, the latest scientific research disagrees with all of the above.
Believe it or not, triceps kickbacks are the most effective exercise for hitting your triceps. This may come as a revelation to even the most ardent fitness enthusiast, as this exercise has long been overlooked or left to the end of a workout, replaced by bigger, manlier exercises.
Indeed, it is number one.
In fact, kickbacks not only ruled the roost of triceps exercises - they demolished the competition entirely!
In 2012, researchers from the University of South Carolina Upstate set out to discover the facts behind which exercise isolated the muscle more than any other. They compared several of the best known moves, putting subjects through an intense arm training routine and noting the key factors taking place inside the muscle.
The long head of the triceps increased muscular activity 20% over pushdowns, but the lateral head, which gives your arms more shape, was where the real magic happened. In a direct face-off versus the often hailed rope pushdown, kickbacks raised muscular activity by a shocking 50%!
All of this occurred despite the fact that subjects were lifting a significantly lighter load.
In this case, a lighter weight actually improved the situation. That's because it allowed the subjects to focus on the muscle considerably more, forcing a peak contraction with every single repetition in every set, leading to fresh muscle growth and a tougher mind muscle connection.
So dust off those 1980's magazines, break out the home fitness dvd's and find a pair of dumbbells. If you want to pack size on to your guns in the gym, this is one old school move you should definitely not be overlooking from now on.
The best triceps exercise, despite the fact it's rarely seen in the fitness industry nowadays, is scientifically proven to be dumbbell kickbacks.
Walk into any gym and you have a multitude of choice nowadays. From pushdowns to close-grip push ups, skull crushers to dips.
When pushed for an answer, the majority of fitness lovers shoot for the triceps pushdown as the king of the jungle. It is well known for it's brutal assault on the back of the arms, particularly when used with techniques such as dropsets.
However, the latest scientific research disagrees with all of the above.
Believe it or not, triceps kickbacks are the most effective exercise for hitting your triceps. This may come as a revelation to even the most ardent fitness enthusiast, as this exercise has long been overlooked or left to the end of a workout, replaced by bigger, manlier exercises.
Indeed, it is number one.
In fact, kickbacks not only ruled the roost of triceps exercises - they demolished the competition entirely!
In 2012, researchers from the University of South Carolina Upstate set out to discover the facts behind which exercise isolated the muscle more than any other. They compared several of the best known moves, putting subjects through an intense arm training routine and noting the key factors taking place inside the muscle.
The long head of the triceps increased muscular activity 20% over pushdowns, but the lateral head, which gives your arms more shape, was where the real magic happened. In a direct face-off versus the often hailed rope pushdown, kickbacks raised muscular activity by a shocking 50%!
All of this occurred despite the fact that subjects were lifting a significantly lighter load.
In this case, a lighter weight actually improved the situation. That's because it allowed the subjects to focus on the muscle considerably more, forcing a peak contraction with every single repetition in every set, leading to fresh muscle growth and a tougher mind muscle connection.
So dust off those 1980's magazines, break out the home fitness dvd's and find a pair of dumbbells. If you want to pack size on to your guns in the gym, this is one old school move you should definitely not be overlooking from now on.
The best triceps exercise, despite the fact it's rarely seen in the fitness industry nowadays, is scientifically proven to be dumbbell kickbacks.
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