Ways to Torch Your Tri's

1. DOWN SHIFT

Have you ever seen John Cena’s triceps? Well, if you haven’t, “tiny” is not a word that would be used to describe them. And though Cena is one of the hardest working men in show biz, he’s taken a fair share of his cues from WWE coach Rob MacIntyre, CSCS. When it comes to triceps specifically, MacIntyre likes to have his clients slow things down a bit.

“I like to use slow reps when training triceps especially on the eccentric portion of the lift,” he says. “Most of the time, the athletes I work with are training triceps explosively as part of other movements. However, when it is time to be pretty and get the big guns, I like to slow the reps down for isolations exercises. It is easy to develop tendonitis by trying to use fast, explosive heavy movements during isolation work due to the stress on the elbow joint. A triceps extension with a 5-10 second eccentric phase changes the game in terms of getting a pump. If you’re new to this type of training, be careful as the triceps tend to give out suddenly.”

>> TRI THIS: Lead off your triceps routine with 3-4 sets of triceps pressdowns or skullcrushers. Select a weight you’d use for 10-12 reps but use a 5-10 second negative on each rep – followed by an explosive concentric, or positive lift – and shoot for eight solid reps.