The head that
refuses to grow
The lateral head of
the triceps is commonly referred to as the “lazy” head of the triceps, because
it is the last of the three heads to be recruited during arm extension. As a
result, many have a hard time developing this muscle to a satisfactory level
due to ineffective loading patterns, as in they just don’t lift heavy enough to
force this muscle to be recruited enough to be fatigued/trained.
You have 2 options
When it comes to
recruiting a muscle, there are 2 primary ways to go about it. One is to force
the muscle into action by simply overloading it, which is best accomplished with
compound movements that incorporate an assortment of muscles, and the other is
to mechanically place the muscle in an advantageous position to take on the
greatest percentage of the load.
Generally you can’t maximize
both at the same time, although you can get as close to this as possible with
the use of advanced methods like supersets, tri-sets, and giant sets by
recruiting and then fatiguing the targeted musculature. In case there’s any
question, this means that overload methods should be performed first, since
that’s when you’ll be able to handle the greatest loads which are needed to ‘overload’,
and followed by movements which place the targeted musculature in a position of
mechanical advantage.
Overload
As it relates to the
lateral head of the triceps, heavy barbell presses and dips offer the greatest
opportunity to provide optimal overload. These movements can be performed in a traditional
manner through a full range of motion, or through a partial range of motion in
which the triceps take on the brunt of the load, which also permits the use of
greater loads. Trying to move an immovable load by trying to lift a barbell
that has more weight on it than you are capable of lifting, or by pressing an
empty barbell into the pins of a power rack are two variations of isometrics,
which are extremely effective at recruiting a lazy muscle like the lateral head
of the triceps as well.
Case in point: Kevin
Levrone
90’s bodybuilder Kevin
Levrone, who many consider to be the best bodybuilder to never win the Mr.
Olympia, is a perfect example of someone who had exceptionally developed triceps.
So much so that Triple H, yes, the wrestler, referred to Kevin’s triceps as
looking like ‘footballs’ during his commentary of the Mr. Olympia contest.
While it is arguable that genetics played a huge part in his development, it
would be inappropriate to ignore the training methods employed which
undoubtedly contributed to the end result.
When a bodybuilder
possesses a signature bodypart, like Kevin did with his triceps, major
bodybuilding publications like magazines, and websites, jump all over it in
attempt to profit of it in one way or another, usually by printing an article
revealing the ‘secrets’ that lead to the exceptional development. Generally
these aren’t really secrets at all, as the exercises and techniques used are
often not much different than that in which everyone else is doing in the first
place. Success does leave clues however, and in relation to Kevin’s triceps
development, along with what we know about the lazy head of the triceps, it’s
no secret that he credited his development to lots of heavy pressing (bench,
incline, decline, military)!
Mechanical advantage
Often times you’ll
have to sacrifice the amount of weight that can be used to place a muscle in
position of mechanical advantage since major muscles that would heavily
contribute to generating force are all but removed from the movement. There is
one slight modification however that still allows for a great deal of weight to
be used, while preferentially recruiting the lateral head of the triceps, and
it is the close-grip press on a slight decline, with the elbows travelling
under the bar. Not only is the lateral head appropriately named because of its
placement on the lateral portion of the upper arm, it also plays a slightly larger
role in extending the elbow laterally when the arm is internally rotated, as
opposed to in front or behind the body. Therefore, by allowing the elbows to
travel laterally, the forces placed upon the lateral head are relatively
greater.
Traditionally when performing
a close-grip press you keep the arms tucked to the sides. While this may be the
most effective way for sharing the load to generate maximum power, it comes at
the expense of the lateral head, as many other muscles receive a greater amount
of stimulation. By letting your elbows flare out to the sides so that your
entire forearm is completely aligned under the bar as it’s raised and lowered, the
major muscles that would normally be in a position of advantage are put into a
position of disadvantage, and by default the lateral head is left to take on
more of the load.
The one caveat is
that this movement is rather stressful on the shoulder joint, but this is
addressed by performing the exercise on a slight decline. Doing so does two
things to promote lateral head involvement. First, it places the long head in a
pre-shortened position, which limits its involvement, along with limiting the
range of motion in which the chest and shoulders are generally most active. Second,
it reduces the degree to which the subacromial space is compromised, which
contributes to shoulder impingement, at least in comparison to a flat bench
angle, thus making it more ‘shoulder friendly’.
Position and range
of motion
Where your arm/elbow
is in relation to your body will determine which heads are most active during
extension. Biomechanics suggest that the muscle that is stretched the most, is
recruited the most. Therefore, the further the arm/elbow is from the body, as
in, in front of the body, or overhead, the greater pre-stretch the long head
receives, thus making it the main driver in elbow extension from these
positions. As the arm/elbow are lowered from an overhead position to the front
of the body, and then down to the side of the body, the long head is placed in
a shorter and shorter position at the shoulder joint, thus reducing its
capacity to generate force, and by default the other two heads (lateral and medial)
of the triceps are left with handling the load, but to varying degrees
depending on the range.
Due to the location
of the medial head, it is the main driver in completing elbow extension, but
when the elbow is fully flexed, it is the lateral head which is the main driver.
Knowing this, along with all the other valuable information presented above,
should provide you with the tools necessary to trash that stubborn lateral head
of the triceps into newfound growth!
If you have any
questions about the best exercises to develop the lateral head of the tricep,
or just the triceps in general, feel free to contact me at ben@paramounttraining.ca. I'm available for
online consulting and personalized program design, as well as one on one
training if you are located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
One great exercise that was used by many top bodybuilders in the era before the various machines and equipment was the one arm dumbbell cross-face triceps extension . Keep the elbow pointed high at all times and lower using only the forearm letting the triceps do all the work. Use strict reps between 8-20.
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