How is the triceps muscle of the shoulder. What are its functions

If you have not thought about how to build triceps, this does not mean that it does not need to be trained. Indeed, watching the work in the gyms, it seems that the triceps receive little, and often no attention from fitness enthusiasts. So how should you train?

In this article you will find answers to these questions, learn a lot about the anatomy of the hands, read the secrets of the best exercises and get a super powerful workout for beautiful triceps!

The Importance of Triceps

If the triceps is worked out correctly, then it makes up most of the mass of the upper arm. The triceps must be prepared and worked out with the same intensity and method as the biceps. Pumped up triceps, in fact, indirectly helps in creating more blood and nutrients in the upper arm.

Work your triceps from all sides using various exercises to get.

How to pump triceps for a beginner

If you feel not yet completely confident in the gym, we recommend that you start by studying the basic exercises and program options for working out the triceps. The training video looks like this. You can read all the details of the training process and our tips on the article page. An example of a beginner workout for men.

And an example of a triceps workout for girls.

A novice bodybuilder faces a large number of questions. How many reps to follow, which exercises for each muscle group to choose, use compound or isolation exercises, how much training to plan, whether periodization is needed, how to recover after a workout, and even what angle of inclination to set on the bench. Ideally, all this should be taken into account when going through the training program.

But rest assured, using the right equipment and intensity tailored to your physical condition, anyone can take the development of triceps to a higher level. And it all starts with anatomy.

A brief lesson on the anatomy of the triceps

The triceps brachii has three heads that connect the humerus and shoulder blades to the ulna (in the forearm). The lateral, middle and long heads make up the triceps.

The head, which is most responsible for the shape of the horseshoe, is lateral, it is located on the outer part of the humerus. The median head is located opposite the midbody, and the long head (the largest of the three) is present on the underside of the humerus.

Extending the elbow (straightening the arms) is the primary function of the triceps. The long head has an auxiliary function: it helps the latissimus dorsi in adducting the arms (as a result of which the arms can be lowered down along the body).

What exercises can you pump up triceps

The presented exercises and workouts are designed to get the most out of every trip to the gym. Remember to always perform the exercises in a technically correct way and not to use too much weight for your own safety.

Triceps extension down on the block using a rope handle

French bench press

Execution technique. For the Seated and Standing French Press, stand or sit with a weight (straight/EZ bar) directly over your head and lower it under control to a strong stretch. Be sure to keep your elbows slightly up and slightly out to the sides. Don't spread your arms too far, just make sure they don't lean too far to the sides. Once you get to the bottom of the exercise, reverse the movement and extend your arms above your head one more time.

To add some variety to your workouts, try the same movements on an incline bench. You can use a little less weight on a bench that is tilted down and a little more weight on a bench that is going up. Change the angle of the incline for each workout for variety and more triceps pumping.

Like the French press, the dumbbell overhead extension works the triceps deeply. Use dumbbells or cables to make the position more comfortable.

Dumbbell extension from behind the head

Extension of the arms while standing on the lower block

To straighten two arms at once, take one dumbbell with both palms on the inside of the disks. When the weight is directly above your head, lower the weight behind your head, feel a strong stretch in your triceps, and then return to the starting position.

An alternative would be the execution Extension of the arm with dumbbells from behind the head

Extension of the arm with dumbbells from behind the head

You can do this exercise with one hand with a lighter weight dumbbell. However, in the one-arm variation, lower the dumbbell to the side, not back. The elbow will be out, and the dumbbells will drop behind the head, which will provide a deeper stretch and, accordingly, a better result of pumping the triceps.

For triceps extension with one hand on the lower block proceed in the same way as described above. Grab the cable from the low pull machine and move rhythmically, making sure you use the correct weight to complete the exercise safely.

Triceps extension with one arm on the lower block

For the sake of variety, the exercise can also be performed horizontally from the machine, which is set at about shoulder level. Position yourself parallel to the floor and in a lunge pose. While pulling the cable behind your head, straighten the cable perpendicular to the machine and contract your triceps.

Many athletes in the gym set the cable on the machine too low for the hands to be placed behind the head, which makes it difficult to maintain the technique. Set the cable at waist level to make it easier to get into the desired position. This will put less pressure on the back, shoulders and other joints at the start and end of the movement.

Push-ups (on uneven bars, on a bench)

Push-ups are an invaluable tool in working out the triceps. Not only are they effective in building mass, but they also allow you to use a greater amount of resistance due to their multi-joint type.

This article is about two types of push-ups. The first of these is push-ups on the uneven bars. You can see athletes in the gym using this, but it's just as effective for those who want to build their triceps.

Push-ups on the uneven bars for triceps

Execution technique. Grasp the parallel bars at shoulder width and straighten your arms. Your body should be as perpendicular to the floor as possible, and your legs should be aimed at a point directly below you. Lower yourself, keeping your body as vertical as possible, and press your elbows to your sides.

The vertical position provides emphasis on the triceps. If you lean too far forward and/or spread your arms out to the sides, the emphasis shifts to your chest. Get down to where you feel comfortable and avoid shoulder pain. Try to form a 90 degree angle at the elbow joint.

Make sure you can do the desired number of push-ups in the desired range of motion without using a weight belt. Too many trainees are trying to lift too much weight, which can compromise exercise technique and can lead to injury rather than full triceps.

Push-ups on the bench

Another variation of the exercise are push-ups on the bench. They are performed using two benches placed parallel to each other.

Push-ups on the bench

Execution technique. Sit on one side of one bench, grasping the edge of the bench with your hands on either side of your thighs. Place your feet on another bench, touching it with your heels. Legs should be straight. Rise from the bench you are sitting on and lower your pelvis below the surface of the bench, bending your elbows at an angle of about 90 degrees. Return to the starting position by straightening your arms, then repeat the exercise.

A good way to really tone up your triceps and increase your bench strength significantly is to add a few knee discs. As soon as it becomes too difficult for you, ask your partner to remove one disc, and then continue the approach. Depending on how many disks you need to remove, keep using this method until you've done the last set with your body weight.

Bench push-ups with weights

Close grip bench press

And another favorite exercise for triceps is bench press with a narrow grip. Don't let your ego take over: don't lift too much weight and keep your technique safe.

Close grip bench press

Execution technique. Lie on your back on a flat bench and grip the bar at shoulder width (putting your hands closer can put more strain on your wrists). Remove the bar and lower it, keeping your elbows close to your sides. This will turn on the triceps, relieving the load from the chest.

Other Variations: You can touch the bar to your chest or hold it 3 cm higher and then return to the stretch position. Tighten your triceps hard at the peak of the exercise, focusing on contracting them. Your elbows should not move to the sides - just keep them close to your body.

Alternative implementation. For a fresh take on an old exercise, try close-grip bench presses on an incline bench. This is somewhat similar to doing free weight extensions and will allow more stress on the bar. Doing this exercise in a bent position will slightly increase the pressure on the shoulder joints. Make sure you follow all safety precautions.

Well, now it's time to move on to a hot workout that will pump you incredibly powerful triceps!

Triceps training program

The training is divided into several blocks (trisets): basic work with classic exercises, work on the long head, study of the lateral head, study of the joints, exercises with a cable, for strength and power.

We suggest you take suitable blocks for your workout. It is not necessary to use all the series in one workout, especially if you are just starting to work out the triceps. It will be optimal to use 1-2 trisets in the first month, 2-3 in the second, and so on with a gradual increase in volume for this muscle group.

The scheme of the full study of the triceps

Triset 1: basic work

Triset 2: long head development

Triset 3: study of the lateral head

Triset 4: joint training

Triset 5: cable exercises

Triset 6: strength and power

* — The service is under beta testing

Sports nutrition - protein, creatine, gainer, arginine, BCAA, amino acids - will help speed up the process of gaining muscle mass. These supplements are specially designed for athletes and fitness active people of different fitness levels. Such drugs are completely safe, and their effectiveness has already been proven.

Arm Training Supplement Program

Basic set

Advanced

Basic set

Basic set

Advanced

Universal Nutrition | Ultra Whey Pro

1-2 measuring spoons are mixed with 200-250 grams of water or any other liquid.

Universal Nutrition | daily formula ?

One tablet immediately before meals (preferably before breakfast).

UN Daily Formula is a highly effective multivitamin and mineral complex that, in addition to the basic elements, contains a set of specially selected enzymes that promote the rapid absorption of essential nutrients.

Universal Nutrition | Amino 2250 ?

2 capsules before and after workout.

Universal Nutrition Amino 2250 is a balanced amino acid complex that not only improves metabolism and promotes muscle growth, but also has a positive effect on the athlete's body as a whole.

Universal Nutrition | Creatine Capsules ?

The second cycle is 6 weeks, one teaspoon per day.

Universal Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate contains 100% purified creatine, essential for a burst of muscle energy and normalization of water balance in muscle tissues.

weider | Protein 80 Plus?

• 3 times a day. In the morning, before and after training.

Triceps is a muscle that extends the arm. Together with the biceps, it forms the relief of the arm from the shoulder to the elbow (anatomically, this part is called the shoulder). Since the extensor of the arm is 2/3 of its volume, it makes sense to do shock exercises for the triceps.

It is difficult to choose the most effective triceps exercise, because each of them contributes to the development of the triceps muscle.

Types of exercises for triceps

What is triceps and how to pump it up is a question that worries many beginner athletes. If you really want to pump up, the basics of anatomy will come in handy in the first place. This will help you perform the exercises more correctly and better navigate your feelings.

It is known that by increasing the volume of the extensor (actually, triceps), the arm becomes much more massive. If you do it the way most beginners like to do - targeting only the biceps, you will have a small tubercle in place of the flexor, but in general the arm will still seem thin.

By the way, the strength of the triceps significantly exceeds the strength of the biceps (2-3 times), so it is easier to pump it.

Speaking about how to quickly pump up triceps, first of all, you should decide what the word “quickly” means to you. If it's months, you're thinking right. If you dream of pumping it up in a week, then maybe it's time to stop believing in fairy tales?

Below are the most effective triceps exercises that will make your arm powerful and pumped up.

• Basic exercises for triceps increase its mass and are the most difficult: these are push-ups from the bars with weights, reverse push-ups and bench press with a narrow grip.
• The French press is difficult to classify as a basic exercise, but it is well suited for training triceps for mass. Due to the use of different necks, the French bench press helps to pump the entire triceps well. This is probably one of the best isolated exercises for triceps.
• The rest of the exercises are designed to create a relief based on the available mass - this is, for example, working with dumbbells,.

By the way, the truly basic exercise in which the extensor of the arm works is the bench press. Of course, it is aimed at working out the pectoral muscles, but the triceps also get a decent part of the load. This exercise uses heavy weights. You won't be able to lift the same weight on close grip or French presses. As a rule, the working weights in these exercises differ by 2-3 times.

It makes no sense to list all the exercises for triceps, we will analyze only a part of them. Those that really help to pump up this muscle.

A set of exercises for the extensors of the arms

Let's start by looking at triceps exercises in the gym. This is the best way to train triceps!

Bench press

This is a basic exercise that pumps the chest, shoulders, triceps. Usually the bench press is performed on the same day that we swing the triceps. This is convenient, unlike the back-biceps scheme.

Yes, this is not the best exercise for triceps, since the target muscle group here is the chest. But without it, the hands will not grow. There is also an inverse relationship - weak hands greatly spoil the results in this exercise.

In addition to the classic bench press, to pump up a huge triceps muscle, you need to do a number of specialized exercises.

Close Grip Press

The best triceps exercises should work well on the triceps muscle and not strain the rest. This is the ideal. In practice, things are not so rosy.

For example, the close grip bench press is certainly very effective, but it puts a lot of strain on the shoulders. If the athlete has any shoulder injury, he will not be able to perform this press.

The narrow grip press is performed in such a way that the elbows are pressed to the body, and the bar is lowered to the middle of the chest. If you lower the bar to the bottom of the chest, the front bundles of the deltoids will overwork. If it is above the middle of the chest, the wrists are strongly bent at the lower point.

french press

An exercise that no triceps training program can do without. It is isolated if you perform this exercise correctly.

You need to lie on a horizontal bench and place your feet firmly on the floor. Next, take the bar with a grip that is comfortable for you and take it slightly behind your head. From this position, you can start work. Arms from shoulder to elbow are not perpendicular to the floor. You take your elbows behind your head a little further so that your arms slightly deviate from the vertical.

Lower the bar to the very head, then unbend your arms.

If at this time you feel (hear) clicks coming from your elbows or experience pain in your joints, try another bar or skip this exercise.

Reverse push-ups

This is one of the most effective exercises for triceps, as well as push-ups from the bars.

You need to find an emphasis for legs and arms (benches will do). In principle, you can put your feet on the floor, but this will make the exercise easier.

Put your hands behind you on one bench, put your feet on the other. You need to take a position so that the support under your arms is behind you and does not prevent you from moving up and down. Put pancakes on your knees (choose the weight so that 10 push-ups are difficult for you, and you could no longer do 11-12 times). Bend your arms and lower yourself down to a right angle at the elbows, then return to the starting position.

We swing triceps qualitatively, without jerks. If you do such push-ups with a jerk, either the pancakes will fly off your knees, or you will get a shoulder injury. In general, triceps training should be done with high quality.

Extension of arms on the block

Stand in a block frame near the top block, on which a straight bar was hung in advance. Grab it with a straight grip, bend over it from above to fix the weight below not due to the strength of the hands, but due to your weight. Press your elbows to the body - this position does not include the latissimus dorsi.

Do arm extensions 8-12 times per set.

Bar push-ups

When we don’t know how to pump up triceps without iron, bars come to the rescue.

If you are a physically prepared person and will do push-ups without additional weight, you will not see outwardly noticeable results. You need to add at least 5–10 kg and gradually develop strength so that muscle tissue begins to grow after it.

So, how to pump triceps on the uneven bars. The starting position is this - the legs hang in the air, squeeze them, the shins can be crossed. Straighten up, no need to lean forward, bring your elbows to the body.

Move straight up and down, like a shuttle, trying not to sway or lean forward or backward.

Feels like you should feel that the load is distributed to the triceps and a little front of the deltoids.

Work in a partial amplitude in the upper positions, make sure that your shoulders are fixed, that is, they do not fall or rise. If this starts to happen, the pectoral muscles and trapezium will begin to train.

Triceps workout with dumbbells

A good option is the french press with dumbbells. This is a triceps-friendly exercise if you don't have a barbell but dumbbells. In addition, you can rotate the brush as you like, and not be dependent on the shape of the fingerboard.

You can do this exercise with one dumbbell, clasping it with both hands. This is a comfortable and flexible grip. The dumbbell rotates slightly as you move your arms due to gravity. This element can be performed both sitting and lying down. Do not confuse it with a pullover - there the arms do not unbend.

The dumbbell overhead press is often placed last in a training program. It isolates the triceps, causing it to fill with blood.

It makes no sense to do this exercise with large weights, you need to pick up a tangible weight and work efficiently, trying to ensure the maximum amplitude of contraction of the triceps muscle.

Another interesting option is the extension of the arm with dumbbells in an incline. In this exercise, you need to bend over, take your hand from the dumbbells back and turn it with your elbow up. Try to keep your elbow parallel to the floor. If you can’t do this, it’s okay, work as best you can.

Pushups

The most home workout option. If you press your elbows to the body and slowly push up, the triceps and the whole body are well strengthened. Due to the low speed of the movement, you will stay in a tense state for a longer time (this is the essence of such an exercise as a “bar”). Plus, the shock load will go to your triceps.

To complicate push-ups, you can use movable rotating stops.

Changing the angle of the body changes the load on the triceps. If the head is higher than the legs, then push-ups are easier. If it's the other way around, it's harder. The most extreme version of push-ups is upside down purely on the hands (push-ups in the horizon). But this is already aerobatics, which refers more to gymnastics than to pumping up muscles.

If you can do push-ups at least once, pressing your elbows to the body, then you already have the initial physical preparation.

Training schedule

If the muscle group is large, then it is better to give it a shock load every 7-8 days. For muscles such as triceps, it is acceptable to load more often - you can do 2 heavy workouts per week and one easy one. Or 1 heavy, 1 light. Training triceps once a week for muscle growth will not be enough.

• When you do any exercise for the triceps, pay attention to the sensations - you should feel that you are working. If you do push-ups on the uneven bars, and the next day your pectoral muscle hurts and your arms don’t hurt at all, reconsider your technique. Push up so that it is the triceps that get tired. If the muscle stiffens, burns, gets tired after the exercise, it means that you are pumping it.
• If your elbows start to hurt, pay attention to the technique, change the necks, bandage your elbows for the duration of the exercises. Try all of these before you quit your workout. Take a course of joint strengthening supplements that contain chondroitin and glucosamine. In the end, reduce the working weights and see if the pain disappears.

On isolated extensions of the arms (French press, extension of the arms on the block), pay attention to the position of your elbows - the farther the elbows from the body, the less the load on the triceps. You will feel it.

Press your elbows - you will immediately understand if this working weight is too big for you. This is the secret of such presses. Therefore, always watch your elbows yourself or ask someone to look after you. Compliance with the technique will help you pump up a large triceps and not get injured.

(5 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)

The topic of today's article is how to pump up triceps. You will learn about the most effective exercises for triceps, the features of its training and the rules for compiling a training program for the triceps muscle of the shoulder.

Let's not disregard such little things that few people talk about, but without which the harmonious development of the triceps will be difficult.

How to build triceps: the basis of training

In training small muscles like the triceps, it is vital to follow two principles:

• Learn to turn off secondary muscle groups from work. For example, doing close-grip bench presses or push-ups on the uneven bars will make your chest grow more than your triceps. This is the most common situation.
• Learn how to load the necessary bundles. The long head of the triceps, almost always lags behind the outer and middle.

In order to respect these principles, the technique of performing exercises should be at the head of the training. The peculiarity of triceps training is that it is a small muscle group. At the slightest technical flaws, the load will be sprayed throughout the body, as a result, the triceps will receive less stimulation, which means it will not grow. You will be stuck in one place.

Triceps are often undeservedly deprived of attention by novice athletes. It is he who forms massive hands, because. its mass is 2/3 of the mass of the hand.

Triceps is a horseshoe-shaped muscle consisting of three bundles. These three beams in the elbow area narrow and pass into one tendon, with the help of which the main function of the triceps is performed - extension of the arm at the elbow.

Any exercise for triceps affects all three beams as a whole!

However, the degree of impact of the load on different beams is completely different. This is due to the fact that the tricep heads have different attachment points in the upper arm.

The peculiarity of the long head of the triceps is that the point of the upper attachment is located on the shoulder blade. And in order to minimize the long beam of the triceps, it is necessary to take the elbow back.

The medial (or middle head) has a short profile and a long tendon. This creates the appearance of a void between the lateral and long fascicles of the triceps, forming a horseshoe shape.

Due to the fact that the middle bundle of the triceps is located close to the elbow in the most convenient position, plus everything has a wide shape, when working with a small load (light working weight, warm-up approaches) first of all he will work. Increasing the weight in exercises to help the medial bundle comes lateral, and when turns on and long bun triceps.

The main difficulty in the harmonious development of the triceps is training the long head. And for its successful development, you need to know the following:

• The greater the working weight of the exercise, the more the long head of the triceps is included in the work.
• To turn on a long beam, you need to take your hand back or bring it up, as an example, the standing French press.
• For greater stimulation of the long head of the triceps, the shoulder joint must be involved. The simplest example is the French bench press, when the arms in the starting position are slightly tilted towards the head. The amplitude of movement is such that the projectile is launched behind the head. The shoulder joint bears a constant static load.
• The closer the elbows are to the body, the more the long head of the triceps works.
• The long head of the triceps works harder when the hand is supinated (palms facing up). During pronation (palm facing the floor), most of the load is carried by the outer part of the triceps. As an example, this is the extension of the arms on the block with a reverse grip.

During the training of pushing muscle groups (triceps, chest, legs and deltas), categorically avoid cheating(weight lifting with the help of the whole body). Because almost all triceps exercises are single-joint, the working joint carries an increased load. During cheating, the load on it is super-maximal. The body deliberately limits your capabilities when you fail to complete the next repetition. This is a signal that the ligaments, joints, muscles, central nervous system are not yet ready for such loads.

If you continue to perform the exercise in jerks, jerks, then sooner or later this will lead to injury. So do all the hard work on the compound lifts (dip-ups and close-grip bench presses) and then move on to the single-joint isolation exercises. Triceps will be well warmed up and pre-tired. To stimulate it, huge traumatic weights will no longer be needed.

Triceps exercises

What are the most effective triceps exercises?

Moreover, if you have the opportunity to perform this exercise lying on a bench with a negative slope, the effect will be higher. This is due to the fact that the deltas in this position will be the least involved in the work, and the triceps will eventually receive more positive load.

This is a basic exercise, the working weight that you can take in this exercise will be the maximum of all triceps exercises. Perform it at the beginning of the workout, not forgetting the warm-up and warm-up approaches.

Grip width is about shoulder width apart. The more you spread your elbows to the sides, the more the outer parts of the triceps are loaded. The closer the elbows are to the body during execution, the greater the load on the long beam.

Also a basic movement with which to start training the triceps. When working on triceps, focus on the following points:

• Try to keep your body straight, do not lean forward.
• By pressing the elbows to the body, the long head of the triceps receives more load. Putting the elbows out to the sides, most of the work is done by the outer part of the triceps.
• At the top point, be sure to achieve a lockout (full extension of the arm at the elbows).

This is an isolated exercise, because. one joint is involved in the work - the elbow.

The basic principles of triceps training are preserved in this exercise. The farther apart the elbows are, and the more pronated the hand is, the more work the outside of the triceps does. The closer the elbows are to each other during the exercise, the more work is carried out by the long triceps bundle.

Of great importance is where you lower the barbell at the bottom point. By lowering behind the head, a long beam works to a greater extent. When lowering to the nose or forehead - external beams.

Or sitting. This is an isolated exercise. Its main feature is that the elbows are always located at the top, and the projectile starts behind the head.

This creates favorable conditions for the reduction of a long beam, which constantly lacks load. You can further increase the effect of this triceps exercise if you keep your elbows as close to each other as possible.

This exercise is varied. You can perform it with both a barbell and dumbbells (or with one dumbbell). Try to try all the options and choose the most comfortable for you.

Reverse grip provides even more effective stimulation of the long head

The main convenience of this exercise is that it is performed while standing and it is much easier to adjust your body to a comfortable performance. Another undoubted advantage is the ability to perform it with different grips (if there are different handles).

The principles are the same. Leaving the elbows to the sides - the outer part works more. Pressing the elbows to the body, the internal is loaded. When working with a rope handle at the lowest point, try to penetrate the hand, i.e. turn your palms towards the floor. Such a life hack increases the load on a long beam.

Another great opportunity to work out a long beam is the reverse grip with the elbows pressed to the body.

Triceps workout program

Beginner Program

An effective triceps training program must necessarily include exercises that equally load all three beams. For the emphasis is built on, as a factor in the growth of the total mass of all triceps bundles and includes two exercises:

• 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
• 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps

Do not forget . Warm up your muscles well and move on to working approaches.

Experienced Program

The main difference between such a program and a beginner's program is that a more experienced athlete can digest a greater load. The number of exercises and the number of approaches he has more. In addition, training should include an element of specialization for the lagging beam.

Such a program can be composed of one or two basic movements and one or two isolated ones. Specific example:

• 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
• Overhead french press 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps
• 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps

The selection of specific exercises is an individual thing. Determine which beam is lagging behind and specialize in it by adding the desired exercise.

How to train triceps?

There are three options here. First– training of all pushing muscle groups in one day. For example, chest or shoulders + triceps.

Advantages A: You will have a large amount of rest, which means resources for growth.

disadvantages: By exercising the larger muscle group, the triceps brachii also becomes fatigued. When it comes to it, the working weights will be less, because. triceps are no longer fresh.

Second- training on the principle of antagonist muscles. For example, back + triceps.

Advantages: Triceps will be able to do hard work, because. back exercises do not tire him.

disadvantages: Fewer full days of rest. Having trained triceps today, a day later you have chest in the program. As a result, the triceps that has not fully recovered will be loaded again, which will negatively affect its growth, plus the results in chest exercises will suffer. Output: as far as possible to carry such training days.

The third: a separate day for arm training. Biceps + triceps.

Advantages: Both muscle groups are fresh and ready to work with heavy weights.

My respect, my dear kachata and fitonyashechki! Sunday is a boring day on the project, and all because we are considering theoretical issues, today, for example, it will be the anatomy of the muscles of the hands. After reading, everyone will have an idea about the structure of this muscle group, its functions, and will become more reasonable in choosing pumping exercises.

So, sit down, good gentlemen, let's go.

Anatomy of the muscles of the hands: what, why and why?

Who loves theoretical articles, raise your hand ... a forest of hands. Usually there are very few such people, to be honest, I also get sleepy from reading a sheet from a thuja heap of symbols, and even of an anatomical nature. Therefore, I do my best to avoid excessive theory, but not to the detriment of the quality of the note. On the other hand, many of you understand that you cannot go far without a foundation, and such notes are extremely important and necessary. So today we will continue the glorious tradition of compelling and consider the question "Anatomy of the muscles of the hands." Whether you fall asleep or not, we will find out about this at the very end of the article, so let's start moving towards it.

Note:

For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.

Why you need to swing your arms

Yes, actually, it’s not necessary to download them and it’s not really necessary :), because they make up 5-7% of all muscle volumes of the body, therefore, they cannot theoretically give any significant increase in mass. Often, many training programs, for example, for an ectomorph, exclude this muscle group altogether or devote the least time to it. Of course, the hands are involved in almost all movements and receive their load indirectly, but still it cannot be compared with targeted and highly specialized work. Therefore, you need to swing your hands, at least here's why:

• as various polls show (including posting notes), ladies pay significant attention to the hands. In muscular arms, they feel the strength and ability to protect and not give them offense;
• inflated arms look good in summer in various sleeveless T-shirts - this is a sign of good physical shape of their owner;
• when you are asked to show inflated muscles, you always show your biceps;
• in the male world, volumes decide, so if you have frail hands, then the attitude towards you is appropriate;
• strong hands are the ability to resist captures / suffocations and deliver a crushing blow to the enemy;
• for women, pumped up arms and strong forearms / hands are a plus in everyday life, such as carrying bags or carrying a child;
• for women - this is the absence of jelly and various sagging under the arms;
• with muscle-toned arms, you can afford dresses without sleeves and with bare shoulders.

In my opinion, an impressive list in order to learn a little more about the anatomy of the muscles of the hands and take care of your playful little hands.

Arm Muscle Anatomy: Atlas

The arm muscles have many large, externally visible muscles that help us with daily activities, such as changing clothes or using a PC.

The muscles of the upper limbs are divided into:

• shoulder muscles, which in turn are divided into the anterior group (flexors) - brachial, coracobrachial, biceps and back (extensors) - ulnar, triceps;
• the muscles of the forearm are the largest, these are the brachial (brachialis) and brachioradialis (brachiradialis).

From the point of view of occurrence, it is customary to distinguish:

• superficial (well visible on the surface)- biceps, triceps, brachiradialis, long radial extensor of the wrist, deltas;
• deep muscles - lie superficially deep.

The muscles of the upper arm are responsible for flexion/extension of the forearm at the elbow joint. Flexion of the forearm is achieved by a group of three muscles - brachialis, biceps and brachiradialis. In general, in the literature on anatomy, it is not customary to translate the names of muscle groups, i.e. there for the preservation of the original Latin names, for example, brachialis would be musculus brachialis. In this regard, a more correct “Latin anatomical picture” of the arm muscles will look like this.

Let's look at the main large muscle units separately.

No. 1. Biceps

Large thick fusiform muscle of the shoulder, located on the upper part of the humerus, consisting of 2 heads - long and short. Both originate in the region of the shoulder, below are attached to the round elevation of the bone of the forearm, and unite in the middle of the shoulder.

The biceps performs the following functions:

• works as an arch support for the forearm by turning and moving the palm up;
• flexes the forearm/shoulder;
• flexes the upper arm (raise hands forward and up).

No. 2. Triceps

The triceps fusiform muscle, which lies on the back of the shoulder. It has three heads - lateral (lateral), medial (medial) and long (long), which merge on the olecranon of the ulna. The lateral and medial heads of the triceps originate on the humerus, the long one begins on the shoulder blade.

Triceps performs the following functions:

• extends the elbow joint / helps to straighten the arm - acts as an extensor of the forearm in the elbow joint and humerus in the shoulder;
• the long head also assists the latissimus dorsi during the pullover exercise on the bench, bringing the arm down towards the body.

Summing up the “head” muscles, the combined anatomical picture of biceps + triceps looks like this.

No. 3. Forearm muscles

The best known and largest muscles of the wrist are the brachialis, brachiradialis, flexor carpi radialis longus, and coracoid muscles. Let's consider them in more detail.

3.1. Brachialis

Most of the muscles that move the wrist, hand, and fingers are in the forearm—they're as thin as a strap. Brachialis is a flat, spindle-shaped muscle that lies under the biceps on the lower front surface of the shoulder. The beginning is attached to the bottom of the humerus, and the “end” is attached to the bone elevation of the forearm.

Brachialis performs the following functions:

• the main and strongest elbow flexor - is responsible for bending the elbow in any position of the hand (supination, pronation, neutral).

3.2. Brachyradialis

This is a fusiform muscle located on the front surface of the forearm. Originates at the lower outer part of the shoulder, crosses the elbow and extends to the radius (outer bottom). To see the muscle, tighten your forearm and move your thumb to the side, the brachiralalis will “appear” near the elbow closer to the biceps tendon.

The shoulder muscle performs the following functions:

• flexes the elbow;
• plays an active role in the up/down rotation of the forearm.

3.3. extensor carpi radialis longus

On the back of the arm are extensor muscles such as the extensor carpi ulnaris and extensor digitorum longus, which act as antagonists, the flexors. The extensors are somewhat weaker than the flexors. The long radial extensor carpi is located next to the brachiradialis and is one of the 5 the main muscles that help move the wrist. When a person clenches his fist, this muscle is actively involved in the work and protrudes from the skin.

Note:

Muscles on the anterior side of the forearm, such as the flexor carpi radialis and flexor digitorum superficialis, form a flexor group that flexes the hand at the wrist and each of the phalanges. Inflammation of this area can lead to pain and numbness, known as carpal tunnel syndrome.

3.4. Coracobrachial muscle

A long, narrow, beak-shaped muscle located on the inner surface of the shoulder. At the top, it is attached near the coracoid process of the scapula, and at the bottom - to the anterior inner part of the arm. This muscle is not an elbow flexor

The coracobrachial muscle performs the following functions:

• bringing the arm to the body with the elbow bent.

The combined atlas of all the muscles of the forearms is as follows.

Actually, we are done with anatomy. Friends, are you still here ... or am I shaking the air for nothing? :). Let's move on and now let's talk about practical training aspects.

Supination and pronation - what is it?

These are two special movements produced by the muscles of the forearms - supination (turning outward) and pronation. (turn inward). Supination is performed by the biceps and muscles of the round supinator of the forearms, pronation - by the muscles of the round pronator of the forearms.

It turns out that a different grip of the projectile (for example, dumbbells) provides a different type of work to the arms and a different degree of involvement of the muscles of the biceps / triceps and forearms.

Actually, let's move on to the practical part of the note.

Anatomy of the muscles of the hands: how to train correctly

Let's go over the anatomical features of the muscles of the hands and, as a result, derive some rules for their effective training. And we'll start with...

No. 1. Biceps

The biceps is a superficial muscle, so the indicative appearance of your hand muscles will depend on its qualitative development. The main movements in which he participates are the lifting of the projectile from the bottom up, i.e. bringing it to the chest. To create a peak of the biceps, it is necessary to use supination lifts during the exercise - turning the brush up when the palm is looking at the ceiling and the little finger is located above the thumb, or lifts with an already supinated brush.

The best exercises for biceps:

• standing barbell/dumbbell lifts (straight/EZ bar) ;
• pull-ups with a reverse grip;
• lifting dumbbells sitting at an angle upwards from a stretched position;

It should be understood that the shape of the biceps is laid down in you by mother nature, it can be long with meek ligaments or short with long ends of ligaments (like Schwarzenegger).

No. 2. Triceps

Triceps make up 2/3 part of the volume of the arm, therefore, if the arms do not have enough volume, then it is necessary first of all to “hollow” the triceps and only then the biceps. The main “profession” of all three heads of the triceps is the extension of the arm in the elbow joint, while the medial one is the most active of all the heads. Triceps Antagonists (biceps, brachialis) are physiologically more powerful than the triceps, which manifests itself in a slight bend of the arms at the elbow when they hang freely during rest.

For the qualitative development of the triceps muscle of the shoulder, it is necessary to use flexion / extension exercises with free weights. Quality means an increase in the volumetric-strength characteristics of a given muscle group. Don't waste your time on isolated machines. (guys, leave them to the girls) it is better to use multi-joint exercises in which all 3 triceps heads.

The best exercises for triceps:

• reverse push-ups from the bench;
• push-ups on the uneven bars;
• narrow grip bench press.

No. 3. Forearm muscles

Qualitative anatomy of the muscles of the hands requires the good development of this muscle group. The shoulder muscle (brachialis) creates a supporting platform for the biceps, as if pushing it to the “surface”. The brachialis is activated by static flexion of the elbow and works in all biceps exercises, but it “clings” best when lifting the bar for biceps with a reverse grip.

The brachioradialis muscle is actively involved in the work when lifting dumbbells with a hammer grip, i.e. when the thumb is pointing up. The coracoid muscle plays an important role in the development of hand muscles and is clearly visible in the front double biceps pose. The coracoid muscle is best “beaten”: lifting dumbbells in front of you, breeding dumbbells lying on a bench.

Best forearm exercises:

• spider flexion (lifting the bar with a reverse grip);
• hummer lifts (lifting dumbbells with a hammer grip);
• carpal direct / reverse lifts of the barbell from the bench while kneeling.

Phew, well, that's all, now let's sum up and say goodbye.

Afterword

The anatomy of the muscles of the hands - that's what we studied today. Now you know what and how the stump is arranged :) and how to swing it correctly. It remains quite a bit - to translate the theory into practice, so we blow into the hall and swing.

That's all, I was glad to write for you, until we meet again!

PS. Dear, what exercises for training your hands do you use?

P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it in the status of your social network - plus 100 points to karma, guaranteed.

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

Triceps - where is this triceps muscle located? This muscle runs along the main part of the shoulder (humerus) between the elbow and shoulder. The triceps are the largest upper limb muscles in the body.

Interacting with the biceps, they make it possible to flex and extend the forearm. When your triceps are tense, the elbow joint straightens and the forearm extends.

If the triceps are relaxed and the biceps are tense, the elbow joint and forearms are bent. The triceps plays the role of a stabilizer for the elbow joint at the top of the humerus, and this is very important, as the shoulder joint itself is considered not to be a completely stable joint.

The lower part of the triceps retracts the capsules of the elbow joint during the extension of the forearm, allowing the elbow joint to extend. The triceps is supplied with nutrients and oxygen through the deep brachial artery.

The triceps is innervated by 4 branches of the radial nerve. The nerve and artery continue under the triceps at the bottom of the forearm.

Triceps, like other muscle groups, should be trained at least 2 times a week.

How to build triceps

There is a simple but effective exercise on how to pump up triceps.

Place two benches, one meter apart. Sit on the edge of one bench, put your feet on the other bench. Rest your hands on the edge of the first bench.

Push up with your hands from the bench, then return your hips to the starting position. In this case, the arms are fully extended, and the elbows are fixed.

Slowly lower your elbows down until they are fully bent at a right angle. Pause for a second to feel the stretch in your triceps. After that, return to the starting position. Thus, you can pump triceps at home, pushing up from a regular chair. In a similar way, you can swing triceps on the uneven bars.

Triceps with dumbbells

You can pump triceps with dumbbells. Take dumbbells in your hands. Sit up straight on the ball (or bench) with your feet flat on the floor. Press your arms with dumbbells over your head so that your arms become straight. This is the starting position.

Lower the dumbbells, bending your elbows until your forearms touch your biceps. Pause for a second. Contracting the triceps and straightening the arms, return the arms to the starting position.

There are many other exercises. You can, for example, swing triceps on the horizontal bar.

In this article, we described the triceps - where this muscle is located, and some exercises to pump it up. In the next article, we will look at the description of the biceps and exercises for pumping them up.