the triceps are the largest and strongest muscle in your arms, and having powerful triceps definitely makes your arms noticeable.
Many people are always happy to be pressing the ropes when working out their triceps, not realising that even if you break the steel rope you won't get much progress, it's always known that isolation movements have limited stimulation.
The movement we are introducing to you today is known as the best triceps exercise - the double bar arm flexor. It is not to be missed if you really want to have strong and powerful arms.
introduction to the double-bar triceps arm flexion
arm curls are a very versatile exercise, but are often thought of as training the chest muscles. However, by changing your body position, you can also work your triceps very effectively. Normally, during arm flexion, the body leans slightly forward, but if you keep your torso upright, the stress is transferred to the triceps.
The double bar triceps arm flexion is a great movement that trains all three heads of the triceps at the same time. Despite the involvement of the pectorals and deltoids, try not to flex your shoulders (as in a lying triceps extension) in order to concentrate the force on the triceps and give all three heads a good workout.
if you can complete 3 sets of 15-20 reps without the help of a training partner then this is a very good result. Advanced bodybuilders sometimes attach extra weight to their lats to get more resistance. In this case, reduce the total number of reps. Don't try weighted arm curls until you are used to regular arm curls.
To perform this great triceps workout you must first find parallel double bars in the gym. Sometimes you will find a stand-alone parallel double bar. Sometimes it is part of a piece of equipment called a "Captain's chair", which is used for abdominal exercises with hanging leg raises. Some bars are parallel, while others taper at the end. If you use the latter, try using a different hand position. The external pectoral muscles will get trained more if you arm flex at a greater distance.
movement instruction - correct technique
how to do the double-bar triple-headed arm curl with the best technique?
1. Starting position: Hold the double bar with a neutral grip - palms facing each other. Start in a straight arm support position. Keep your legs straight and your head up; minimise forward lean. Keep your torso perpendicular to the floor. If you lean forward, the main target of the exercise becomes the shoulder and chest muscles. It is not important to keep your legs straight. You can also bend your knees and cross your ankles behind you.
2. Movement (movement): Bend your elbows and lower your body until you feel a slight stretch in your shoulders, or until your shoulder joints are below your elbows. The depth depends on your level of flexibility and strength. At the bottom position, extend your arms and push upwards.
movement points - tips and tricks
the steps to perform a double bar triple arm curl are simple, but you need to keep some important details in mind.
1. Control the entire range of motion and avoid swinging your body.
2. Keep your elbows close to the sides of your body to isolate your triceps. This is why you need to choose a parallel bar (rather than a v-bar, which puts the hands further apart than the shoulders).
You should feel like you are 'straightening' your arms rather than 'pushing'. To do this, make sure your elbows are not too far away from your torso.
Allow the elbow to extend outwards to recruit more chest fibres to assist the movement.
3. Keep your body vertical and your head upright to compress your triceps. Lowering the head or leaning the body forward will focus the training on the chest. The straighter the body, the more the triceps are trained. This is why you should keep your head very upright and your eyes slightly towards the ceiling.
4. Bend at the elbows and lower your body as far as joint flexibility and comfort allow. A better situation for most exercisers is to descend until the upper arms are parallel to the floor. There is no benefit in continuing to descend towards the floor even if the body does not feel uncomfortable.
Triceps are trained most at the top of the movement rather than the bottom. So don't descend too low and always straighten your arms at the top of the movement.
movement variations and substitutions
there are many different triceps arm flexion variations of the movement. If the self weighted triceps arm flexion is too difficult for you. Newer gyms will have assisted arm curl and pull up machines that will allow you to train with less weight than your own. The knee pads on the assisted pull up machines will take some of the weight as you train.
So, if you train somewhere that has this machine, try it out. It will allow you to have optimal arm flexion training.
in addition, the plank arm flexion is the base movement for the double bar arm flexion and is a great warm up. If you are strong enough, you can add extra weight by holding a dumbbell between your legs or using a weighted belt.
Alternative movements
alternatives to the double bar triceps arm curl can be found in our triceps training database.
Muscles involved
primary muscles: Triceps, pectoralis major (lower), anterior deltoid
secondary muscles: Pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, pronator teres, subscapularis, elbow muscles
antagonists: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, posterior deltoid
reflections on the double bar triceps arm flexion
triceps arm flexion is a great compound exercise to train the upper body - triceps, chest and shoulders. In our opinion, the arm flexor pair is the king of triceps exercises. Lowering the arms close to the sides of the body and moving the elbows back puts more pressure on the triceps.
In other words, the arm flexor has the same effect on the triceps (and thus on the entire upper arm) as the deep squat has on the quads (on the entire lower body). It's a big, basic movement that trains the whole muscle. If you have time for a triceps workout, it's definitely the one to do.
to do the double bar triceps arm flexor you need to be strong and balanced enough. The good thing about doing arm curls is that you are training with your own weight. If you can't complete a whole set, then do as many as you can. In time, you will be surprised at how easy they are.
although this is a triple head movement, i can't help but stress the importance of the shoulders again. If you have damaged shoulders, please do not do this movement. Of course if you have no shoulder damage and still can't do it, consider whether it is a lack of adaptation in the round shoulders and pecs. If you have tight joints in these areas then you should advance a few weeks before you start arm curls before gradually increasing your shoulder and pec flexibility training.