Health Publications

Tri, tri again: superset your way to chiseled triceps with this high-powered routine

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Nov, 2003 by Michael Berg

WHAT'S REEBOK MASTER TRAINER ABBIE APPEL'S ADVICE for toning and shaping your upper arms? Tri and tri again. According to Appel, doing one exercise that targets your triceps, then immediately following it with another exercise that hits the exact same muscle group--a technique known as supersetting--is one of the most effective ways to sculpt your tri's to perfection. The formula is actually pretty simple: two exercises, three supersets and two workouts a week. It all adds up to terrific triceps.

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ABBIE'S TRICEPS-TRIMMING ROUTINE

Related Results

Abbie's superset routine requires a pair of dumbbells, a bench and a box the height of your bench or lower. Using a moderately heavy weight, do 8-12 reps of dumbbell French presses and then, with no rest, immediately perform 8-12 bench dips. Take a break until your triceps have completely recovered (about a minute), and then repeat for a total of three supersets.

TWO-ARM LYING DUMBBELL FRENCH PRESS

This exercise forces each arm to work separately so the stronger arm doesn't pick up any slack for the weaker one. The result is more balanced muscle development.

Set-Up: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie back on the bench facing upward with your feet flat on the floor or up on the bench.

Start: With your palms facing inward, straighten your arms upward so that they're directly in line with your shoulders.

Movement: Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells until your upper arms are parallel to the floor and the top end of the dumbbells are facing the ceiling. Hold for a moment and straighten your arms back up to the start.

ABBIE'S TIPS:

* This move is from the elbows only, not the shoulders. Keep the shoulders in a steady, stable position and don't allow them to move as you bend your elbows.

* Don't let your elbows flare out to the sides. They should point directly forward throughout the movement.

BENCH DIP

Although you don't use any additional weight, your body provides plenty of resistance. Besides your triceps, this move also challenges your shoulders and chest.

Set-Up: Place the box parallel to your flat bench, close enough for your feet to reach it when you're sitting on the bench.

Start: Place your hands at the edge of the flat bench on either side of your hips and prop your feet up on the box. Bend your knees slightly, straighten your arms, and slide your butt just off the front of the bench so that your upper body is perpendicular to the bench.

Movement: Bend your elbows and lower your body in a straight line. When your upper arms are parallel to the floor, push yourself back up. Take care not to "lock" your elbows at the top.

ABBIE'S TIPS:

* Watch your shoulders. Keep them down and back and resist the urge to shrug them up toward your ears.

* Don't round your back. During each rep, remind yourself to maintain natural alignment from head to tailbone.

RELATED ARTICLE: another awesome abbie routine to "tri"

Exercise                    Sets      Reps

One-Arm Dumbbell Kickback   3-4   12, 8, 8, 15
superset with
One-Arm Overhead Extension  3-4   12, 8, 8, 15

Do each set of this "pyramid scheme" without any rest in between ets. Do the first set of 12 with a relatively light weight, then switch to a heavier weight for the next two sets of eight, then wrap it up with the light weight for 15. Rest. Repeat for a total of 3-4 pyramid sets.

Location: LA Workout, Woodland Hills, Calif.