BUILDING BIGGER ARMS: UNLEASH THE POWER OF YOUR TRICEPS

If you’re eyeing substantial arm gains, your focus should zero in on the triceps. Since the triceps contribute about 70% to the size of your arms, it’s only logical to dedicate 70% of your arm day workout to these powerhouse muscles. As you may know, the triceps consist of three distinct ‘Heads’: the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head. 

In this article, we’ll narrow our focus to the best exercises specifically targeting the Medial Head for enhanced strength and size.

Incorporating Medial Head triceps exercises is crucial in your quest for greater strength and size. The burning question, however, is which exercises are most effective in achieving this goal. This dilemma perplexes many individuals striving to sculpt their triceps. The fitness world is rife with recommended exercises, but which ones genuinely deliver results?

If you’ve been hitting the gym intending to achieve more significant strength and size, understanding how to optimize your time is essential.

Beyond the desire for larger arms, working on your triceps offers health benefits, and the strength gained in this area can positively impact other muscle groups like the chest and shoulders.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR TRICEPS

Your upper arm’s major muscle, the triceps brachii, has two crucial jobs. First, it helps straighten your elbow, and second, it extends your shoulder, bringing your arm down either from the front or overhead. Additionally, the triceps are essential for stabilizing your shoulder joint.

Triceps Basics

Breaking down into three parts called heads, the triceps include:

Long head Found on the upper arm’s side closest to your body, this is the largest head among the three tricep heads. While the lateral and medial heads start on the humerus, the long head uniquely begins at the scapula.

Medial head Located at the bottom center of the posterior upper arm, this is the smallest of the all three heads and attaches to the humerus.

Similar to the medial head, the lateral head attaches to the humerus but at a lower point. Larger than the medial but smaller than the long head, the lateral head is considered the strongest due to a higher ratio of fast-twitch muscle fibers. It’s situated on the outside of the posterior upper arm. 

BOOSTING YOUR MEDIAL TRICEP HEAD WORKOUT

It’s crucial to understand that isolating and solely working on one tricep head during exercises is nearly impossible. However, we can focus on specific exercises and cues that shift the emphasis toward the medial head during tricep workouts.

Here are effective ways to target the medial head tricep:

• Keep your elbows close Ensure that your elbows stay near your sides during exercises.

• Try the underhand grip Also known as the reverse grip, this grip can be beneficial in emphasizing the medial head.

Beyond these techniques, consider the muscle fibers. Unlike the lateral and long head, which have more fast-twitch muscle fibers, the medial head consists of more slow-twitch fibers. This means the medial head responds better to higher reps. Along with the above techniques, incorporate exercises with higher rep ranges for optimal results.

Regardless of the chosen exercise, integrating these variables is the key to emphasizing and fully engaging the medial head. Remember, even though each exercise targets more than one head, it’s a positive aspect rather than a drawback!

TOP 9 MEDIAL HEAD TRICEP WORKOUTS

Several exercises effectively target your medial tricep head, each with varying growth potential. Here are the nine best medial head tricep exercises that have proven effective results.

1. Reverse Grip Floor Press

This exercise is excellent for developing large and sturdy triceps. It’s among the most widely practiced medical exercises. Notably, it’s a shoulder-friendly pressing variation, making it suitable for individuals with shoulder concerns. The triceps are particularly engaged when completing partial movements, such as those in chest pressing exercises. The reverse grip on a floor press ensures a focus on the medial head.

2. Bench Dips Made Easy

This exercise is fantastic for working your medial tricep and the best part is, you can do it practically anywhere—whether you’re at the gym, home, or even the park. The beauty of bench dips lies in its simplicity; you don’t need any extra weight to perform this exercise.

Bench dips are effective because they specifically target the medial head. Engaging in this movement not only enhances your core and upper body strength but also contributes to overall conditioning.

3. Reverse Gripm Cable Pushdown Simplified

Among the top exercises to emphasize the medial head, the reverse grip cable pushdown stands out. What makes it effective is the positioning of your elbows close to your sides during the exercise. Using the underhand grip further enhances its focus on the medial tricep.

4. Overhead Triceps Press Unvield

While typically recognized as a long-head tricep exercise, the overhead triceps press can also activate and build the medial head.

Backed by a study in Acta Orthopaedica​, this exercise has proven effective. The research demonstrates that working your arm at or near 180 degrees of the shoulder increases medial head tricep involvement.

To ensure its effectiveness in targeting the medial triceps, keep your upper arm pointing straight up during the exercise. This contributes to building more strength and increasing the overall size of the medial tricep.

5. Reverse Grip Dumbell or Barbell Press

Beyond its role as an excellent chest builder, this exercise proves to be a winner for the triceps too. The connection between these two muscle groups is tight, and many folks still prefer combining chest and tricep workouts due to their complementary nature.

Now, if we switch to a reverse grip, we can specifically target the triceps even more.

The reverse grip in this exercise serves a dual purpose. It not only emphasizes the upper pecs but also zeroes in on the lower part of the triceps. Plus, it’s a shoulder-friendly move, taking some pressure off those joints.

While it effectively engages the chest and all tricep heads, it’s particularly valuable when aiming to grow the medial head. What’s noteworthy is that this exercise allows you to handle heavier weights. Since strength and size go hand in hand, getting stronger inevitably leads to getting bigger.

6. Cable Rope Pushdown Unveiled

Known for its impact on the lateral head, the cable rope tricep pushdown surprisingly emerges as a potent medial tricep exercise, backed by EMG studies. Astonishingly, the activation of both the medial and lateral triceps is almost identical.

What makes it particularly suitable for medical gains is its allowance for high reps. This enables overloading and exhausting the medial head, fostering growth.

7. Cable Overhead Extensions Simplified

Another highly effective exercise that yields remarkable results in a short time is cable overhead extensions. Although it primarily targets the long head, focusing on a high rep range brings serious activation to the medial head.

To maximize gains, ensure a full extension of your arms during high reps to avoid compromising the effectiveness of the exercise.

8. TRIANGLE PUSHUPS: A Challange Worth Taking 

Also known as Diamond Pushups, triangle pushups might not be the best starting point, but as you gain experience, they become worthwhile. Despite their difficulty, if you’ve been practicing the above exercises for a few months, you can transition to triangle pushups without major complications.

This exercise effectively targets both the medial and lateral heads, standing out as one of the best equipment-free options. Similar to traditional pushups, the change in hand positioning alters the targeted muscles while increasing the difficulty.

9. THE JM PRESS: A Multifaceted Approach

The JM Press, a compound exercise, simultaneously targets multiple muscle groups, including the chest, delts, and triceps. Combining elements of the bench press and skull crusher, both renowned for building tricep size, this exercise is a valuable addition. If you’re new to the gym, it’s advisable to start with easier exercises before progressing to the JM Press once you’ve gained some experience.

WRAPPING UP

In the realm of muscle growth and looks, the medial tricep head might seem less vital compared to its counterparts, mainly because it’s the smallest of the three. The lateral and long heads, being more substantial, naturally have more potential for growth and are easier to focus on during training sessions.

However, don’t underestimate the importance of a robust and sturdy medial head. It acts like a sturdy link connecting the other two heads, facilitating precise movements. In essence, a stronger medial head contributes to the strength of both the lateral and long heads. That’s precisely why incorporating the most effective medial head tricep workout into your workout routine is a smart move.