(Article by Kari Fry with Hannah Groves)
Incorporating tricep exercises into your workout routine can provide a number of benefits, and there are many different exercises you can choose from to mix up your workouts each week. We caught up with Personal Trainer and Study Active Assessor Hannah Groves to get her advice and recommendations for all those women wanting to add tricep exercises into their workouts.
IMPORTANT: The ideas in this article are purely for information only – please do not start an exercise programme until you have completed a PAR-Q and, if necessary, received medical clearance. Always warm up and cool down and never do any exercise that you are unsure of without the support of a qualified professional.
How can tricep exercises be beneficial to women?
So, let’s talk about the tricep – the tricep muscle lies along the back of your upper arm and is a major muscle, twice the size of the bicep muscle, therefore targeting the triceps is necessary for building a strong upper body. A fact for you here, the tricep is 60% of your upper arm! Taking aside my point of the image of a strong upper body – the tricep muscle is important in everyday activities and you will be using it in all sorts of daily tasks from picking things up from the floor to reaching for something overhead. This means that by incorporating tricep exercises into your workout you could find everyday tasks easier. There are also more obviously points around the benefits of tricep exercises, for example – they can increase your strength, improve joint mobility and circulation, and relieve stress.
Our arms are on display more than most other body parts and many clients of mine work towards toning and building strength in their arms!
How often should someone include a tricep workout in their routine?
Triceps should be trained around twice per week on non-consecutive days. Always start with a moderate resistance and increase this as your muscles get fitter over the weeks. Between your workouts you should ensure you eat plenty of protein – the average female adult needs around 45 grams of protein per day. This will help with recovery and provides your body with amino acids which your body needs to build and repair muscle. Protein can come from sources like meat, eggs, poultry, fish, lentils, beans, and tofu.
It is important to include some bicep exercises within a tricep workout. Each muscle in your upper arm can be targeted and worked separately with different exercises. That is why training the bicep and tricep in tandem while targeting multiple heads to build stronger arms is essential.
Can you talk us through some of the best bicep and tricep exercises for women?
Here are my personal top 8 tricep and bicep exercises:
- Dumbbell tricep kick backs
- Kettlebell tricep extensions
- Dumbbell tricep floor press
- Bench tricep dips
- Bodyweight diamond push ups
- Dumbbell bicep curls
- Dumbbell hammer curls
- Barbell bicep curls
You can choose which exercises you incorporate in your workout, and it is good to mix these up at various points in your training. I would suggest starting at a moderate intensity for each exercise, performing 12-20 reps, 2-3 sets with 30 seconds rest in between each set. Please note it is always important to increase volume and intensity as you progress.
Is there anything to be careful of or take into consideration when creating a bicep and tricep workout?
Like any other muscle, the triceps and biceps require rest periods to recover, repair and grow from workouts. Rest and recovery are when muscles grow and gain strength, therefore you need to ensure you do not over-train. This is why I recommend only 2 tricep/biceps sessions per week!
Summary - the best tricep exercises for women
Thank you, Hannah for taking the time to share your knowledge and advice on tricep exercises for women. You’ve given us a lot of great examples of great tricep exercises that can be incorporated into a workout routine, and it is great to know that they can improve strength and mobility in everyday life.