Triceps. They don’t want to grow!

[Oldman.]

First off I have metal hardware in my left forearm from a compound fracture. It’s an old injury but it’s still an issue. It has always given me bone pain and that more than anything has hindered my growth I feel. I have tried everything I can find online. Weighted dips, dip machines(works the best) close grip press, bench dips every variation of cable work. Once a week, twice a week, three times a week..... for three years now nothing. Well not nothing they look great and all but no more size.

I am starting to think that genetics and the injury may limit me to 16” arms forever. I am not complaining as my arms look better than I could have hoped for but the biceps are out pacing the tris bad at this point. I don’t do much bicep work as a result.

Do you think I should try more negative work with lighter weights? It’s about all I have left this point. I just hate that kind of work

I do take some gear. 450mg a week test and some tren mixed in there. Was at 200 a week tren for 8 weeks. Currently at 100mg a week tren in week 10.

 

[mr_meanor]

How do u train your Tris? Split with chest or do u have a dedicated arm day? What is you routine and frequency?

 

[Oldman.]

How do u train your Tris? Split with chest or do u have a dedicated arm day? What is you routine and frequency?

I do tris twice a week currently. With chest and also arms on there own day. The arm day is focused on tris.

Monday’s is back and biceps. I started splitting the workout into morning and evening. I find I get a much better bicep workout if I do them in the evening after back. I also do abs and lower back in the evening as cardio. No more than 1 hour and 10 min total gym time.

Tuesday is chest and tris. Same morning evening split.

Wednesday is an off day but I usually do some deadlift and abs if I feel it.

Thursday is arms and abs

Friday is legs and abs

Saturday is shoulders.
Sunday is off.

 

[mr_meanor]

Im just over 40. Left elbow gives me alot.of trouble when doing curls. About 2 years ago I thought I was just cursed to 16" arms and it just was what it was.

Everyone is different and I know guys on here that train arms everyday sometimes, but for me I had to slow down the frequency and really start pushing heavy weight. Also I think GH really helped with my ailgments from getting old, like the elbow pain and made it to where I could actually push the heavy weight. For me it was a slow process but where there is a will there is a way.

 

[mr_meanor]

Also on arm day supersetting bi and tri exercises made a huge difference for me.

 

[rubisean]

Skull crushers, tricep extensions, cable work.
Close grip bench, kick backs....

Tut and go slow

 

[Oldman.]

Yep doing all of that. Maybe over time they will slowly grow.

I recently went to heavier weight. More sets at 6-10 and that made them look better but still not any more size, yet.

 

[mr_meanor]

Yep doing all of that. Maybe over time they will slowly grow.

I recently went to heavier weight. More sets at 6-10 and that made them look better but still not any more size, yet.

Clean Calories in matters just as much as training

 

[Oldman.]

I can get bigger with shit food. But as you say, it all goes away when I lean down. My diet has been ok for the last two weeks. The 8 weeks prior were great.

 

[mr_meanor]

Shit food is equivelant to shit training imo. Can u get bigger doing both, yea...... But if your looking for optimal you have to perform optimal

 

[kosp]

my arms grew about 4-5 lean cm in my last cycle training them every time I went to the gym, except when I squat.

I added some sets of each at the end of the workout, maybe one day high volume for biceps and another for triceps, but always hitting arms.

 

[Test_Subject]

Have you tried adding some rep-pause work in for them? My arms are stubborn as hell and that helped me.

Heavy, paused CGBP and rep-paused skullcrushers, dips etc.

 

[T-Bagger]

Guys on here were asking how to make their calves explode with growth. The answer given was to work them every frickin day, for like 200 reps. When asked if this would apply to arms, the answer was yes.

 

[AlwaysHungry]

Mine in the past hadn't growth I was doing high intensity close grip benches etc for a lot of times and I had small triceps. Since I add more volume and I mean MORE VOLUME they have been exploded in size very very fast. High volume slow tempo control reps. Contraction stretch etc. The thing with arms they need volume add a day if you cant get the volume in 1 session

 

[LeoTC]

I've never put size on my arms easily. Even now I doubt I've cracked 16" if I'm being honest.

Note that I also don't really care, but have been working to add mass to up my presses. Couple quick notes -

Pump really matters here. Work Tri's before Bi's. Way better pump overall.

Use bands - throw one over the top of the cable stack and onto a V or Straight bar. Shoot for 15-25 reps per set at about 70%. Do the same for lying body drag curls.

Burn out both Tri's and Bi's with straight band movements. You're looking at 50-100 rep sets.

Trust me, it'll blow you up after an intense day. Bands are awesome for finishing any muscle group.

While I'm not a huge fan, I've also seen some good results going the BFR route. Just makes me ridiculousy sore. Active recovery is a must later to flush the muscle out.

 

[Oldman.]

I am just going to do them every damn day, except for off days, for 30 days and see what that does. Heavy on arm days and volume on other days.

 

[Rockclimber]

Good replies
My arms have been growing ok for years but after I joined crossfit they just exploded in size and hardness. Things like finishing a workout with 21 pushups EMOM for 21 minutes, I cant do all 441 reps but damn I was sore as hell from just bodyweight exercise. The next day had more triceps because we worked shoulders. Work triceps Every damn day, eat a ton of chicken and rice. You will explode in size and hardness.

 

[CAswole]

I have been keeping things simple with my tri training and staying consistent not changing up my routine. I start with close grip bench. Then do skull crushers lying on the floor coming to a dead stop. Then a push down variation for higher reps. that's it and I'm seeing good growth. Just breaking 19 inches.

 

[AlwaysHungry]

I have been keeping things simple with my tri training and staying consistent not changing up my routine. I start with close grip bench. Then do skull crushers lying on the floor coming to a dead stop. Then a push down variation for higher reps. that's it and I'm seeing good growth. Just breaking 19 inches.

Most basic productive routine

 

[bob357sig]

My arms grow much better when i do opposite muscle groups same day. EX, i do back and triceps, then chest and biceps. This way you are actually hitting the minor muscle group “arms” 4 times per week. Take biceps for example. They get hit Monday when im doing back”indirectly “ then directly on Tuesday with isolation exercises. Same with triceps, they get hit by working chest with any pressing exercise, then get isolation exercises on back day. That type of offsetting split made my arms explode. 17 inches just measured cold. Im genetically tricep heavy, im a much better pusher then puller.