Back Work for Arm Size

Q: Help. I need to build some triceps sweep. Mine look flat from the side. I’ve tried every exercise. Any suggestions?

A: We discuss a number of triceps “sweep” techniques and exercises in our e-book X-traordinary Arms. Lying extensions, which mainly target the triceps’ long head, and dumbbell overhead extensions, which hit the long head with important stretch overload, make a good combination. If you’ve tried all of those long-head-specific exercises and programs, you may want to specialize on building some lat size. (Say what?)

Think about it. The wider your lats, especially near the origin, up under your arm, the more they’ll push out your triceps muscles, making them look fuller and giving them an impressive sweep when your arms are hanging down relaxed. It’s like putting a tennis ball in your armpit—it makes your arm look bigger and wide from the side.

A great place to start is a Positions-of-Flexion lat routine. For example…

Midrange

Chins 2 x 9-12

Stretch

Dumbbell pullovers 2 x 9-12

Contracted

Stiff-arm pulldowns 2 x 12-15

Positions of Flexion is designed to train the target muscle through its full range for more complete development with minimal sets. We call it efficiency-of-effort muscle building. Incidentally, pullovers, the stretch-position lat move, strongly involve the long head of the triceps.

Bottom line: Train your triceps and lats with POF, and your upper back will soon be pushing out your bigger tri’s, making them look big and full from the side.

—Steve Holman and
Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com

Editor’s note: The e-book X-traordinary Arms is available at the X Shop at www.X-Rep.com.