Okay… Okay… Okay… Listen up please 'cause if you've been reading this series, you know that we go beyond just giving you training routines. Any monkey could write you a routine. The principles that make any routine effective are the life-success principles that apply to both bodybuilding and to success in all other areas of your life. I imagine if you're reading this you're only interested in a training routine that's effective, right?
Well, any training routine that brings the results you're looking for requires you to apply these \”success strategies.\” Without them you're just spinning your wheels. So let's talk about the power of persistence.
Persistence is an essential for achieving your goals and desires. Too many people give up and retreat before reaching what they started out to accomplish. Success comes when you let temporary setbacks and disappointments ignite the fire that intensifies your determination and fuels your persistence. Then you will triumph. Persistence will help you build an unshakable belief in yourself.
Persistence comes when you make a decision to \”carry-on\” until you achieve what you set out to accomplish. Persistence determines our results and ultimately our success in life, shapes our character and encourages us to set higher standards for our accomplishments. Here are four steps to develop persistence:
1. Have a definite goal or purpose and a passionate, burning desire to accomplish it.
2. Have a definite plan and take continuous and consistent action.
3. Close your mind tightly against all negative and discouraging influences , including negative suggestions of relatives, friends and acquaintances.
4. Build friendly alliances with one or more people who will encourage you to follow through with your plan and your purpose.
Okay, let's hit triceps. The long head of the triceps has the greatest potential for building huge triceps, but in order for you to build the long head to its maximum size your arm has to be placed in the proper position.
Since the long head of the triceps attaches to the scapula, the arm must be placed close to your head, as in standing or seated two-arm EZ-bar or dumbbell overhead extensions. The problem with those two movements is that you can get pretty strong, which can put a lot of strain on your elbows.
It's not that lying extensions and pushdowns won't build size, but you can't maximally stimulate the long head because of arm placement.
There are three solutions: the first is to perform these movements in a four-seconds-up/four-seconds-down cadence; the second is to do a pushout from the top pulley-pulley behind you with the arms resting on a bench, with the head between the arms. Most gyms don't have this setup. I personally have to \”Jeri-rig\” the setup, but it's much easier to use one of the other two movements.
The third way around the problem of getting stronger than your elbows in these movements is to \”pre-exhaust\” the triceps first.
Here we go… first exercise today is EZ-bar close-grip California-press. The what?? It's sort of a combination close-grip bench press and lying extension. You perform it like a close-grip bench but bring the bar down about two or three inches above your nipples as you press you push the bar slightly toward your feet. Try a light weight first and get in the groove of the movement. You'll see that your arms automatically move in a half-bench/half-extension plane of movement. Do a couple of warmup sets.
Now choose a weight that allowed you to barely squeeze out eight reps. Okay, go for four seconds up, four seconds down. Push that bar slowly and under control, then resist it on the way down. First rep done! Push it again. Focus on contracting the triceps hard, squeeze, now resist it back. Second rep done. Easy, so easy. Focus, and pull it again. That's it, yes. Now resist down. Rep three is history. Breathe, no pausing. Push, okay, resist back. That's it. Four seconds up, four seconds down. Rep four done. Take a deep breath but no pausing to rest. Get to it. Rep five and you're on fire with determination. Yes, rep five done. Halfway to the home stretch. Bring it in, hear the roar of the fans cheering you on, chanting your name, and feel the gold medal being placed around your neck as you stand on the winner's platform. Go for six. Dig and push. Now resist. Six done. Focus. You got seven. Great! Give me eight. Come on, yes, push. Now resist. Slow it down. Okay, get nine or your mother gets burned at the stake. Pause for five or ten seconds then–Push! Come on, you got it. Keep it moving, man. Now resist slowly. Yes. Okay, good. Give it another shove. Come on, half-way. No. Okay, resist. Push part way. No? Resist. Okay. Done. Nine reps, triceps screaming.
No resting here. This is a superset. You want to take advantage of your fatigue and jump right into seated dumbbell two-arm overhead extensions. Go for eight to twelve reps and push yourself to the extreme. Four seconds up, four seconds down. You can't be stopped or discouraged. No, you're one goal-getting super achiever, and there's sparks flying everywhere you go. Savor the taste of victory.
Triceps, fried!
Eyewitness News instant replay:
EZ-bar close grip California presses, 2 warmups and 1 work set 8-12 reps with one assisted rep or rest/pause.
Supersetted with:
Seated dumbbell two-arm overhead extensions 1 work set 8-12 reps with one assisted rep or rest/pause.
Until next time. Be big.
From the IRONMAN Training & Research Team
www.ironmanmagazine.com
The ITRC Training Newsletter is not intended as training advice for everyone. You must consult your physician before beginning any diet or training program. You may forward this email to as many friends as you want, but do not photocopy or reprint this report in any format without the written permission of the copyright holder.
——————————————————————–
All Content (c) Copyright 2000 IRONMAN Magazine
All Rights Reserved
You must be logged in to post a comment Login