People who come to the gym often really want to "pump up" their big arms. In this regard, they begin to do exercises for the biceps - the biceps of the shoulder.
Beginner athletes do not even suspect that the main volume of the arms is often given by another mulcular structure - the triceps or the triceps muscle of the shoulder.
Anatomy
Musculus triceps brachii consists of several basic structures. They are three muscle bundles (heads), which is reflected, in fact, in the title. The triceps brachii extends completely along the back of the humerus.
Three muscle heads have their own names, reflecting their structural location: lateral, long and medial.
- The first of these (caput laterale) is attached muscularly and tendon to the surface of the humerus (outside).
- The middle position is occupied by caput longum, it is the longest, attached to the scapula (subarticular tubercle).
- Third - caput mediale, attached one third below the head of the humerus, behind, has a fleshy upper part.
All three of these heads are combined into one muscle, which passes into the tendon formation below,attached to the ulna.
Triceps work
The function of the triceps muscle, or rather, the most important of them is the extension of the forearm. This is the very movement of the hand when, when the elbow is extended, the whole arm is straightened. But its medial part is responsible for this. The main antagonist is the biceps.
The long head of the biceps is responsible for shoulder extension (adduction to the body). Antagonists for her are the deltoid, pectoral and part of the biceps. The medial head is usually difficult to palpate as it lies deeper under the long head.
It is the biceps that acts as a counterweight to the triceps when bending and unbending the arm at the elbow joint. This is worth remembering when pumping muscles in the gym. Some athletes have "bloated" arms that look ridiculous when triceps dominate.
Triceps in sports
The triceps muscle of the shoulder, whose functions are diverse, can be the most important in some sports, where the forearm extension at the moment of dynamic loading is at the forefront. Here are some examples:
- javelin throw;
- shot put;
- volleyball, handball, basketball;
- boxing;
- fencing and other sports.
Also, in some cases, the triceps performs the task of "holding the load", for example:
- cycling;
- archery;
- weightlifting.
As a muscle that performs active extension of the shoulder (andadduction to the trunk), triceps is important in the following sports:
- rowing;
- swimming (all kinds);
- kayaking.
A matter of aesthetics
Many people have a question: "Why train triceps?". From the above material it becomes clear that this, first of all, needs to be done by athletes. Do ordinary people need to "pump" this muscle?
The answer to this question lies in the desire of a person to work on himself. The shape of the forearm mainly depends on the condition of the triceps muscle of the hand.
Sagging skin is common in women who are obese or who have lost weight dramatically. By "tightening" the triceps, you can aesthetically improve the appearance of the shoulders and start wearing beautiful short sleeve dresses.
Workout Features
The triceps muscle of the shoulder usually lends itself well to working out with special exercises. But for some people, it refers to the "lagging behind." Then it is necessary to pay special attention to the triceps muscle, to "pierce" it purposefully, in isolation.
Although trainers advise starting classes with basic (multi-joint exercises), if the triceps lag behind, you can “start” differently. There are many techniques for this: pre-fatigue of the muscle, isolation training, and others. Only an experienced instructor will tell you how to act in each case.
The triceps brachii is often involved in chest work, so this should be inmind. But it is recommended to load no more than twice a week to avoid overtraining of muscle fibers.
The exercises themselves are easy to find in bodybuilding manuals or on sites on the Internet. Many training complexes are posted online on video channels.
About muscle pain
Unfortunately, the triceps muscle of the shoulder can experience discomfort, the functions of which lead to overstrain, spasm. Pain may occur when pushing weights, sharply straightening the arm.
Trigger points and muscle bands can also cause problems. In the first case, the pain may radiate to other areas, in the second case, it will be very painful on palpation.
In such cases, stretching of the heads of the triceps muscle is required. A massage therapist can do a great job with this.
In closing
Don't train the triceps heads separately, it's pointless. Any exercise on the triceps will fully engage it.
It is worth remembering that all people are genetically different. Differences in height, size of cats, muscle shape, length of tendon heads of muscles - all this must be taken into account when shaping your "ideal" body. Don't look up to competition bodybuilding models.
Information for women and girls! For the formation of triceps, it is not necessary to go to the gym. It is enough to perform exercises with your own weight. These are push-ups from the floor (from the knees); push-ups from the bench (bench), sitting with your back to it.
