The triceps muscles are located in the upper back of the arm and are one of the important keys responsible for arm extension and upper body strength. The triceps consists of 3 heads (back head, middle head, long head). Today we will learn about the best medial head triceps exercises. You should understand the role of these heads in the muscle and how to benefit from it by targeting it with some specific exercises.
Usually, the medial head of triceps is neglected while doing triceps exercises because many people tend to do those traditional exercises that target the long head a lot, or some exercises that target the entire muscle, but the medial head does not take its share and does not benefit much from the exercise.
That is why we will solve this problem, and you will be able to allocate specific exercises to target the medial head and improve the strength of the triceps completely, and this helps to build the muscle in an integrated manner.
In this post, we will learn about the 6 best exercises to target the medial head triceps, with mentioning the correct techniques and tips to improve performance as well. We will get closer to the triceps muscle to understand its functions and how it can be built professionally and safely.
Understand the anatomy of the medial head to understand the exercise
Well, the triceps muscles consist of three heads (the long head, the medial head, and the posterior head). As for the medial head, it is located between the long head and the posterior head. The medial head originates from the humerus bone and enters the ulna bone, and the latter is located above the forearm, and the medial head is considered the smallest among triceps heads in terms of size and volume.
Function :
The main function of the medial head is to help extend the arm, that is, when your arm is straight, the triceps muscles, including the medial head, contract in order to extend the elbow joint so that it contributes to working in conjunction with the rest of the heads to produce sufficient strength or control the movement of the forearm.
The importance of the medial head triceps muscle during exercises:
Since the function of the medial head is to extend the elbow and help control the movement of the forearm, etcThis means that it has an effective role during weight exercises that require pulling or pressing strength, such as the bench press exercise or push ups, so that the medial head helps to stabilize the elbow joint Reducing the risk of injury and pressure on the joint.
When doing triceps exercises, it is necessary to do exercises that target the medial head, because this makes you build an integrated muscle and strengthen all heads, and this of course improves muscle strength and makes it more coordinated and does not suffer from weakness or deficiency at the level of one of the heads, and the most important thing is that you perform Build muscle mass and improve your performance with upper body exercises in general.
Understand the different role of triceps heads
Medial head triceps exercises : Factors to consider when training
There are some factors that you must take into account during triceps exercises, especially when your desire is to target the medial head. These factors will help you target the medial head during exercises and make sure that it works and responds to the exercises well.
Range of motion:
When doing triceps exercises, it may be difficult to exclude one of the heads of this muscle because it works collectively and responds all with movement, but each head has a strong response with a specific range of motion, and this is exactly what you should pay attention to.
The medial head works while exploiting a full range of motion i.e. when you allow your back arm to fully extend, you bring weight or resistance through the full range available to you to contract your triceps and keep the elbow extended all the way.
Intensity and volume:
This applies to any other muscle group, so that the medial head responds more when developing the intensity of the exercise and gradually increasing the weight, as well as even with regard to the rhythm of the exercises, at first it is a slow rhythm, but soon the muscle gets used to the intensity of the exercise and becomes ready to raise the ceiling of the challenge and go with More repetitions and sets.
This increases the strength of the medial head and is beneficial for the triceps muscle as a whole.
There is something that you should take care of, which is the balance between volume and intensity, you must balance them in order to challenge your muscles safely without falling into the trap of excessive training and the risk of injury, so try to listen to your body well and be smart in this matter.
Grip position:
Also, one of the factors that are decisive in targeting the medial head of the triceps muscle is the position of the fist because it is in strong contact with the forearms and the triceps as well, so among the grips that target the medial head there is a narrow grip and a reverse grip. We will learn about some exercises that depend on these kinds of grips to target the medial head later.
The reverse grip keeps the triceps muscle tight and contracted when you pull your arm straight from the top to behind the back, and you can make sure of that now while reading my post, and with the addition of weight and resistance, you will have a strong exercise for the triceps muscles, especially the medial head if you take advantage of the range of motion well available to you.
Technique and Form:
If the correct technique and form are not available during the exercise, all that we mentioned above becomes useless. Here we must take advantage of our modest knowledge of the anatomy of the muscle in order to be able to target the muscle correctly because we know how the muscle works and what movements it responds to.
So in order to improve the form and master the movement, you must be more stable while doing the repetitions and avoid any kind of momentum and swing, and combine the triceps well and focus on keeping them under pressure throughout the exercise.
Best medial head triceps exercises
Here are the most efficient exercises in targeting the medial head triceps, and with the availability of the correct technique and form, you will be able to target the muscle well. These exercises also help to fully develop the triceps muscle. All you have to do is follow the instructions below in order to improve performance and get good results.
1 – Reverse grip tricep pushdown
The reverse triceps pushdown is a rigorous exercise for the medial head in particular, as it allows you a wide range to stretch the muscles well or contract them again, and you can feel your muscles burning with each repetition, and the stronger your focus is on targeting the muscle, the higher the quality of the exercise.
This is a great exercise on a cable machine and it’s best to have some variation in the movement. You can do a single-arm reverse push-up and go with a rope grip. This allows you to have extra room to pull your arm behind your back a bit.
How to do a reverse grip triceps pushdown:
- First, adjust the cable machine to a higher position, that is, higher than your head.
- Determine the weight you want to go with, preferably a light weight if you are a beginner.
- Pull the cable towards you until it becomes taut and step away from the cable machine.
- Try to feel the triceps muscles tense before starting the exercise, keep your palms holding the bar in front of you (close grip and your palms looking up).
- Keep your back straight and bend slightly forward and keep your chest tight and pushed forward.
- Let the cable go back up until the biceps contract well.
- Then press down slowly until your elbows are well extended and do another repetition and so on.
Pro tip:
Try to keep your elbows at your sides throughout the exercise, and focus on using the range you have available to contract your muscles well and try to keep the muscles under pressure throughout the exercise.
Avoid doing any kind of swing and do not jerk with your body when pressing the weight down. You should not cheat with your fist. If you find yourself unable to press the weight, lower it to a lighter weight.
2 – Skull crushers (Medial head tricep exercise with dumbbell)
It is good to do this exercise with dumbbells first because it allows you to deal with the mobility of the shoulders easier than the bar. It is also good at stretching the triceps muscle and puts it under strong pressure throughout the exercise and this is desirable when we seek to target a specific muscle.
How to do it correctly:
- It is best to train each hand alone, first choose a dumbbell with a weight that you can handle easily.
- Lie on the bench completely straight, hold the dumbbell with the hand you want to train first.
- The movement of the forearm should be in the direction of the shoulder, meaning that the dumbbell comes to the side of the ear like a hammer grip.
- Support your back elbow with the other hand, lower the forearm to a 90-degree angle so that the dumbbells are next to the ear.
- Begin by extending your arm upward until it is fully straight over the shoulder.
Pro tip:
Never swing your arm. Keep your fist on the elbow to provide support to the arm and to prevent it from swinging forward or backward. Also try to feel pressure on the triceps muscle with each extension and keep it engaged throughout the training period.
3 – Close grip bench press (Medial head tricep exercise with barbell)
The bench press is one of the compound exercises that plays an important role in building the muscles and exhausting them during the exercises, and the close grip bench press exercise is one of the exercises that must be present in the routine of triceps muscle exercises because this type of exercise is what helps to develop the muscle and build muscle mass
The close grip bench press can be a powerful exercise for the medial head muscle, as this exercise depends on heavy load, and this pushes the muscles to work harder, and this allows the medial head to be targeted well if you take advantage of the available range of motion and your performance is professional.
How to do a close grip bench press:
- First, lie down on the bench and try to keep some distance between your lower back and the bench (support yourself with the buttocks and rear deltoids more), keep your feet firmly on the ground.
- Determine your grip on the bar, it should be shoulder width or less, then carry it off the rack and direct it over the chest muscles.
- Keep your elbows at your sides as much as possible, your elbows should not go more than 45° apart.
- Then start pushing the bar up until your arms are straight above your shoulders.
- Let the bar drop slowly until it rests on top of the chest muscles, then push again slowly, and so on.
Pro tip:
The bench press exercise may seem easy, yes it is if you go with weights at your fitness level, but when it comes to targeting the triceps, you must be more careful and you must pay more attention to adopting the correct form.
So you should keep your elbows close to you and control your fists well and focus on contracting the triceps as much as possible when pushing the weight up, also you should go with lighter weights compared to the weights that you go with during the regular bench press in order to focus on the target muscle more and remain in control Exercise track to the end.
4 – Diamond push up (Bodyweight medial head tricep exercise)
Diamond push up exercise is one of the most body weight exercises that targets all the heads of the triceps and especially the medial head and it works to stretch and contract them well, and it is also effective in strengthening the muscles, sculpting them well and exhausting them throughout the exercise.
How to do a diamond push up:
- Get down to a normal push-up position.
- Keeping your body completely straight, your hands are straight with your shoulders facing the ground.
- Keep your hands close together (make your fingers in the shape of a diamond, i.e. the right index finger with the left index finger and the right thumb with the left thumb).
- Try to get the diamond directly under the chest or the upper part of the chest, then start pressing on it.
Pro tip:
In order to benefit from this exercise well, try to squeeze the triceps muscle with each repetition and decrease as far as you can reach.
You should also take advantage of the range of motion available to you, so that you should take advantage of that space or distance between your chest and the ground when your elbows are flat and your arms are completely straight. Try to go down well until you feel the triceps on fire, then raise yourself again and keep your muscles tight throughout the exercise.
Beginner diamond push-up:
If you are facing some kind of difficulty while doing this exercise, you can do it on a high object such as a box or a table, or you can also do it on your knees, this will reduce the intensity of the exercise and become somewhat easier.
5 – Cable pushdown with an overhand grip (cable medial head tricep exercise)
The cable machine has always been effective in targeting various muscles in the body, and this exercise is similar to the previous exercise, the reverse grip cable pushdown.
This exercise in which the palms of your hands are directed upwards, and constantly changing the grip position during triceps exercises is beneficial and stimulates the muscles more to work.
During this exercise, the medial head will benefit more because you are widely available for extension and contraction of the triceps muscles, and with the availability of correct form and technique, this exercise will definitely help in building strong and consistent muscles.
How to cable pushdown with overhand:
- First select the weight that suits you on a cable machine, then set it high.
- Hold the bar and keep your fists shoulder-width apart, palms facing down, pull the cable towards you and step away from the cable machine until you feel the tension of the triceps muscles.
- Stand firm, spread your feet a little, keep your back straight, bend forward slightly throughout the exercise, and keep a little bend on your knees.
- Keep your elbows at your sides throughout the exercise and extend your arms down well.
- Squeeze your triceps well and stop at that depth when your arms are extended downward.
- Let the bar go back up until your fists are in front of your chest and push down again until you are in the previous position.
Pro tip:
It is necessary to maintain the proper form and the diaper also to keep your elbows on the sides and in a neutral manner and focus on extending your arms down and using the resistance of the weight to keep your muscles under pressure throughout the exercise, that is, you should focus more on pushing the weight down. Rely on a moderate rhythm and try to Think of triceps fatigue with each repetition.
6 – Overhead Dumbbell extensions
This exercise helps to build the medial head well because it also allows you a greater range of contraction and extension of muscles such as the cable machine, and the good thing is that it only needs dumbbells and you can do it at home or the backyard and it can be relied upon as a targeted exercise routine Triceps muscles.
How to do dumbbell overhead extensions:
- Choose dumbbells with a weight you can handle and suit your fitness level.
- Pick up a dumbbell in both hands and hold it over your head with your arms outstretched.
- Make sure that your fists look up and also try to make your grip more comfortable and tighter.
- Let the dumbbells fall behind your back and bend your elbows upwards, but try to keep them steady and close to your head throughout the exercise.
- Stop when the dumbbell is behind the traps and it feels good to feel your muscles burning there.
- Slowly raise the dumbbell and extend your arms up again, but try not to lock your elbows in order to keep some tension on the muscles.
Pro tip:
In order to make sure that you are targeting the medial head with this exercise, you must keep your elbows in a fixed position throughout the movement. This may be difficult, but try to do it. Lower the weight to what you can handle, because the correct form is what makes the exercises useful and effective, so it is necessary to pay attention To put your elbows in order not to put more pressure on the head of the long.
Advanced training techniques
The exercises may be less effective after doing the same exercises for a long time to target the medial head of the triceps muscle, and it may be necessary to rely on some advanced training techniques because they will be more effective in that period and will help raise the intensity of the exercise and cause more damage to the muscles, and this leads to hypertrophy.
Here are some advanced training techniques to challenge your muscles even more:
Drop sets:
Drop sets can increase the metabolic tension on the medial head of the triceps muscle, and as the load continues to increase and the rest decreases, this will lead to fatigue of the muscle fibers and growth signals will begin to appear.
What are drop sets: This is a simple definition for people who are new to these terms. Drop sets is a technique that relies on doing a set of exercises with a weight that leads to muscle failure before the end of the repetitions, then you lower the weight directly and complete the set without rest.
Supersets:
Supersets are also one of the techniques that increase the volume of the exercises and help to fatigue the medial head of triceps, so that this technique depends on doing two consecutive exercises and can increase the time under pressure, and this will inevitably cause more damage to the muscle and thus stimulate it to grow.
For people who do not know the meaning of supersets in weightlifting, supersets is a technique that relies on doing two consecutive exercises without allowing the muscles to rest, so that they can target the medial head tricep in different ways such as doing a compound exercise such as a close grip bench press and then doing an isolation exercise such as triceps overhead extensions directly and sequentially.
Eccentric training:
The eccentric training technique helps target those stubborn muscles that are difficult to target such as the medial head and by emphasizing the eccentric part of the exercise such as the skull crushers phase or overhead extensions you can stimulate the muscle to damage and hypertrophy.
For people who do not know eccentric training, it is a training technique that relies on lowering the weight slowly, such as when you do a set of overhead extensions, then lower the weight directly and complete the set with eccentric repetitions only.
Learn from studies about the triceps brachii hypertrophy
Tips for maximizing medial head triceps development
- Increase intensity and volume over time
- Allow for proper recovery and rest
- Use a proper form and technique
- Vary your exercises and training techniques
- Focus on mind muscle connection
Conclusion
The triceps muscle is one of the important muscles that are located behind the arm and has a great importance and role in most of the functions of the arm and elbow, and it is important to take good care of the exercises of the medial head because it is no less important than the rest of the other heads in order to improve the muscles and improve their functions.
By following a triceps training routine that includes the exercises I mentioned above, you will be sure that you are targeting the medial head well, especially if you provide the correct form and technique. It is necessary to target the muscles in different ways and exercises in order to keep them facing new challenges.
Also, when you feel some improvement in the level of the triceps muscles, you will want to add some advanced training techniques in order to increase muscle tension, damage it, and stimulate it to strengthen and grow more.
Related posts
Best triceps and chest workouts for upper body strength
The most powerful crossfit wods for arms
