TRAINING 101 WORKOUTS

#71 TRICEPS – DARRAM’S WORKOUT

Trinidad’s Darrem Charles has to work his triceps hard to keep them in balance with his softball-sized biceps. This routine helps him do just that — and it can do wonders for your arms as well.

• A typical triceps workout shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes, according to Darrem. “Hit your tri’s hard, then give them rest,” he says.

• He also uses partials at the end of his workout occasionally. “For instance, on pressdowns, do 10 full reps, then pump out some one-quarter reps until your tri’s are absolutely burning.”

ROPE PRESSDOWN

Start: Attach a rope handle to an upper pulley and stand upright, grasping one end of the rope firmly in each hand.

Move: With your back tight in its natural arch and your elbows close to your sides, flex your elbows and bring the rope down to full extension. “To get maximum results out of each set, try holding your arms at the bottom of the movement in the straight and locked position for a full two seconds,” Darrem suggests. “It’s not easy, but it’s the difference between simply performing a rep and making every rep count.”

LYING EZ-BAR FRENCH PRESS (FEET ON FLOOR)

Start: “Use a flat bench and an EZ-bar; have a training partner hand you the weight,” Darrem says. “Find a hand position that’s most comfortable within shoulder-width distance.” Lift the bar almost straight overhead, so your arms are just slightly angled back.

Move: Lower the bar from the overhead position down toward the upper part of your forehead — only your forearms should be moving, while your shoulders and upper arms remain stationary. Control is crucial on this move; if you don’t have a spotter and you suddenly reach muscle failure, you can bail by leaving yourself enough bench room above your head (not shown in these photos) to set the bar down. You can also try this on a decline bench.

DUMBBELL KICKBACK

Start: Grasp a dumbbell and straddle a flat bench. Take a stable position so you can’t swing the weight up, and hold your working arm adjacent to your body.

Move: Extend at your elbow until your arm is straight back, then reverse to the start. “Control the motion to ensure that your triceps do all the work, and take each set to failure,” Darrem says. “Once the muscle begins to fatigue, I’ll continue with partial reps — I don’t stop until the muscle is completely depleted of strength and my triceps are on fire.”