Cant feel triceps with compounds? Could use some help here. . .

[TooPowerful4u]

I dont know what im doing wrong. Its been this way for the longest time. Maybe thats why my triceps are sub par. Any compound i do for triceps like skull crushers, close grip bench, dips, etc... i CANT feel in my triceps. Its all elbows. Now when i do an isolation (pressdowns, machines, etc..) i get good pumps and feel it all in my triceps. Iv tried pumpin them up with iso then doin a compound but stil no help, all elbows. Can someone give me some insight here? No i dont have any injuries or anything.

 

[BigBoyJ]

Sounds like the connective tissues from the tricep to elbow may be weaker than what the muscle can actually lift. The heavier weight involved in the compound movements may be too much for those tissues, whereas in the isolation movements a lighter weight works the muscle without taxing the connective tissues so hard.

 

[TooPowerful4u]

Hm that seems really weird cause im pretty strong on all isolation movements. What can i do about this except wait for it to catch up?

 

[BigBoyJ]

That's about all you can do. Just keep going at the compound movements, but use a weight that doesn't hurt. Over time your tissues should strenthen and you can gradually add more weight. Also, just to be sure your tissues are getting the nutrition they need, take glucosamine, chondroiton, msm and a good dose of various anti-oxidants.

 

[Conan21]

elbow postioning

Your gonna have to play with you elbow positoning. try flaring your elbows out a lil on those compound exercises.

Say for example close grip bench. Don't perfrom those like a regular bench. Bring the bar down by bending at the elbows, don't lower it like a bench. Skull crushers, if you keep form perfect like a robot it doesn't work as good. flare those a lil too. and on dips, perfrom them on narrow bars if you could and only concentrate on the top half portion of the lift. and try to stay as straight up and down as possible. I always face outward when i do those but thats just me and kind of cup my hands on the ends on the bars.

there is no reason not to feel those exercises exept for doin wrong form.

 

[BigBoyJ]

On close grip bench, proper form should be; hands armpit width apart, bar lowered down to bottom of sternum and elbows kept tight at the sides.

 

[Coopie]

I agree with COnan. Play with your elbow positioning and you can also alter the angles on most compound movements to hit the maximum muscle exertion.

For example, I love doing french presses w/ a cambered curling bar while on a decline bench. I set the bench on the slightest decline, but for me it really makes a difference. Here's why: At the starting point of each rep I already have gravity straining my tri's (I do not fully lock out the elbows). At the bottom of each rep the angle has put even more stress on the muscle and it makes for a killer set.

I'll do them on a flat bench just for a change every now and again and I find on a flat bench I can easily add 15 lbs to the bar - so I know the additional angle is making a difference.

Experiment...

 

[MR.BICEPS]

You need to slow the movement down and lessen the weight. Ive been there and done that so give it a try big guy....

 

[Frusciante]

You hit the long head in skull crushers (movements over the head)
You hit the short head in press downs (movements towards feet)
You hit the medial head in bench or or close grip bench (movements outward)

Build up all three heads and you will notice a difference

 

[Frusciante]

Also keep your elbows strict, an tucked inwards. The elbows should only have flexion and extension in the movements, keep the plain solid so they track properly

 

[Conan21]

I've always found that when i keep my elbows real strict on exercises like skull crushers and pressdowns i just feel pain in my elbows and not hitting the tris hard. On pressdowns i kinda lean my chest forward and I really flare my elbows out. I would never do them any other way. as far as close grip, they should definately not be done like regular bench, thats would be doing alot of chest. you should lower the weight by flaring the elbows. I think a curl bar is best best for this, puts your hands in nice position, just throw big plates on em. i've done this just be experimenting to see what hits them the hardest. But i've also read this in numerous articles in muscle mags where pros say they do these exercises like this. ones for Sean ray and Bob chic. that i remember off hand.

 

[SAMMYSDAD]

How about close grip DB bench?

Phil H told me to do these and I had to modify it a bit to get around my shoulder injury but they wound up being great.

Hold the dumbells so they are parallel to each other. Keep the elbows tucked in tight to the sides. Bring the dumbells down until the thumb side of the dumbells hit your front delts. Push them straight back up.

My modification was to hold the dumbell handle as far towards the pinky side as possible (so my pinky is actually touching the inside of the bell) this forces the tricep to work harder by pulling your arm back slightly as in an extension. It also cuts the range just a bit short where my shoulder hurts at the bottom of the movement.

 

[Kyubert]

Toopowerful4u, I think it might be your form on the compounds, as for me, compounds pump up my tris up hard, I just do some benches or militaries and my triceps are sore the next day.