Strength Exercises for Your Triceps

It seems that no matter how much cardio you do, the triceps, those muscles located on the back of your upper arms, remain shapeless and flabby. However, with the addition of strength training exercises that target the triceps muscles, in as little as a month, you can begin to see tone and shape on your lower arms! And with summer and swimsuit season just around the corner, that's a welcome change! You'll find that by building strength in your lower arms, you'll create more muscular symmetry. This is because the biceps, or front arms muscles, get much more work through day-to-day movement than the triceps do. By evening out the muscular strength on both sides of your upper arms, you'll build more overall strength to do your daily tasks. Add these moves to your fitness routine, and your arms will be stronger- and sleeker!- in weeks.

Be sure to get the approval of your doctor before trying out these moves. To begin, you'll need a pair of dumbbells. Because the triceps don't get much regular use, you should aim to keep the weights a little lighter than you normally would. Beginners should start at 3 pounds, intermediate exercisers can pick 5-8 lbs, and advanced can go for 10-12 lbs. I don't recommend going any higher than 15 lb. dumbbells, because full range of motion and control are essential when performing these exercises if you want to see maximum results. All of these moves should be performed in a slow, rhythmic manner, with no jerking and complete concentration in the working muscle at all times. Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps.

The exercises: