Build Massive Triceps With This Bodyweight Mechanical Drop Set

This method is going to blow up your triceps FAST. It uses changes in body position to perform a mechanical drop set, moving to progressively easier versions of the exercise over an extended set.

 



 


 

You'll be using a bodyweight exercise that puts a massive stretch on the triceps, particularly the long head (which is the largest of the three)...

 

...and you're going to do it as a drop-set to ramp up the time-under-tension and ensure every single fiber gets absolutely trashed.

The base exercise is a Bodyweight Tricep Extension, which is very simply a tricep extension done by setting your hands on a solid bar and moving your body instead of using a barbell and moving the barbell. This is a fantastic exercise for loading the triceps very strongly.

If you've not used this exsercise before or haven't done much stretch-focused training for your triceps, start with the bar set a bit higher up (you'll see what I mean) so that you don't overstretch or injure the muscles. You can build up to greater resistance and stretch as you get more accustomed to the movement...it's fantastic even just done with straight sets.

THAT is where I recommend you start if you've never done the exercise before.

If you HAVE done the exercise before and have some good strength with it, you can move onto this drop set version.

 

We'll start with the hardest version of the exercise then gradually change to easier and easier versions of the exercise in order to decrease the resistance and continue the set.

 

It's simple and brutal.

The version I'm demoing here is a massively-extended version of the drop set. You can choose to do as few or as many adjustments in position and bar height as you like. I went for the maximum here.

For setup, I'm starting with my feet elevated on Step risers (you could use a bench). Only start with this version if you have strong triceps and have done stretch-focused training like this before. It's a LOT of tension on the long head of the triceps.

I've got a bar set on the safety rails of the power rack, with the rails as low as I can set them here (about 10-12 inches off the ground). You can also very easily use a Smith machine bar for this one.

One quick form point...when you're setting yourself up for this, set your hands on the bar, grip it, then externally (outwards) rotate your shoulders so that the inside of your elbows are facing up to the ceiling. This keeps you from flaring out your elbows and keep the tension on the triceps. I show this at the end of the demo video.

Perform reps in this position until you get close to failure.

Now we're going to continue to change body positon to make the exercise easier. Move the Step or bench away and set your feet on the ground, fairly far out, and go again.

When you're close to failure again, move your feet in closer and continue.

Now raise the bar.

Set your feet out away again and go again.

Then move your feet in.

And in even more.

Now move the bar up again and feet out.

Move the feet in...

Repeat this sequence, moving the bar up and changing your foot position several times as you go.

At the end of this set, your triceps will be SHOT.

Now, as I said above, you don't need to do as many rounds as I did here...judge it based on how your triceps feel. And if you need to or want to start the bar higher, you absolutely can as well. You can start in any position you like.

All you need is one round through on this and that's your entire tricep workout for the day...nothing further required or necessary...or even a good idea. This drop-set will absolutely destroy your triceps to the point of twitching.

To build massive biceps to match, try this Chin Up/Curl Countdown method.

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