Replacement for Close Grip BP

[canuck_newbie]

My complete routine can be found at: http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27972

For tris, I have been doing:

Tricep Pull-downs
Close Grip BP
Tricep Dips

I just can't seem to get the hang of the Close Grip BP. I keep my hands around six inches apart, try to keep my elbows close to my sides and focus on my tris, but it still seems as though I am working my pecs more than anything. I've given it a few attempts, but I think that I am going to replace it for another tri excercise.

What about Seated Tricep Press? Any thoughts on a good replacement or - what do you think that my tricep routine is missing?

Thanks

 

[P-funk]

skull crushers, either with a barbell or with dumbells (which I prefer more) are a good option. I also like dips.

For the CG bench press space your hands farther apart. As long as you are keeping your elbows in and staying in the sagital plane with your shoulder then you are going to be working your triceps. I like a slightly wider gri pthen most people use because any cloer and my wrists become an issue.

 

[Rocco32]

Originally posted by P-funk
skull crushers, either with a barbell or with dumbells (which I prefer more) are a good option. I also like dips.

For the CG bench press space your hands farther apart. As long as you are keeping your elbows in and staying in the sagital plane with your shoulder then you are going to be working your triceps. I like a slightly wider gri pthen most people use because any cloer and my wrists become an issue.

When you do skullcrushers with DB's, do you go to the side of your head with palms facing in?

 

[P-funk]

yep, side of my head with palms facing eachother (facing my ears). I even go sligthly back and let my shoulder strech into more flexion and give my elbow more room to bend all the way. Then explosively I fire back as hard as I can to lock out.

 

[Rocco32]

I'll have to try that! You think it hits the tricep better than BB? Or just different?

 

[P-funk]

No, defenitly better in my opinoin. Because you can get that extended range of motion and get a good stretch and bend the elbow more. Your head gets in the way when you do the barbell, even when I go completely over my head and strech back, which I do sometimes, working bilaterally like that my strong side usually takes over when I get fatigued. there is no cheating with the dumbells and you can really get explosive with them and fire that dumbell.

 

[Rocco32]

I imagine I should go quite a bit lighter with the DB than BB?

 

[P-funk]

Defenitly, you are wokring unilaterally with the dumbell so start light and work on your form. Full ROM, all the way back and all the way up. None of this half rep bull shit I see people do when they butcher this exercise just to push heavier weight.

 

[Jodi]

I do DB SkullCrushers and DB CG for tris. I use a hammer grip for both. My tri's burn using the DB oppose to the BB AND they are much easier on my wrist.

 

[Premo55]

I think two great exercises for tri's are the rack lockout and this variation skull crusher that I perform on tri day:
- The rack lockout is a limited ROM close-grip bench press performed in a squat rack...you set the pins so your ROM is about a third of what it usually is, which is the portion of the ROM that recruits the tri's the most, removing your front delt and chest from the equation entirely and allowing you to work with a lot more weight than a conventional close-grip BP...to further stress the tri's you pause at the bottom of the motion so you can't utilise the elastic portion of the muscle.

- The skull crushers I do are either DB skull crushers on a decline bench or a variation that I perform with a weighted Olympic BB- you start lying on a flat bench with the bar pressed over the chest like a close-grip bench press, lower the bar to your neck, then move the bar up behind your head to perform a conventional skullcrusher. I think this really stresses the tri's well and works for me.

Of course weighted dips with your elbows IN and torso straight will always be the supreme tricep movement. Nothing else can compare.

Peace.