Building stronger, more muscular arms means showing your triceps extra attention during your workouts. While you may feel inclined to squeeze in additional training sessions during the week, it’s all about establishing the perfect balance of exercise and rest so you don’t overdo it. We spoke with a fitness expert who pinpoints exactly how many days a week you should train your triceps to build bigger arms.
The Ideal Number of Days To Train Your Triceps for Muscle Growth
“Training your triceps two times a week is generally enough,” explains Dr. Chris Mohr, fitness and nutrition advisor at Fortune Recommends. “This schedule allows each session to fully contribute to muscle growth while giving you enough recovery time to avoid overtraining and injuries, also keeping in mind there’s other carry over from exercises like chest press, overhead presses, pushups, and so on.”
What To Consider When Determining Tricep Training Frequency
As far as volume is concerned, be mindful of how intense your workout it. Volume is the number of sets and reps you complete; tweaking this can boost muscle growth when balanced with ample rest.
“Intensity can relate to how heavy the weights you lift are, but also the amount of rest between sets, types of exercises, and more,” Mohr adds. “Managing a mix of heavier weights with fewer reps and lighter weights with more reps helps challenge the muscles without overloading them. Adjust your training load based on your recovery and how your body feels. This way, you’re challenging your muscles without risking injury.”
Balance Your Tricep-Focused Workouts With Upper-Body Training
Establishing a well-rounded workout routine is key to boosting arm size. Mohr encourages you to incorporate exercises for your shoulders, biceps, and other parts of your upper body to achieve even muscle growth. “This approach also helps improve how well muscles function together, boosting overall performance and still providing the desired results over time,” he says.
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Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
