Just read the cool tips about ditching pressdowns.
If you want to have big powerhouse triceps, truer words were never spoken. Pressdowns are a great shaping move, much like leg extensions.
Doing them to build size is to quote Larry the Cable Guy, “like wiping before you poop.” It doesn’t make any sense.
The parallel bar dips these will build triceps as big as Barry Bonds head. Which inflates after each homer as he watches it. That is another topic.
The close grip bench press is the mother of all triceps builders. This exercise will build triceps and really help out building a massive chest.
Decline close grips, a sneak attack on the bench press. They will do a lot for your triceps not to mention really kicking up the bench press a lot.
These will get some big triceps, and oohs from the admiring women in the gym.
These are from the list, now my personal favorites to use with these.
Lying tricep extensions with dumbbells. Do them lying on the floor, the dead stop requires triceps only to move the weights.
You do these after one of the first three and it is great. Your arms pump, and suck your gut in and the nookie girls will swarm around you.
Another is board presses done to about 5 inches are more above the chest. These presses will take the chest, and back and even shoulders out of the lift. I do these after dips and when I get home the wife goes nuts. The chocolate bar I bring home with me might also have an affect on her.
Now once you build the triceps of power and size, you can shape them. That is when pressdowns do their work. Only if you use strict form though. REMEMBER you are working triceps not lats and shoulders. I see guys using huge weight and using shoulders and lats to push it down. If their grip slips they would wear the bar home in their nose.
So if you want to have monster triceps and power with them, ditch the pressdowns. If you want shapely triceps then do them and I hope you look like Tyra Banks in lingerie. OK that thought could get me in trouble. The wife’s thought radar kicks in…