How Many Sets Total Should Be Done for Triceps?

If variety is the spice of life, varying your approach with your strength training may provide just enough flavor to keep your triceps workouts fun and effective. While doing two sets of each triceps exercise in your training routine is sufficient to realize muscle-strengthening improvements, you can certainly vary the number of repetitions you complete and the weight you use. The most important factor in determining optimal results during your triceps training is insuring you are fatiguing your muscles during your two sets of work.

The triceps are the muscles in the back of your upper arms. Literally meaning "three heads," your triceps are a larger muscle group than your opposing biceps. While your biceps allow you to bend your arms, your triceps are responsible for straightening your arms. Exercises like overhead extensions, kickbacks and weighted triceps dips are effective in targeting your triceps. You can try these exercises using light weight or heavy weight, but you must do them to the point of fatigue to get maximal results.

Many argue that lighter weights and more repetitions are effective, while others adamantly contend that you can only get stronger muscles by lifting heavy weights. In reality, you can improve your triceps strength with light or heavy weight as long as you fatigue your muscles. You must feel muscle fatigue to tear down muscle fibers. It's during the time that your body rebuilds these fibers that you actually get stronger. Therefore, whether you are lifting heavy or light, the last two to three repetitions need to be challenging.

An appropriate heavy weight is one that will allow you to complete one set of eight to 12 repetitions before your triceps fatigue To avoid excess fatigue, wait two to three minutes before you begin your second set. Lifting heavy weights will allow you to reach fatigue faster and will allow you to complete your two sets of work in less time.

Sometimes, you may need to opt for lighter instead of heavier weight. Light weights are a wise choice for elderly people and beginners. They are also an effective option when you are recovering from an injury, or when heavy weights are simply unavailable. If you are using light weight to train, you still want to complete two sets of each triceps exercise. Your muscles will likely require more repetitions to fatigue. Aim for 20 repetitions, adding or reducing reps to realize exercise-induced fatigue.