Researched
and Composed by
Adam “Old School” Knowlden
Important
Editors
Note:
Their
are
three
words
that
sum
Old
School
up
best.
The
first
is
genius,
the
second
is
innovative
and
the
third
hardcore,
and
I
mean
hardcore
like
the
bodybuilders
of
Arnold's
day!
The
man
is
a
literal
"
mental
giant!
"
I
have
an
extremely
vast
amount
of
knowledge
and
experience
in
the
field
of
training,
and
even
with
that,
Adam
has
continually
opened
up
my
eyes
to
new
and
exciting
training
techniques
that
are
literally
mind
boggling!
The
following
triceps
program
is
certainly
a
tremendous
example
of
this!
It
is
one
of
the
most
hardcore
and
innovative
tricep
programs
ever
assembled!
Strap
yourself
in!
Let’s
face
it,
what
bodybuilder
doesn’t
want
to
have
enormous
looking
arms? The
arms
signify
one’s
power
and
strength.
Big,
muscular
guns
send
a
message
to
the
world…you’re
a
force
to
be
reckoned
with!
To
help
achieve
this
goal,
you’re
going
to
need
massive
triceps.
After
all,
the
triceps
make
up
about
2/3s
of
your
upper
arm.
So
intense
training
in
this
area
is
crucial
to
achieving
big
gun
success!
Don’t
slag
off
on
tris
day,
Arnold
made
that
mistake
and
he
had
to
play
catch
up
later…learn
from
the
great
one’s
mistakes!
Use
The
Triceps
Anatomy
To
Your
Advantage
Let’s
start
with
a
little
basic
anatomy
to
fully
understand
how
the
triceps
work,
and
how
this
8
week
routine
is
set
up
to
put
you
on
the
way
to
huge
arms.
The
two
heads
of
the
biceps
and
the
three
heads
of
the
triceps
have
separate
attachments
near
the
shoulder
but
a
singular
attachment
for
each
muscle
just
below
the
elbow.
Even
though
body
mechanics
don’t
allow
for
complete
isolation
of
any
one
given
head,
you
can
slightly
shift
the
emphasis
from
one
head
to
another
by
using
a
variety
of
exercises
and
angles.
To
sum
it
up,
the
more
angles
the
more
mass!
This
rule
holds
true,
not
just
for
the
triceps,
but
all
the
muscle
groups
in
your
body.
Editors
Note:
Studies
have
also
proved
this!!!
One
such
study
done
on
the
upper
body
found
that
12
weeks
of
triceps
training
which
people
have
typically
felt
to
be
middle
portion
exercises,
produced
significant
growth
in
the
middle
portion
of
the
muscle
with
virtually
no
change
anywhere
else.
4.Kawakami,
Y.,
T.
Abe,
S.-Y.
Kuno,
and
T.
Fukunaga.
Training-induced
changes
in
muscle
architecture
and
specific
tension.
Eur.
J.
Appl.
Physiol.
72:37-43
1995.
A
leading
expert
in
the
field
of
electromiography,
Dr.
Antonio
has
stated
this
concerning
compartmentalization,
"An
individual
muscle
is
more
than
just
a
collection
of
fibers
spanning
the
entire
muscle
belly
with
a
single
muscle-nerve
interaction.
In
other
words,
different
portions
of
the
same
muscle
can
be
called
into
play,
depending
on
the
task
demands
of
the
situation."
1.Antonio,
J.
Nonuniform
response
of
skeletal
muscle
to
heavy
resistance
training:
can
bodybuilders
induce
regional
hypertrophy?
J.
Strength
Cond.
End
Editors
Note
For
example,
the
lateral
and
medial
heads
of
the
triceps
are
stressed
most
by
press-downs
and
kickback
movements.
While,
arms-overhead
movements
will
slightly
favor
development
of
the
long
head.
Program's
Strategy!
One
other
note
is
that
this
8-week
plan
changes
depending
upon
your
level
of
conditioning.
My
general
philosophy
is
the
basic
meat-and-potatoes
exercises
are
used
for
the
first
two
exercises,
followed
by
some
isolation
movements
to
top
the
workout
off.
This
rule
can
change
a
little,
when
using
say
pre-exhaustion,
but
for
the
most
part
it’s
my
rule
of
thumb.
For
beginners,
simply
perform
the
first
two
exercises
in
the
beginning
of
every
workout,
and
stick
to
4-6
total
sets
all
together.
For
an
intermediate
bodybuilder
perform
the
entire
workout,
but
adjust
the
sets
to
your
fitness
level.
This
holds
true
for
advanced
as
well.
You
can
also
change
the
time
between
sets
depending
on
your
goals.
I’ll
give
my
recommendations,
but
every
one
is
different,
so
adjust
volume
and
intensity
to
your
level
of
fitness.
Also,
when
to
train
your
triceps
is
something
that
will
be
up
to
you.
Some
people
like
to
train
them
after
chest
and
delts,
some
like
to
have
an
all
arm
day.
I
prefer
both,
I’ll
often
switch
my
routine
around
to
keep
my
body
guessing
and
growing.
If
you
have
an
all
arm
day,
make
sure
you’ve
given
a
few
days
between
training
delts
or
chest.
Whether
your
tris
are
sore
or
not,
they
have
been
heavily
taxed
from
your
chest
and
delts
workouts,
so
make
sure
they
are
well
rested
so
you
don’t
fall
into
over-training.
Also,
these
8
weeks
will
be
based
on
Jacob’s
philosophy
of
changing
the
reps
to
shock
the
body.
For
the
first
cycle
(1st
4
weeks)
the
rep
range
will
be
lower,
followed
by
cycle
2
(2nd
4
weeks),
of
higher
reps.
Warming
Up
Here’s
a
little
pre-workout
warm-up
advice.
Make
sure
you
loosen
up
your
tris
real
good.
I
like
to
do
this
by
including
two
warm-up
sets
of
the
first
exercise
in
the
routine.
The
first
warm-up
set
being
light
weight
in
the
12-15
rep
range,
and
the
next
warm-up
set
in
the
5
rep
range
using
50
%-60%
of
the
heaviest
weight
I’ll
be
using
in
the
first
working
set.
Don’t
go
to
failure
in
either
of
these
sets,
the
light
set
just
helps
get
the
blood
flowing,
and
the
semi-heavy
set
prepares
the
body
for
the
heavy
lifting.
If
you’ve
already
worked
your
chest
and
delts,
warming
up
on
the
first
exercise
is
all
the
warm-up
you
should
need,
because
the
tris
have
already
taken
a
pretty
good
beating.
If
you
are
just
working
arms,
warm
up
for
the
first
two
exercises.
Also,
I
would
recommend
stretching
and
flexing
before
and
between
sets.
Stretching
not
only
prevents
injuries,
but
also
helps
keep
the
blood
flowing.
Flexing
between
sets
also
helps
keep
the
blood
flowing,
and
will
increase
muscularity.
To
help
prevent
any
tricep
strain
don’t
let
the
muscle
go
“cold”,
in
other
words
resting
too
long
between
sets.
The
idea
is
to
give
the
tricep
enough
time
to
recover,
without
letting
it
rest
too
much.
My
opinion
for
a
good
amount
of
rest
time
is
1
to
2
minutes.
But
that
may
change
according
to
the
individual.
I
wouldn’t
recommend
going
any
longer
than
3
minutes
though.
My
only
other
advice
is
to
get
lots
of
sleep
and
eat
nutritiously
dense
foods.
Then
sit
back
and
watch
your
arms
grow!
Listen
to
the
feedback
your
body
gives
you,
fine-tuning
your
workout
(sets,
reps)
as
needed.
With
all
that
in
mind
lets
thrash
those
tris!
Week
one!
Phase
One
Lying
barbell
or
cambered
(EZ-curl)
bar
press:
This
exercise
is
a
total
mass
builder,
probably
the
best
overall.
The
middle
elbows
position
allows
you
to
get
the
benefit
of
both
the
shortened
and
lengthened
triceps
position.
Whether
you
chose
the
cambered
bar
or
the
barbell
is
entirely
up
to
you.
Beginners
may
have
a
hard
time
with
the
barbell’s
weight.
For
this
exercise
to
be
effective,
use
the
bar
that
you
can
control
for
proper
form
for
the
set.
To
do
this
one
lie
on
your
back
on
a
flat
bench,
grasping
an
EZ-curl
bar
just
inside
shoulder
width,
extending
your
upper
arms
straight
overhead.
Now
lower;
your
elbows
about
45
degrees
toward
your
head
and
stabilize
them
in
this
position;
simultaneously,
bend
your
elbows
to
allow
the
bar
to
arc
over
your
forehead.
In
a
controlled
motion,
press
back
upward,
keeping
your
arms
angled
at
45
degrees,
but
you
shouldn’t
be
able
to
rest
at
the
top.
This
will
keep
optimal
stress
on
the
whole
triceps
muscle
complex.
The
key
is
to
not
cheat,
by
moving
your
elbow,
keep
them
in
the
same
position
throughout
the
set.
Recommended
sets:
3
for
beginner/intermediate,
4
for
advanced.
Rep
range
6-9
for
first
cycle.
If
you
are
intermediate
or
advanced,
I
would
suggest
1
rest-pause
rep
per
working
set,
or
1
or
2
forced
reps
if
you
have
a
partner.
Phase
Two
Close-grip
cable
press-downs:
Attach
a
straight
bar
or
cambered
bar
to
a
high
pulley.
Grab
the
bar
with
an
overhand
grip,
hands
3
or
4
inches
apart.
Keep
your
upper
arms
stabilized
by
your
sides
throughout
the
entire
movement.
In
a
smooth
motion
press
the
bar
toward
your
thighs
(just
a
few
inches
short)
until
your
arms
are
extended.
Allow,
the
weight
to
bring
your
forearms
just
above
parallel
before
repeating
another
rep.
Recommended
sets:
Same
as
above,
this
is
still
the
mass
building
phase.
For
the
last
set,
destroy
the
remaining
muscle
fibers
with
the
drop
set
principle.
beginner
=
one
drop
set
intermediate
=
double
drop
set
advanced
=
triple
drop
set.
Phase
Three
Superset
of
cable
kickbacks
with
One-arm
dumbbell
overhead
extension
This
is
the
real
pump-up
of
this
week.
Do
one
arm
at
a
time,
in
other
words,
superset
both
of
these
exercises
together
working
one
arm
at
a
time.
If
you
do
this,
you’re
rest
period
will
come
as
you
are
working
the
other
arm.
This
not
only
saves
time,
but
also
gives
your
triceps
plenty
of
time
to
rest
before
the
next
set.
For
the
one-arm
overhead
extension,
grab
a
dumbbell
in
one
hand
and
extend
that
arm
straight
overhead.
Bend
your
elbow
(keeping
it
stabilized
in
this
position)
so
that
the
weight
tracks
behind
your
head
then
press
back
upward.
The
cable
kickback
really
adds
good
peak
to
your
triceps
so
emphasize
static
contraction
big
time
for
this
one.
Attack
a
handle
to
a
low
pulley,
and
grab
it
with
an
overhand
grip.
Your
working
arm
stays
parallel
to
the
floor,
with
a
90-degree
bend
in
your
elbow.
Kick
your
hand
back
in
a
smooth
motion.
Recommended
sets:
3
per
arm.
8-10
reps.
Really
squeeze
your
tris
hard
for
these,
both
of
these
motions
stress
the
triceps’s
heads
at
different
angles
to
get
total
triceps
development.
That’s
it
for
week
one!
Slam
down
a
post-workout
shake
and
rest
your
arms
for
5-7
days!
You’re
going
to
need
it
for
next
week’s
workout!
Week
2:
Phase
1
Seated
high-pulley
concentration
extension:
Attach
a
handle
to
a
high
pulley
and
position
a
flat
bench
sideways
in
front
of
the
cable
station.
Sit
on
the
side
of
the
bench,
opening
your
legs
like
you’re
doing
a
concentration
curl.
Grasp
the
handle
with
your
far
hand
with
a
palms-up
grip,
bending
over
slightly
and
placing
your
elbow
against
the
inside
of
your
far
thigh.
Keep
your
elbow
firmly
in
this
position.
Like
a
reverse-grip
press
down,
extend
your
elbow
to
full
extension.
Keep
your
wrist
locked,
don’t
let
it
bend
forwards
or
backwards.
Recommended
sets:
2
sets
per
arm.
Do
one
arm
in
between
the
other.
This
is
just
an
isolated
pre-exhaust
exercise
so
don’t
go
to
total
failure,
just
one
or
two
reps
short
of
it.
Go
for
higher
reps
between
10
and
15.
Phase
2
Close-grip
bench
presses
This
is
one
of
the
best
triceps
mass
builders,
so
they
have
to
be
part
of
this
program!
The
correct
hand
positioning
is
the
key
to
this
one,
so
adjust
your
hands
so
optimal
stress
is
placed
on
the
triceps.
I
prefer
4-6
inches.
To
perform
these,
lie
on
a
flat
bench,
and
lower
the
bar
to
your
chest,
trying
to
keep
your
elbows
in
close
to
your
body
and
pointing
towards
your
knees,
not
out
to
your
sides.
Press
back
up
to
extension.
Recommended
sets:
4
total
for
super
mass!
8-10
reps
each
If
you
have
a
partner
go
past
failure
using
1-2
forced
reps
per
set.
If
you
do
not
have
a
partner
use
the
rest
pause
method
to
accomplish
the
same
thing.
Phase
3
Incline
overhead
cable
extension
Attach
an
EZ-curl
bar
to
a
low
pulley.
Place
the
back
of
an
incline
bench
next
to
the
bar.
Grasp
the
bar,
making
sure
you’re
sitting
squarely
on
the
bench.
With
your
elbows
extended
overhead
beside
your
ears
and
stabilized
in
this
position,
smoothly
press
the
bar
upward
until
full
extension.
You
can
also
do
these
with
the
rope
or
done
standing
or
seated
against
a
back
pad.
Recommended
sets:
3
total.
reps
-
10-12
This
exercise
should
give
you
a
great
blood
pump.
Also,
the
stretch
from
this
one
is
perhaps
unmatched!
Phase
4
Repeat
seated
high-pulley
concentration
extension.
One
last
set!
Destroy
the
remaining
muscle
fibers
with
the
drop
set
principle.
beginner
=
one
drop
set,
before
you
drop
hold
for
a
static/peak
contraction
for
approximately
30
seconds,
then
strip
and
repeat!
intermediate
=
double
drop
set,
same
static
procedure
until
sets
are
complete
advanced
=
triple
drop
set,
same
static
procedure
until
sets
are
complete
reps.
8-10
per
drop
You’re
done
with
week
2!
Congratulations,
you’re
on
your
way
to
horseshoe
triceps!
For
those
of
you
who
don’t
know,
that’s
the
ideal
shape
of
a
completely
developed
triceps.
Week
3
Phase
1
Lying
Triceps
Cambered
Bar
Kickback:
This
exercise
will
shock
the
heck
of
your
tris,
and
give
great
growth!
Lie
on
your
back
on
a
flat
bench,
grabbing
an
EZ-curl
bar
behind
your
head.
With
your
elbows
positioned
by
your
ears,
kick
the
bar
upward
and
outward,
bringing
the
bar
level
to
your
body.
Before
going
heavy
make
sure
your
delts
are
stretched
really
well,
also
squeeze
hard
at
the
top.
Here’s
the
shocker
for
the
intermediates/advanced.
Have
a
dumbbell
ready
to
grab
nearby
(approximately
50-60%
less
than
your
bar
weight).
As
soon
as
failure
hits,
perform
this
exercise
in
the
same
manner,
but
with
a
dumbbell.
Recommended
sets:
3-4,
reps
=
8-10
Phase
2
Decline
Lying
Barbell
or
Cambered
Bar
Extension:
The
technique
is
the
same
as
the
flat
extension
in
week
one,
except
perform
this
one
on
a
decline
bench.
This
will
help
hit
a
different
part
of
your
tris,
and
the
different
angle
will
make
your
triceps
bust
out!
Recommended
sets:
3
total.
reps
=
8-10
Phase
3
Ascending/Descending
sets
of
Press
Downs
The
rep
scheme
to
follow
on
this
tricep
destroyer
is,
on
the
ascending
reps
6-8-10,
then
for
the
descent
just
keep
drop
setting
until
your
arms
are
so
engorged
with
blood
they
no
longer
move!
Recommended
sets:
1-3
sets,
depending
on
your
level.
That
ends
week
3,
at
this
point
your
tris
should
be
getting
stronger,
and
starting
to
shape
up
better,
keep
plugging
away
and
those
huge
guns
will
be
a
reality!
for
more
info
on
these
shocking
methods,
click
on
the
following:
1.
Ascending
Sets
2.
Descending
Sets
Week
4:
Giant
Set
Super
slam!
For
this
week,
all
of
these
exercises
are
performed
right
in
a
row,
with
no
more
than
10-12
seconds
between
exercises.
This
is
brutal,
but
the
shock
will
really
make
your
triceps
scream
in
pain.
Repeat
the
whole
routine
accordingly:
once
for
beginners,
twice
for
intermediates,
and
3
times
for
advanced.
Give
your
self
2
minutes
rest
before
repeating
the
giant
set.
This
Giant
set
is
designed
to
hit
the
triceps
from
several
angles
for
the
best
possible
growth.
Its
also
designed
so
you
can
go
from
one
exercise
to
another,
to
keep
the
pump,
and
so
you’re
not
occupying
4
different
stations
for
the
sake
of
working
out
in
a
public
gym.
Nothing
angers
me
more
than
having
a
giant
set
or
superset
interrupted
by
a
gym
moron
taking
the
station
while
you
walk
away!
Weighted
Behind-the-back
Dips:
If
you’re
a
beginner
or
intermediate
(or
you
can
perform
more
than
10-12
reps
with
your
bodyweight)
use
the
dip
station
for
massive
triceps.
This
one
of
my
personal
favorites,
and
it
really
pumps
the
whole
tricep
to
the
extreme.
Make
sure
your
upper
arms
are
locked
to
your
sides
and
apply
enough
weight
to
get
6-9
reps
for
the
first
4
weeks.
After
failure,
remove
the
added
weight,
and
go
to
failure
again.
Next,
perform
High-cable
triceps
extension:
Attack
an
EZ-curl
bar
to
a
high
pulley.
With
your
back
to
the
unit
and
a
staggered
stance
about
2
feet
from
the
weight
stack,
grasp
the
bar
with
an
overhand
grip
over
your
head
and
lean
forward.
Position
your
elbows
so
they’re
pointing
in
the
front,
about
parallel
with
the
floor.
Extend
your
elbows,
and
don’t
let
your
elbows
flare
out
too
much
during
the
movement.
Also,
try
not
to
throw
your
bodyweight
into
the
movement.
Next,
using
the
same
high-cable
perform
reverse
cable
pushdowns.
The
only
difference
between
these
and
regular
grip
is
that
the
palms
are
up
facing
you.
This
different
angle
may
feel
weird
at
first,
but
you’ll
like
the
pump.
But
by
now,
your
arms
will
be
so
engorged
with
blood,
you
won’t
be
able
to
barely
move
them,
but
you
still
have
one
more
exercise
to
go!
Also,
if
you
are
using
lightweights
at
this
point
that’s
fine,
as
long
as
you
are
taking
each
exercise
to
utter
failure.
Finally,
end
the
giant
set
with
Rope-press
downs.
Go
light
enough
on
these
so
you
can
splay
your
arms
apart
as
you
press
down.
Really
squeeze
hard
on
these
at
the
end
of
the
movement.
Make
every
rep
count
on
this
Giant
Set,
it
may
be
a
short
workout,
but
I’ll
have
huge
rewards
if
done
with
high
intensity.
That
ends
the
first
4-week
cycle.
For
the
mass
building
exercises
stay
with-in
the
rep
range
of
6-9,
and
change
that
up
to
10-12
for
cycle
2.
Or,
if
you
wish
you
can
keep
the
whole
routine
in
the
60-second
range,
as
Jacob
suggested
in
last
month’s
magazine,
and
just
repeat
the
entire
program
for
the
next
4
weeks.
Good
luck
with
those
tris,
I
promise
if
you
stick
to
this
routine,
and
stay
dedicated
to
the
gym
and
your
diet,
you’re
going
to
be
sporting
big
guns
by
summer!
BONUS
WORKOUT:
If
you
prefer
to
have
an
all
arm
workout,
or
if
you
just
want
a
change
in
pace
try
this
upper
arm
super
setting
blitz
workout!
Depending
if
you
are
lagging
in
biceps
or
triceps
will
determine
which
muscle
group
you
start
with.
Super
set
1:
Barbell
curl
21’s,
with
Barbell
extension
21’s
(or
cambered
bar).
This
super
set
will
get
right
to
the
point…a
huge
total
upper
arm
pump-up!
On
each
exercises
go
for
7
reps
from
the
bottom
of
the
range
of
motion
to
half
way
up,
then
7
reps
from
the
top
half
of
the
range
of
motion
to
half-way
down,
followed
by
7
total
full
range
of
motion
reps.
If
you
want
to
reverse
the
order
of
where
you
start
that’s
fine.
I
would
suggest
adjusting
it
depending
on
which
area
you
are
lacking
in
most.
Super
Set
2:
Dumbbell
preacher
curls,
with
lying
dumbbell
kickbacks.
These
are
both
awesome
mass
builders,
and
will
make
your
arms
look
twice
as
big
after
the
first
complete
set!
This
is
definitely
cut-off
T-shirt
day!
Superset
3:
Alternating
Incline
dumbbell
curls,
with
Alternating
Tricep
Kickbacks.
This
superset
is
gonna
kill
ya!
But
you
are
gonna
love
it!
Go
to
failure,
and
then
alternate
out
3
extra
reps
per
arm.
For
the
extension
bend
over,
and
perform
regular
kickbacks,
again
perform
3
extra
extensions
per
arm.
Superset
4:
Again
as
with
the
8
weeks
program,
do
the
appropriate
amount
of
exercises
for
your
level
of
conditioning.
Tricep
High-pulley
concentration
extension
with
bicep
cable
concentration
curl:
Concentration
is
the
key
here,
these
are
peak
builders,
so
again
really
get
static
contraction
and
feel
the
burn!!!
That’s
how
you
build
your
triceps,
Old
School
style,
hope
you
like
it,
and
I
know
you
like
your
new
gains!!!
Later,
Adam Knowlden
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