How to Hit a Short Head Tricep: Exercises, Biomechanics, and Training Tips

Targeting the Triceps Medial Head: Understanding and Optimizing Your Training

While no exercise exclusively isolates a single triceps head, strategic exercise selection and precise technique can emphasize the medial (short) head, particularly through movements that involve direct elbow extension and maintaining continuous tension.

Anatomy and Function of the Triceps Brachii

The triceps brachii, Latin for "three-headed arm muscle," is the primary muscle on the posterior aspect of the upper arm. Its main function is to extend the elbow joint, straightening the arm. It consists of three distinct heads:

• Long Head: Originates from the infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula (shoulder blade). Because it crosses the shoulder joint, it assists in shoulder extension and adduction.
• Lateral Head: Originates from the posterior surface of the humerus, superior to the radial groove.
• Medial Head (Short Head): Originates from the posterior surface of the humerus, inferior to the radial groove. This head is often referred to as the "short head" due to its shorter origin point compared to the long head.

The medial head is particularly noteworthy because it is typically active in all elbow extension movements, regardless of the load or position. Unlike the long head, which is bi-articular (crossing both shoulder and elbow joints), the medial head primarily acts as a single-joint muscle, focusing its force directly on elbow extension. This means that while all three heads work synergistically, movements that minimize shoulder involvement and maximize direct elbow extension will inherently engage the medial head effectively.

Why Emphasize the Medial Head?

While the quest to "isolate" a specific muscle head is often oversimplified, understanding how to emphasize different parts of a muscle group like the triceps is crucial for comprehensive development. Targeting the medial head contributes to:

• Balanced Muscularity: Ensuring all three heads are well-developed for a fuller, more symmetrical triceps appearance.
• Strength Development: Strengthening all components of the triceps leads to greater overall elbow extension strength, benefiting compound pushing movements.
• Functional Movement: A robust medial head contributes to stable and powerful elbow extension, vital for many athletic and daily activities.

Biomechanical Principles for Medial Head Emphasis

To effectively emphasize the medial head, consider these biomechanical principles:

• Direct Elbow Extension: Prioritize exercises where the primary action is straightening the elbow, with minimal involvement from the shoulder.
• Constant Tension: Cable exercises are excellent for maintaining continuous tension throughout the range of motion, which can be beneficial for muscle hypertrophy.
• Controlled Movement: Avoid momentum. Focus on a slow, controlled eccentric (lowering) phase and a powerful, deliberate concentric (lifting) phase.
• Full Range of Motion: While peak contraction is important, ensuring a full stretch and full contraction allows for optimal muscle fiber recruitment.

Effective Exercises to Emphasize the Medial Head

While all triceps exercises recruit all three heads to varying degrees, the following movements tend to place a greater emphasis on the medial head due to their biomechanics:

• Cable Pushdowns (Various Grips)

  • Execution: Stand facing a cable machine, grasp a straight bar, V-bar, or rope attachment with an overhand grip (or neutral for rope). Tuck your elbows close to your sides. Extend your forearms downwards until your arms are fully straight, squeezing the triceps at the bottom. Control the eccentric phase back to the starting position.
  • Rationale: The constant tension provided by the cable, combined with the fixed position of the elbows close to the body, makes this an excellent exercise for directly targeting the elbow extensors, including the medial head. Using a rope and flaring your hands slightly at the bottom can enhance the peak contraction.
  • Key Cues: Keep elbows tucked and stationary; focus on squeezing the triceps at the bottom; avoid leaning or using body momentum.

• Lying Triceps Extensions (Skullcrushers)

  • Execution: Lie on a flat or slightly inclined bench, holding an EZ curl bar or dumbbells with an overhand grip. Extend your arms straight up towards the ceiling. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the weight by bending your elbows, bringing the bar towards your forehead or slightly behind your head. Extend your arms back to the starting position by contracting your triceps.
  • Rationale: This exercise directly loads the elbow extensors throughout a significant range of motion. By keeping the upper arms relatively still, the focus remains squarely on the triceps' primary function, making it highly effective for all three heads, including the medial.
  • Key Cues: Keep upper arms perpendicular to the floor (or slightly angled back); control the descent; avoid flaring elbows excessively.

• Close-Grip Bench Press

  • Execution: Lie on a flat bench, grasping a barbell with a narrow, but not uncomfortably close, grip (approximately shoulder-width apart). Lower the bar to your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked close to your body. Press the bar back up by extending your elbows, focusing on driving through your triceps.
  • Rationale: By narrowing the grip and tucking the elbows, the close-grip bench press shifts the emphasis from the chest and anterior deltoids to the triceps. The medial head is heavily involved in this compound pushing movement, especially when the elbows are kept tight.
  • Key Cues: Maintain a stable back; keep elbows tucked throughout the movement; control the eccentric phase.

• Triceps Dips (Bodyweight or Weighted)

  • Execution: Position yourself on parallel bars or a dip machine. For triceps emphasis, keep your torso as upright as possible and your elbows tucked in close to your body as you descend. Lower yourself until your shoulders are below your elbows, then push back up by extending your arms.
  • Rationale: Dips are a highly effective compound exercise for the triceps. By maintaining an upright posture and keeping the elbows tucked, the load is significantly biased towards the triceps, engaging all three heads, including the medial, throughout a large range of motion.
  • Key Cues: Control the descent; avoid excessive forward lean; focus on triceps contraction to drive upward.

• Dumbbell Kickbacks

  • Execution: Hinge at your hips, keeping your back straight and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in one hand, with your upper arm parallel to the floor and elbow bent at 90 degrees. Extend your forearm backward until your arm is fully straight, squeezing the triceps at the top. Control the weight as you return to the starting position.
  • Rationale: This exercise allows for a strong peak contraction of the triceps. While typically performed with lighter weight, the focused contraction at the top of the movement effectively engages the medial head.
  • Key Cues: Keep upper arm stationary; focus on squeezing the triceps at full extension; avoid swinging the weight.

Programming Considerations

To optimize medial head development as part of a comprehensive triceps training program:

• Rep Ranges: The medial head, like other muscle fibers, responds well to a variety of rep ranges. For hypertrophy, aim for 8-15 repetitions per set, focusing on time under tension.
• Volume: Incorporate 2-3 exercises that emphasize the medial head into your triceps routine, performing 3-4 sets of each.
• Placement: These exercises can be performed after a larger compound movement (like close-grip bench press or dips) or as dedicated isolation work.
• Progressive Overload: Continuously challenge your triceps by gradually increasing the weight, repetitions, or sets over time.
• Mind-Muscle Connection: Actively focus on contracting the triceps throughout the movement, particularly the medial head, to enhance neural drive and muscle activation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using Excessive Weight: This often leads to poor form, momentum, and reduced tension on the target muscle, diminishing the effectiveness for the medial head.
• Incomplete Range of Motion: Failing to fully extend the elbow or allowing the upper arm to move excessively reduces the muscle's work and potential for growth.
• Neglecting Other Heads: While focusing on the medial head is valuable, remember that balanced triceps development requires exercises that also challenge the long and lateral heads. A varied approach is key.
• Ignoring Warm-up: Properly warming up the elbow joints and triceps can prevent injury and improve performance.

Conclusion

While true "isolation" of a single triceps head is anatomically impossible due to their synergistic function, understanding the unique contributions of the medial head allows for more intelligent and effective training. By incorporating exercises that emphasize direct elbow extension, constant tension, and precise technique, you can ensure comprehensive development of your triceps, leading to improved strength, balanced aesthetics, and enhanced functional capacity. Always prioritize proper form over heavy weight to maximize results and minimize injury risk.