tricep exercises

catherine22

Im starting to focus more on my arm exercises of late and I am using the resistance weights, because the dumbells are in the room with all bench presses (at least i assume what they are called- the ones where the guys lie down on their backs on the bench and lift the bar) anyway like i was saying i am too intimdiated to go in and use the dumbells even though i would like too- no comments about how childish i am please?

so one of the resistance machines i am using is the bicep curl however i am worrying about my triceps and was jsu wondering is there a tricep curl machine- its definitely isnt beside the other machines i am using or maybe my gym doesnt have one. anyway can anyone give me any advice please

Dragan

Could I just ask what gym you train in? If you pay your subs, your perfectly entitled to use whatever you want to!

Don't be intimidated at all by other people in the gym, I know this sounds odd but chances are those guys don't even notice whats going on around them!

Finally, your gym may have a tricep extension, or you can just do bench dips somewhere maybe?

http://www.shapefit.com/triceps-exercises-bench-dips.html

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Here's a website that was posted before cant remember who by but it has a lits of exercises for each body part. The Tricep kickback seems pretty popular with all the women in the gym I go to.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ArmWt.html#anchor122387

catherine22

i train at queens university gym in belfast and i know i am entitled to use whatever i want, its just that the dumbells are in a completly separate rrom for the rest of the equipment and i find it so intimidating especially when sometimes im not even sure what i am doing. and i know those guys couldnt give a damn but still!

anyway thanks for the advice and pics, i shall try it this evening and i shall look for a tricep extension machine

Dragan

No worries! Does your gym have an instructors that you can do a session with? If your unsure of anything at all then be sure to ask someone, even if it's just here as we will be happy to help you!

hunnymonster

could you take a couple of dumbbells out of the scary room to use wher eyou feel more comfortable? Alternatively, can you afford to buy a set and use them in the comfort of your own home?

catherine22

well i did go into the scary room this evening and it was very intimidating. its about 20 foot by 20 foot and its got cages and olympic bars and hydrolic machines and all these things that i dont know how to use, but thats not the problem, its the fact there are about 20 guys in it (and thats not an exaggeration) who all know each other and know what they are doing

but anyway point is i went and used the dumbells and worked my triceps but still i was very uncomfortable and just kept my eyes to the floor.

and as for asking the instructors, one night i did appoach one and just said this is the cardio i am doing and these are the weights, is that an all round work out and yu should have seen his face, he was like 'you need to book an assessment' even though thats not what i wanted and i dont see why i should have to bbok and pay for an assessment when i have paid £300 stg for a years membership. when i joined i assumed your assessment would be free so i never asked because the last gym i was at, it was included in your monthly fee but i have learned my lesson and will ask next time

one more thing, is it worth buying dumbells? i dont know how expensive they are, i have never thought of buying them but i just thought that it wouldnt be worthwhile because for example at the moment i am using 3kg in the gym but in a few weeks, i might be using 4kg so if i bought 3 kg they would be no use to me

davyjose

If you feel that bad, change gyms. There are plenty of places where people wouldn't look twice at anyone using the free weights

Hanley

If the guys are true meatheads then they'll be only too happy to help. Maybe try and get down at an off peak time and ask one of them for advice?

Alternatively, they could be the typical insecure college posers who don't know what they're doing and just like to show off. And if that's the case you REALLY shouldn't have any worries cos what those jackasses think is pretty worthless.

wasabi

Catherine, every time you go into the room you'll probably feel more comfortable, in a few sessions you'll probably be wondering why it ever bothered you.

My gym has two free weights areas. I need to use the larger one for what I do and I'm the only woman who's ever in it. Used to bother me a bit and it just doesn't anymore.

Like Hanley said, anyone who knows anything about weightlifting generally thinks women lifting is a great idea.

Given that we start off with less muscle and we have higher risk of osteoporosis (which lifting protects against) we get more out of lifting than men do. Hell, I think of the men in the gym as interlopers in MY space now

Thorbar

It annoys me when gyms are set up in a way that makes it harder for new people to get comfortable. The best gym layout I think I've ever seen is the Carlisle gym in Kimmage in Dublin. Its a massive open space around the size of 3/4 tennis courts. It has a 25 meter pool in the middle which splits the gym and the women and men changing rooms are on opposite sides.

When I started out at the gym I only got a 10 minute run around the machines from one of the gym bunnies and I was confused and intimidated. While I was over in America for an internship I had 8 sessions with a really good personal trainer who gave me a load of knowledge and also alot of confidence.

I wouldn't worry about what other people think in there, if they're serious about their workout they'll mind their own business and if not than they're probably not worth being too bothered about.

rubadub

catherine22 wrote:

one more thing, is it worth buying dumbells? i dont know how expensive they are, i have never thought of buying them but i just thought that it wouldnt be worthwhile because for example at the moment i am using 3kg in the gym but in a few weeks, i might be using 4kg so if i bought 3 kg they would be no use to me

You can checkout animated exercises here.
The list on the right has all the muscles mentioned.
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

I use only freeweights at home, and a chinning bar and a bench (the bench was already there and I probably would not have bought one).

These dumbells are pretty good.
http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=10751&productId=750012&clickfrom=name

Do not even think of getting "womens dumbells", the pink pastelly ones, they are really low weight, it is cheaper to buy family size tins of beans and use them!

You can get cheaper dumbells with plastic weights filled with concrete, these are poor quality and are not nearly as durable. You also can only fit less weights on. You can buy extra plates as you increase in strength. Or you could consider getting this set now.

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=30001&langId=-1&catalogId=10751&productId=766588&clickfrom=name

You will be surprised how quickly you will be lifting higher weights, and dont worry you will not get "too muscely", that would take years of heavy training, if you ever did get "too big" you simply stop lifting and the muscle goes back to normal.

brianthebard

Hey Catherine I train in a fairly serious weights room in university like the one you described (but less well equipped, mores the pity) and although I was also intimidated at first because so many of the guys there are far more advanced than me, all the guys are very sound and very easy to get on with and ready to help. Perhaps its because they are just there to lift, looking good is a bonus, but whatever the reason there's no egos there (well one guy wants to be patrick bateman, but he's not even that big, he's just a poser) so anyways, point is these guys are far more likely to help you than dismiss you. give it a try at least once and if you don't like it go back to the machines.