Fitness

People Swear By the ‘French Press’ Exercise for Muscular, Toned Triceps

Published

1 month ago

October 17, 2024

People Swear By the ‘French Press’ Exercise for Muscular, Toned Triceps

The French press isn’t just for making coffee anymore! People are doing the “French press” exercise to sculpt muscular, toned triceps—and it works like a charm. If building bigger arm muscles is at the top of your fitness priorities list, it’s crucial to incorporate movements that’ll get the job done in the most effective, timely manner. We spoke with trainers who break down how to perfectly perform the French press exercise and achieve toned triceps. Now it’s your turn to do the work!

Why Is the French Press Effective for Building Toned Triceps?

“The French Press is a great isolation exercise (meaning it doesn’t target any other muscle apart from the triceps) which can be used to build muscle strength and tone on the back of the upper arm—that part of the arm that tends to sag as we get older,” explains Michael Betts, a personal trainer for 30+ years and the director of TRAINFITNESS. “It specifically targets the long head of the triceps, the part closest to your body when your arms are by your side. The long head is the largest part of the triceps muscle, so working it via the French Press will contribute significantly to the shape of your arm.”

The French press is an incredibly versatile exercise, as it can be performed with various pieces of equipment. Although a traditional French press is performed using a barbell, you can also do it with a single dumbbell, set of dumbbells, or resistance bands.

A Trainer’s 14-Day Workout Program To Get Rid of Underarm Jiggle

“[The French press is also beneficial] for functional strength, like lifting objects overhead,” explains Ronny Garcia, CPT, Blink Fitness.

How To Do It:

Garcia breaks down how to perform the French press with perfect form.

Choose a barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, or resistance bands to work with.
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-distance apart.
Use both hands to grab your weight of choice overhead. (If using a kettlebell or dumbbell, hold the top handle; if using a barbell, hold it with your palms facing the ceiling.)
Keep both elbows close to your ears.
Gradually bend your elbows to lower the weight toward the back of your head.
Lower until your forearms become parallel to the floor.
Extend your arms to raise the weight back overhead.

10 Best Triceps Exercises To Banish Flab Behind Your Arms

Here’s How Often To Train Your Triceps To Build Muscle

overhead tricep extension exercise with dumbbells — Shutterstock

When you want to add muscle and shape to your arms, Betts recommends training the triceps two to three times a week until failure, aka performing as many sets and reps as you can. Be sure to plan one to two rest days between sessions.

“This [training volume] allows for the muscle to be targeted and stimulated, with enough rest between for recovery,” he tells us. “Remember, it’s in the recovery phase that we get growth and development. Consistency is also super important. Stick with the program for six weeks solid.”

Alexa Mellardo

Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa

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Fitness

You don't need to go to an in-person exercise class to lower your back pain

Published

4 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Press Room

You don't need to go to an in-person exercise class to lower your back pain

Around 39% of adults in the United States deal with back pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research shows that lumbar stabilization exercises and stretching and strengthening exercises can help reduce back pain. One of the reasons exercise could be beneficial for diminishing those aches or twinges is because it lowers inflammation. Studies reveal that just 20 minutes of exercise has anti-inflammatory effects. There are different types of exercise, and working out at home is more convenient and affordable, offering you the privacy and comfort of your own space. A new study reveals that a specific type of online exercise class could also help your back pain. Let’s look at the research.

The study

Shkrabaanthony / Pexels

In a study published in Jama Network Open, the researchers categorized patients into two groups:

Yoga group 1 — participants received virtual hatha yoga classes.
Waitlist group 2 — participants were on a waitlist for yoga.

The study participants were Cleveland Clinic employee health plan patients in Florida and Ohio. Patients in group 1 were given detailed workbooks and video recordings to help them safely practice yoga at home. The trained teachers demonstrated using supportive props like chairs and blocks to adapt poses when necessary.

The study results

man doing yoga at home wearing white shirt on blue yoga mat and wooden floor hand raised in air — Kraken Images / Adobe Stock

When the study began, the participants reported back pain levels of around 6 out of 10. After six weeks, group 1, who practiced yoga, reported that their pain levels dropped to 4. After six months, pain levels declined to 3. Group 2, who didn’t practice yoga, noted that their pain levels remained the same.

74% of participants were taking some type of pain medicine at the start of the study. Six months on, over half of the patients in the waitlist group were still taking ibuprofen, aspirin, opioids, and other pain medicines. Less than one-third of the yoga group continued taking pain relievers.

Patients with back pain who took 12 weeks of online live-streamed yoga classes also moved more easily and slept better than individuals on the wait list for the classes.

If you’re dealing with chronic back pain, it’s best to consult with your healthcare provider, doctor, or physical therapist to rule out any underlying health problems. It’s possible that for some people, yoga could aggravate certain issues.

The benefits of yoga

man and woman working out on floor push up yoga mat plank in gym — Mikhail Nilov / Pexels

Yoga is a meditative movement where you perform specific physical poses and postures while focusing on deep breathing. There are more fast-paced types of yoga that can raise your heart rate higher or slower and gentler practices.

Growing research highlights the many benefits of practicing yoga, such as:

Lower stress and anxiety.
Decrease back pain.
Improve the quality of life in those with chronic conditions.
Stimulate brain function.
Help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Enhance muscular strength and body flexibility.
Improve sleep.
Promote and improve cardiovascular and respiratory function.

The takeaway

Man and woman doing triangle yoga pose on mat indoors on wooden floor — Nomad Soul / Adobe

The study’s senior author noted that pain levels were cut in half when patients practiced yoga. Online yoga classes are more accessible and allow you to be guided by an experienced yoga teacher while still working out from the comfort of your home. You don’t have to travel to attend in-person yoga classes to get the benefits.

Fitness

When Exercise Was Hard Labor: Tonal Spotlights Old-Timey Fitness

Published

12 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

When Exercise Was Hard Labor: Tonal Spotlights Old-Timey Fitness

“Stop working out in the past,” advises
home strength training system Tonal in a new campaign marked by cinematic black-and-white depictions of Victoria-era exercises like banging anvils, riding penny farthing bicycles and rowing old-time
boats.

Only when the ad’s female protagonist flees that world and enters her Tonal home …

Fitness

Higher Physical Activity Levels Can Increase Life Expectancy

Published

19 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

Higher Physical Activity Levels Can Increase Life Expectancy

FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Higher physical activity (PA) levels can increase life expectancy, according to a study published online Nov. 14 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Lennert Veerman, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., from the Griffith University School of Medicine and Dentistry in Gold Coast, Australia, and colleagues estimated how much low PA reduces life expectancy by applying a predictive model based on device-measured PA risk estimates and a life-table model analysis among adults aged 40 years and older. In addition, the authors examined how much life expectancy could be improved by increasing PA levels.

The researchers found that Americans older than 40 years could live an extra 5.3 years if all individuals were as active as the top 25 percent of the population. Individuals in the lowest activity quartile had the greatest gain in lifetime per hour of walking, where an additional hour of walking could add 376.3 minutes of life expectancy.

“Higher PA levels provide a substantial increase in population life expectancy. Increased investment in PA promotion and creating PA promoting living environments can promote healthy longevity,” the authors write. “Infrastructure measures that encourage active transport, walkable neighborhoods as well and green spaces might be promising approaches to increase PA and resultant healthy life expectancy at the population level.”

Abstract/Full Text