Fitness

Stop Doing These 5 Time-Wasting Triceps Exercises – Do These Moves Instead

Published

9 months ago

April 7, 2025

Stop Doing These 5 Time-Wasting Triceps Exercises – Do These Moves Instead

You won’t be able to build big arms without training smart. Getting the right muscle-pumping stimulus means doing more than hundreds of biceps curls – you’ll need to target your triceps, too.

When you train those big upper-arm muscles, you’ll do much better if you know what you’re doing. Smart training is much more than just following the social media hype train. ‘We can’t just attack our triceps with the latest and greatest exercise off Instagram,’ says Ebenezer Sameul, C.S.C.S. ‘Very often those are the exercises that simply don’t work.’

You’ll do much better for your big arm gains if you focus on fundamental, effective movements instead of just working out the way you see other guys in the gym and online. That’s why Samuel is breaking down the five triceps exercises that simply aren’t worth your time – and what to try instead.

5 Triceps Exercises You Need to Stop Doing

1/ Cross-Body Skullcrusher

Even though Arnold does this move doesn’t mean you should, too. The cross-body skullcrusher might isolate your triceps, but you could be putting yourself at risk of shoulder injury. The movement requires substantial internal rotation at the shoulder – a movement you want to avoid when possible.

Do This Instead: Classic Dumbbell Skullcrusher

Instead, stick to the standard dumbbell skullcrusher. Tuck your elbows in tight to the sides of your body, and get into external rotation. You’ll still get the elbow extension you’re looking for, without the long-term risks.

2/ Weighted Bench Dip

‘Yes, this is a great ego exercise, and it’s certainly an exercise that you think you can do anywhere,’ Samuel says. ‘But again, we’re running into this issue of internal rotation.’

Add some plates to your lap, and that’s a ton of tension at the wrong angle on your shoulder joint.

Do This Instead: Weighted Close-Grip Push-up

If you want to stick with a weighted exercise, try a weighted close-grip push-up. You’re still getting the elbow extension you’re looking for (and the ego-boost of loading on plates), but you’ll be able to get it through a much better range of motion with less stress across your shoulders.

3/ Dumbbell Kickback

The dumbbell kickback is great for getting a healthy squeeze on our triceps, but it’s not working your triceps through its full range of motion. You only really start to hit tension when the dumbbell in your hand starts to fight gravity – at the bottom of the movement, absolutely nothing is happening for your triceps.

Plus, it’s really easy to rock into position and use momentum to power the move.

Do This Instead: X Pressdown

Try the X pressdown instead. The movement is executed with a cable machine, so there’s tension throughout the entire contraction. With the crossbody position, too, you get loads of mid-back squeeze.

4/ Dumbbell Overhead Extension

The issue of internal rotation returns with the dumbbell overhead extension. Plus, once you reach the top of the movement, there’s no more tension across the triceps once the joints get to a stacked position.

Do This Instead: Cable Overhead Extension

Instead of using a dumbbell, try swapping this out with a cable machine and an incline bench to support you. The cable overhead extension will give you a great stretch at the bottom, and the cable continues to apply pressure at the top as you squeeze.

5/ Diamond Push-up

‘The worst exercise when it comes to training your triceps is an exercise you think you can take anywhere but it just doesn’t travel as well and just isn’t as useful as you might think – and that is the diamond pushup,’ Samuel says.

The closeness of your hands here makes it very easy to slip into internal rotation, even if you are able to get a healthy squeeze on your triceps.

Do This Instead: Close-Grip Pushup

Correcting this exercise just takes a slight change of grip. Separate the hands out ever so slightly until they’re a little closer than shoulder-width apart. You get all the benefits without placing your shoulders at risk.

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Fitness

Physical Fitness Movies and Shows to Keep You Motivated Toward Your Goals

Published

23 minutes ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Physical Fitness Movies and Shows to Keep You Motivated Toward Your Goals

The New Year is a time when many of us feel motivated to think more about our physical fitness. Lift heavier weights. Run longer distances. Shave a few seconds off that mile time. Whether you’re looking to hit a new PB or simply incorporate more movement into your daily routine, it’s easier to reach your goals if you surround yourself with positive affirmations about staying consistent and practicing discipline.

Lock in by watching these movies and shows that celebrate a good sweat session. You can stream these titles while climbing the Stairmaster, foam rolling after the gym, or enjoying a well-deserved rest day in a cozy, horizontal position. After all, visualization is one way to gear up to get moving — and it can be done from the comfort of your couch.

Final Draft

It’s never too late to restart a fitness journey. This Japanese series gathers together twenty-five former professional athletes — some of whom had no choice but to walk away from their respective sports, and others who retired on their own terms. They take part in a high-stakes survival competition, and the winner is awarded 30 million yen to kick-start their second-chance career. Among the participants: baseball legend Yoshio Itoi, soccer icon Yoshito Ōkubo, and three-division boxing world champion Hozumi Hasegawa.

Lorena, Light-Footed Woman

The sport of running is hard enough, but tackling a long-distance race without some good sneakers is a whole new kind of challenge. This short documentary introduces Lorena Ramírez, the member of Mexico’s Rarámuri community who earned the world’s attention in 2017 by competing in the Cerro Rojo UltraTrail, an ultramarathon of over 30 miles. She did so while wearing huaraches — traditional Mexican sandals — as well as her trademark long skirt and other customary indigenous garb.

The Other Shore: The Diana Nyad Story

Diana Nyad first gained acclaim in 1975 for swimming around Manhattan in record time. This documentary follows the long-distance swimmer as she pursues a perilous goal — swimming from Cuba to Florida without the use of a protective shark cage — a journey she attempts repeatedly, up until the age of 63. Afterward, queue up Nyad, the dramatic take starring Annette Bening as the athlete and Jodie Foster as her best friend and trainer, Bonnie Stoll.

Physical: 100

This search for the ultimate physique in Korea caught the attention of fitness lovers worldwide — for good reason. In this unique tournament, 100 athletes, bodybuilders, and military professionals take part in daunting challenges that test raw strength, speed, endurance, and technique. They face off in various trials until there’s only one competitor left standing. Want even more rivalry? Queue up Physical: Asia, the continent-wide spin-off in which athletes compete in teams representing their countries of origin.

SPRINT

This docuseries closely follows the world’s fastest athletes as they ready their bodies, minds, and spirits to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Created by the same team behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive, these episodes zoom in on American sprinters Gabby Thomas, Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley, Twanisha ‘TeeTee’ Terry, Kenny Bednarek, and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, as well as runners from the UK, Ivory Coast, Italy, Jamaica, and Kenya. Watching these elite runners prove what the human body is capable of is apt inspiration for athletes at any level.

Tour de France: Unchained

Go behind the scenes of the world’s most thrilling race on two wheels: the Tour de France, the famed road cycling competition that spans approximately 2,200 miles over a period of three weeks. In each of its three seasons, the series embeds with multiple teams as they race while dealing with terrain, injury, and other setbacks. These episodes track the annual men’s competition in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Ultimate Beastmaster

After countless hours of training, contestants take on the supersized obstacle course called “The Beast.” Produced by and featuring Sylvester Stallone, the international competition made history when it debuted with six localized versions in various countries, all featuring different competitors, hosts, and languages of origin. (The U.S. edition is hosted by Terry Crews and Charissa Thompson.) Also available to stream: Ultimate Beastmaster Mexico, hosted by Inés Sainz and Luis Ernesto Franco.

Fitness

Brazilian jiu-jitsu helped me find joy in movement again—here are three of my favorite solo moves you can do at home

Published

12 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Brazilian jiu-jitsu helped me find joy in movement again—here are three of my favorite solo moves you can do at home

If you’re looking for a way to move your body that builds strength, boosts your mobility and improves your mental agility, you need to try Brazilian jiu-jitsu (also known as BJJ).

Many people assume martial arts aren’t for them. I certainly never thought it was something I would enjoy. Working as a fitness writer, I’ve tried countless forms of exercise over the years, but grappling on the floor with a stranger had never appealed to me.

But when I recently tried BJJ, I discovered there’s much more to it. Not only did I learn lots of new skills in one session, it also challenged my strength, fitness and mobility—and I was laughing almost the whole time.

I now believe it’s one of the best ways for people of any age to move, especially if you have longevity in mind.

What is Brazilian jiu-jitsu?

BJJ is a martial art involving grappling, which often looks like rolling around on the floor with a partner. But it isn’t about sheer force—it involves specific sequences and techniques, like chokes and headlocks, to come out on top.

What are the benefits of Brazilian jiu-jitsu?

BJJ can be beneficial at any age.

“One of the best parts of jiu-jitsu, especially at the beginning, is body control and body awareness—you start to become conscious of your weight distribution, like where you’re placing your feet,” says Nia Blackman, a black belt and coach at ARMA, a BJJ gym in Clapham, London.

It’s also great for cognitive function, setting it apart from other forms of exercise. “In combat sports, there’s a lot of decision making,” says Blackman. “Jiu-jitsu really helps with staying calm under pressure, too.”

It’s also a fantastic way to develop your range of motion and flexibility. “It very much ties into mobility because the more mobile you are, the more you can flow,” Blackman explains.

My experience of Brazilian jiu-jitsu

I was lucky enough to have a one-to-one session with Blackman.

I was nervous about training with a black belt—would I get hurt?—but this wasn’t the case at all.

“A lot of people hear jiu-jitsu, think of Marvel film stunt sequences and think I can’t do that,” Blackman told me. “But the beginning of the journey is about learning basic movements rather than full-on sparring.”

In fact, Blackman started the session by teaching me some solo exercises, including how to fall to the floor and get back up.

“The biggest thing, especially when you start jiu-jitsu is learning how to fall, how to break your fall and how to get up safely,” says Blackman.

We then went through sequences together, starting in a closed guard position with Blackman sitting on her knees and me lying on my back with my legs around her waist. From there, she taught me how to maneuver both our bodies in order to tackle her or get her into a hold.

Writer Alice Porter being taught a sequence by Blackman

(Image credit: ARMA)

The session challenged my mobility and strength as much as a typical strength workout. Instead of using weights as resistance, I was using another person. It required more mental energy too, making BJJ a great way to keep your brain active as much as your body.

I also had more fun than I’ve had exercising in years. “It’s kind of like letting out your inner child,” Blackman told me. I 100% agree.

Three solo beginner-friendly Brazilian jiu-jitsu-inspired moves

You don’t need a partner to start practicing BJJ. If you’re interested, but don’t have anywhere nearby to practice, or want to prep at home, Blackman has shared three BJJ-inspired moves to help you work on mobility and skills.

“There are a lot of basic moves that you don’t do in everyday life that you’ll have to learn before you start actually doing jiu-jitsu,” says Blackman.

1. Technical stand-up

Getting off the floor efficiently isn’t just key to this sport—it’s useful for everyday life too. The technical stand-up is how you do it in jiu-jitsu.

Sit on the floor with your right leg stretched out in front, and your left leg bent, foot flat on the floor.
Place your right hand on the floor behind you, connecting your left elbow to your left knee.
Shift your weight onto your right hand and lift your hips, balancing with the left arm out in front.
Bring your right leg behind your right hand, coming into a wide squat position. You can come into a kneeling position first if you prefer.
Slowly stand up, taking your hands off the floor and bringing your feet into a parallel position.
Complete 10 repetitions.

2. Hip escape

A hip escape is a defensive move in jiu-jitsu. “In jiu-jitsu as a whole, you want to create angles,” Blackman says. “If you want to escape from under someone, then hip escapes are really helpful.”

Lie on your back with your feet close to your hips.
Bend your arms so your hands are hovering over your chest, palms facing up.
Thrust your hips up, then turn onto your side, shifting your weight onto your shoulders and sidebody.
Then push your legs out to drive your hips behind you.
Repeat on the other side.
Complete 10 repetitions.

3. 90-90

Hip mobility is essential to jiu-jitsu and working them through this range of motion will help with a variety of moves. You might have come across this move before.

Sit on the floor with one leg bent in front at 90°, the other leg to your side, also bent at 90°.
Keeping your torso upright, rotate your legs so the opposite leg is forward.
Then push up through your hips onto your knees.
Pause at the top, then return to your starting position and repeat on the other side.
Complete 10 repetitions on each side.

Fitness

How to get started at the gym – and keep going

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

How to get started at the gym – and keep going

It’s important to have goals in mind as you set out on your fitness journey, whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle or train for a race.skynesher/Supplied

January is notoriously the busiest time of year at the gym. A survey from Ipsos reported that a third of Canadians made exercise-based resolutions for the new year, with many folks working out for the first time or returning to fitness after some time away. If you’re new to exercise, the gym can feel like an intimidating place. But it doesn’t need to be. Below we’ve put together a few suggestions to help you get started.

Have a plan going in

For success at the gym, it’s crucial to have a plan. Before you start, it’s important to identify your goals. Are you looking to get stronger? Training for a race or competition? Do you want to improve body composition? While almost any consistent exercise is going to improve your overall health, specific results require specific training.

Following a workout program can help you stay committed – here’s how to write your own

Those completely new to working out may want to invest in a few sessions with a personal trainer. A reputable trainer will be able to put together a plan based on your preferences and skill level, while walking you through the proper form for each exercise. If cost is an issue, many gyms offer a free intro training session as a sign-up perk. There are also hundreds of different workout programs you can find online and video tutorials outlining proper form.

If you’re intimidated to exercise on your own, a fitness class allows you to follow along with an instructor while getting some quick pointers on how to properly perform the workout. Many gyms offer discounted or free classes to first-time visitors.

Trying to do too much, too fast will burn you out, leave you injured or both

When you’re motivated by a new year’s resolution, it’s tempting to pencil in long gym sessions multiple times a week. But that kind of regime is rarely sustainable. If you’d like to make exercising a habit beyond January – and you’ll need to for any kind of lasting results – it’s best to think about what you can do in the long term.

“You can either do an hour of weightlifting a few days a week, and actually do it, or you have these imaginary 10-hour training sessions you’ll never actually have time for,” said Dan John, strength coach and author. “I try to focus on [programs that are] doable, repeatable and reasonable.”

Want to focus on healthy aging in 2026? Here are 10 nutrition tips to start the new year

Similarly, trying to immediately push beyond your physical limitations is a great way to get injured. For weightlifting, it’s important to consider proper warm-ups, active mobility exercises and learning the right techniques before trying to lift anything too heavy. For cardio, Canada Running Series offers a Couch to 5K plan that eases newcomers into jogging by starting small and gradually increasing the length/difficulty of each run.

Follow basic gym etiquette

The gym is a shared public space. Everyone there is trying to get in a good workout. That’s harder to do when people are having phone conversations, listening to videos without using headphones and refusing to wipe down their equipment after use.

In March, fitness trainer Paul Landini wrote an article explaining some unofficial rules to follow when going to the gym, including being mindful of other people’s space and making sure you’re not monopolizing equipment during busy hours.

Try to find what you like about the gym

Changes in body composition, strength and overall health take time. They also need upkeep over the long term. Building a consistent fitness habit is something that will help with all those goals. One of the best ways to do that is finding something at the gym you genuinely enjoy doing. That can be working out with a friend to add a social aspect to exercise and accountability to show up. It can entail learning a new fitness-adjacent skill such as boxing or training for a competition like Hyrox. It can be rooted in the sense of accomplishment that comes with getting stronger. Whatever the reason, finding the joy in exercise is going to be key if you want to move beyond short-term motivation.