Triceps brachii muscle

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Triceps brachii
Triceps brachii
Latin musculus triceps brachii
Gray's subject #124 444
Origin: long head: scapula
lateral head: posterior humerus
medial head: posterior humerus
Insertion: olecranon process of ulna
Artery: deep brachial artery
Nerve: posterior interosseous branch of radial nerve
Action: extends forearm, caput longum adducts shoulder
Antagonist: Biceps brachii muscle
Dorlands/Elsevier m_22/12551300

The triceps brachii muscle is a large three-headed skeletal muscle found in humans. It runs along the back of the upper arm.

The triceps brachii muscle is often simply called the triceps. However, the term triceps (Latin for "three heads") can mean any skeletal muscle having three origins.

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[edit] Origin and insertion

The three heads have the following names and insertions:

The fibres converge to a single tendon to insert onto the olecranon process of the ulna.

[edit] Exercises that build the triceps

The triceps account for approximately 60 percent of the upper arm's muscle mass, but people who exercise the arms with weights often neglect this group of muscles in favor of the biceps brachii.

The triceps can be worked through either isolation elbow extension movements, contract statically to keep the arm straightened against resistance, or compound pressing movements

Isolation movements include cable push downs, skull crushers and arm extensions behind the back.

Static contraction movements are pullovers, straight-arm pulldowns, and bent over lateral raises which are also used to build the rear deltoids and latissimus dorsi.

Examples of pressing movements are press ups, bench presses (level, incline or decline), military presses and dips. Using a closer grip stabilizes the arm allowing more weight to be used, so the triceps can be worked harder without being limited by the strength of the pectorals or shoulders.

Elbow extension is important to many athletic activities. As biceps are often worked more for aesthetic purposes, this is usually a mistake for fitness training. While it is important to maintain a balance between the biceps and triceps for postural & effective movement purposes, what the balance should be and how to measure it is a conflicted area. Pushing and pulling movements on the same plane are often used to measure this ratio.

[edit] Additional images

[edit] References

  • Madsen M, Marx R, Millett P, Rodeo S, Sperling J, Warren R (2006). "Surgical anatomy of the triceps brachii tendon: anatomical study and clinical correlation.". Am J Sports Med 34 (11): 1839-43. PMID 16735585. 

[edit] External links