The tricep exercises Ryan Reynolds’ fitness trainer swears by

When Deadpool actor and businessman Ryan Reynolds walks the red carpet or graces the silver screen, most people notice his sculpted physique and muscular arms. Ryan Reynolds’ fitness trainer, Don Saladino, swears by these effective tricep exercises. As a successful Hollywood fitness trainer, Don has over 25 years of experience in the industry and the muscles and workout routines to prove it. If you want wider and more powerful arms, the first step is to work your triceps. Here’s why you should add these effective tricep exercises to your workout routine.

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1. Prone Kickbacks

An interesting study by the American Council of Exercise revealed that tricep kickbacks were among the best exercises for targeting your triceps. Don Saladino is ahead of the curve, and he’s been including tricep kickback variations in his workout routines for years. Tricep kickbacks are a triceps isolation exercise where you can target one or both arms at the same time. Don recommends prone kickbacks where you’re laying on your front on a bench, but you can also perform this movement standing up. Don suggests focusing on form over momentum.

How to perform prone kickbacks:

1. Lay down on your front on a bench.
2. Hold two dumbbells with your palms facing your body.
3. Drive your elbows back into the starting position so your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor.
4. Without moving your shoulders, squeeze your triceps and extend your arms back behind you.
5. Carefully bring the weights back to the starting position.
6. Repeat for your desired number of reps.

2. Close-grip push-ups

Push-ups don’t require any equipment, and they’re worth adding to your workout routine to pump those triceps. They improve your balance and posture and increase muscle definition. Don recommends a close grip where your hands are about shoulder-width apart, keeping your glutes engaged and your elbows in.

How to perform push-ups:

1. Start on all fours with your hands about shoulder-distance apart.
2. Extend your legs back behind you so your spine and legs form a straight line, and your knees and hips are in the plank position.
3. Lower yourself down until your chest touches the floor and your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
4. Push yourself back up to straighten your arms.
5. Repeat for your desired number of reps.

3. Suspension trainer tricep extension

The suspension trainer machine has strong anchored straps with handles, and it’s an excellent way to level up your triceps workout. Don powers through a suspension trainer tricep extension, making sure he keeps his elbows in and his glutes and core engaged. 

How to perform suspension trainer tricep extension:

1. Set your suspension straps to a suitable height and hold one handle in each hand with an overhand grip.
2. Extend your arms straight out in front of you and carefully lean into the handles until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. 
3. Bend your elbows and lower yourself forward until your head is between your hands and you feel a good stretch in your triceps.
4. Extend your arms back to the starting position.
5. Repeat for your desired number of reps.

4. Crossbody tricep extension

There’s tricep extension, and then there’s Don Saladino’s preferred and highly effective way of performing the crossbody tricep extension. Tricep extensions are known to fuel arm growth, but Don Saladino’s chosen crossbody variation is a game-changer. 

How to perform crossbody tricep extension:

1. Lay down flat on your back on a bench, holding two dumbbells.
2. Extend your arms straight up above your chest to the starting position. Your palms should be facing your feet.
3. Carefully bend your elbows and bring both dumbbells in toward each other and down to your chest.
4. Lift your arms back up to the starting position. 
5. Repeat for your desired number of reps.

5. Single-arm overhead extension

Interesting research compared the cable pushdown and overhead tricep extension and revealed overhead tricep extensions resulted in 40% more muscle growth and size compared to the cable pushdown. The long head of your tricep muscle is fully lengthened during the overhead tricep extension, which is why it delivers superior results. This exercise targets all three heads of your triceps muscles. Don suggests performing the single-arm overhead tricep extension with a cable machine for best results.

How to do a single-arm overhead tricep extension:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart 
2. Grip the cable with one arm behind your head and make sure your upper arm is vertical, and your elbow is bent.
3. Your elbow should be pointing forward, and your shoulder should remain stable.
4. Extend and straighten your elbow to lift and stretch the cable up overhead.
5. Carefully lower the cable back to the starting position.
6. Repeat for your desired number of reps.