triceps... the natural next step after biceps

The easiest way of getting started on the triceps is to locate the Smitch Machine that most gyms will have. It should be obvious, since it is huge. Unfortunately along with being one of the best and most versatile machines in any gym comes a great deal of popularity. Therefore this relatively expensive and large pieces of equipment will likely be occupied in some capacity or another on a regular basis.

We already discussed biceps with free weights and how much more important form is than the amount of weight that you are lifting. The same is true with the smith machine and just like using dumb-bells for biceps, the Smith Machine, if used incorrectly has a wonderful chance to hurt you. I feel as though this is particularly true with tricep pull/push-downs.

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one of the biggest mistakes I see in the gym is people who overload the machine. These same people are normally gym showoffs and grunters as well and all the while they are transferring the weight to different parts of the body that the exercise they are actually performing isn't even meant to be working. So just like with anything else in the gym, focus on FORM rather than WEIGHT. It really does make a difference.

You can use a solid bar or a rope, it doesn't really matter and is more of matter of preference in the early stages of building muscle. The most important part is the range of motion and a lot of people will stop at a 90 degree angle or less and focus on the pushing / pulling down motion in the bottom quadrant because that part is easier. While it is impressive that you can lift nearly the entire stack of weights like this you are missing out on the full range of motion.

It is a far better idea to instead focus on 10 to 20 percent of the stack (at first) and make certain to follow the range of motion pictured above, you want to ensure that you are extending beyond the 90 degree "halfway point" and push / pull until your arm is fully extended. At no point should your upper arms change their position. If you are doing that, you are transferring the weight to your back and / or shoulders and you could also be putting unnecessary strain on your elbows and the tendons contained therein. Trust me when I say you do NOT want to aggravate the tendons in your elbow.

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_{as you can see in the watermark that image is from workoutlabs.com, which is a fantastic source for workout tutorials}

Basically, for normies like me, this is going to end up feeling like you are not lifting enough and that really should be your objective, especially the first couple of times that you perform this exercise. Remember to write down what your did in your workout notebook and if you don't feel sore the next day, it is a good bet that it is ok to step it up a notch. I can not stress enough how important it is to perform this "stepping up" gradually. If you are like i was, your body is accustomed to almost no exercise and attempting to go from "zero to hero" is almost always a bad idea.

Your triceps are actually a larger muscle group than your biceps are, and should be trained together. It has been my experience that the triceps are actually more sensitive to accidental overuse than the biceps are. The "trick" is finding what works for you, but doing so SLOWLY. This is meant to be an overall life change, so there is no need to race to the finish line.

_{I am not a professional trainer nor a dietitian. I am merely recounting what I did in order to lose over 50 lbs while still living a fun life and I think it can work for other people as well}