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Best Tricep Workouts to Build Muscle and Upper Body Strength

Enhance your upper body for CrossFit.

These ring dips tricep workouts are designed to build power muscle and strength across a broad range of time domains and functional tests for CrossFitters.

ELIZABETH

  • 21-15-9 Reps For Time
  • Cleans (135/95 lb)
  • Ring Dips

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform 21 Cleans and 21 Ring Dips, then 15 Cleans and 15 Ring Dips, then 9 Cleans and 9 Ring Dips. “Elizabeth” can be performed with either Squat Cleans (typical Rx) or Power Cleans (sometimes called “Power Elizabeth”).

Score is the time on the clock when the final repetition (the 9th Ring Dip) is completed.

Ring Dips Tricep WorkoutsSource: RX'd Photography

Good Times for “Elizabeth” (source)
– Beginner: 10-14+ minutes
– Intermediate: 7-10 minutes
– Advanced: 4-7 minutes
– Elite: <4 minutes

Tips and Strategy

As needed, break the Ring Dips up into manageable sets from the beginning. If you go to failure on the Ring Dips, you’ll be stuck at the rings, performing singles, resting for several seconds between repetitions.

If you perform Squat Cleans, break the reps into smaller sets, as Squat Cleans are more muscularly fatiguing than Power Cleans are. Try one of these rep schemes, and rest a few seconds between sets:
Round of 21: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 6, 5, 5, 5
Round of 15: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 5, 5, 5
Round of 9: 4, 3, 2 or 5, 4

If you perform Power Cleans, aim for big sets during the rounds of 21 and 15, and go unbroken on the round of 9.

Intended Stimulus

“Elizabeth” should make you feel both physically exhausted (your triceps should be on fire and your quads–if you performed Squat Cleans–should be burning) and mentally fatigued. “Elizabeth” is highly mental, especially for athletes that don’t know their limits when it comes to Dips. You’ll constantly be walking the line between intensity (good) and burnout (bad), and that’s a tough place to be. Scale “Elizabeth” so you can get it done in around 10 minutes; but don’t scale it to where you walk away completely unscathed–it should still hurt.

Scaling Options 

“Elizabeth” is a classic benchmark that should be completed relatively quickly. It can be performed with either Squat Cleans or Power Cleans. Decide which version/technique you’ll use before you start, then stick with it. Go lighter on the Cleans and modify the Ring Dips so you can complete the work in fewer than 10 minutes.

Intermediate
15-12-9 reps for time of:
Cleans (115/75 lb)
Ring Dips

Beginner
15-12-9 reps for time of:
Cleans (75/55 lb)
Push-Ups

CRACKED

  • 5 Rounds in 15 minutes
  • EMOM for 3 minutes:
  • Minute 1: Max Unbroken Pull-Ups
  • Minute 2: Max Unbroken P-Bar Dips
  • Minute 3: Rest

anni thorisdottir crossfit pull upsSource: Annie Thorisdottir

Set timer for 15 minutes. One round consists of a 3-minute EMOM. Complete 5 rounds. Reps are broken when your hands come off the bar or your feet touch the ground.

Score is total reps completed in all five rounds.

Scaling

5 Rounds in 15 minutes
EMOM for 3 minutes:
Minute 1: Max Unbroken Ring Rows
Minute 2: Max Unbroken Hand Release Push-Ups
Minute 3: Rest

ELIZA PLUS

  • 27-21-15-9 Reps for Time
  • Power Cleans (135/95 lb)
  • Ring Dips

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform the prescribed work in the order written. Athlete must accomplish 27 Power Cleans and 27 Ring Dips before moving on to 21 Power Cleans and 21 Ring Dips and so on.

Score is the time on the clock when the last set of Ring Dips is completed.

Scaling

For Time
27-21-15-9 reps of:
Power Cleans (95/65 lb)
Hand Release Push-Ups

JT

  • 21-15-9 Reps For Time
  • Handstand Push-Ups
  • Ring Dips
  • Push-Ups

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform the prescribed work in the order written. Athlete must accomplish 21 Handstand Push-Ups, 21 Ring Dips, and 21 Push-Ups before moving on to 15 repetitions of each movement, etc.

Score is the time on the clock when the last round of Push-Ups is completed.

Scaling

Your scaling should be aimed to preserve the geometry of the pushes while being able to handle the volume of reps at a fair pace. This is an excellent opportunity to practice experiencing muscle fatigue in gymnastic movements. The key: don’t go to failure, break early and often from the beginning.

Intermediate
12-9-6-3 reps of:
Handstand Push-Ups
Ring Dips
Push-Ups

Beginner (A)
15-12-9 reps of:
Box Handstand Push-Ups
Banded Ring Dips
Rack Push-Ups

Beginner (B)
21-15-9 reps of:
Banded Pike Push-Ups
Banded Ring Dips
Ring Push-Ups

WILMOT

  • 6 Rounds For Time
  • 50 Air Squats
  • 25 Ring Dips

Image Sources

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