Overcoming tricep pain / weakness

Aside from the general chat about strength training, core work, and weights, I wanted to focus on this specific issue.

Because ultimately, when I’m on the bike, the one obvious issue I have is that I’m unable to hold myself in an aero position for long without my triceps really starting to burn.

So I’m interested in hearing from people who’ve had this problem and overcome it, and whether it was through…

  • “on the bike” training, i.e. just holding the position for longer and longer each ride until it stops being painful
  • specific off-the-bike tricep exercises
  • off-the-bike exercises but aimed at more general arm strength or even just core stability.

I had this issue when holding sustained low positions last season. My solution was as unsophisticated as taking a short break / hand position changes and generally just working through the discomfort as it mainly tended to manifest worst near the end of short sharp work where I stayed low consistently - i.e. power hour round a local loop.

If you repeat it often enough you should naturally become stronger and more comfortable. But certainly some weights might get you there faster.

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My advice would be to incorporate some general upper body and core strength training. IMO if you just target your triceps you’ll likely end up with some muscle imbalances. Just targeting triceps could create problems with your shoulders and back.

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I second Skiandbike4life’s recommendation about some general strength conditioning. Close grip push-ups puts some decent load on the triceps opposed to the conventional wider grip which primarily work the pecs. Btw the push-up is basically planks bigger cousin :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: hence good core-work.