The 9 Best Tricep Exercises for Bigger Arms

In short

Looking for the best tricep exercises? I would start with a compound press, add a pushdown with your elbows near your sides, and include an overhead extension. Below are my nine choices, from the close-grip bench press to a band extension you can do at home.

Every trainee dreams of standing in front of the mirror, straightening an arm, and seeing the triceps pop. With all due respect to the biceps (and there is respect), much of your upper arm's muscle comes from the triceps. I will explain how the muscle is built, then show you the exercises I like for training it. Let's start!

The nine exercises at a glance

How your triceps is built

Before we start the exercises, let me explain how the muscle is built, so you understand what you are training in the first place.

The muscle on the back of your arm is called the triceps ("three heads") because it is divided into three heads:

• Long head
• Lateral head
• Medial head

The triceps starts on your upper-arm bone (humerus) and your shoulder blade, and attaches through one shared tendon to a bone of your forearm. Its main job is to extend the elbow: to straighten your arm when it is bent.

• Long head: the largest of the three heads, with the biggest part in your triceps' size. It crosses two joints, reaching from the shoulder to the elbow.
• Lateral head: the prominent muscle you see in the mirror from the side. It is the head that sticks out and looks best from the side; it starts on the back of your upper-arm bone.
• Medial head: seen near the elbow on the back of the arm, because the other two heads cover it. It is essential for stability.

When does each head work hardest?

Look, all three heads work in every triceps exercise. But the angle of your arm relative to your body changes how the load is shared between them (study):

• Long head: works best when your arm is overhead or even behind your head.
• Lateral head: works hardest when your elbows stay close to your body.
• Medial head: also works as you bend and straighten your elbow through the movement; it is not reserved for one fully bent position.

There is a lot to consider when you plan a triceps workout. The most basic thing is to use several movements at different shoulder angles and include at least one compound exercise. There are countless other details, but that is the foundation. Now we can get to the exercises!

The 9 best triceps exercises

1. Close-grip bench press

Compound exercises are the ones I turn to for serious muscle-building work, and this is one of my favorites. The close-grip bench press is a tremendous exercise for training your triceps.

As a compound exercise, it strengthens all the small muscles that work with the triceps and builds a strong base for your arms to grow. It can also help you lift more in the classic bench press.

The technique is similar to the bench press, with a few changes:

• Grip the bar about shoulder-width apart.
• Lower the bar toward the line of your nipples.
• Keep your elbows close to your body on the way down, then press back up.
• Use a spotter or safety bars when you go heavy.

Coach tip: a common mistake is gripping the bar narrower than shoulder width. A grip that is too narrow puts your wrists in a very awkward position, which can overload the joints and lead to pain.

2. Bar pushdown

The cable pushdown with a straight bar is a great exercise and maybe the most popular one for the triceps. I really like it as a warm-up at the start of a session, because it is easy to focus the load on the triceps and get blood into them without involving the forearms or shoulders.

It puts the emphasis on the lateral head, and it is especially good for beginners because the technique is simple. The standing position makes it easy to squeeze and stretch the muscle, so even beginners can feel a strong pump.

• Stand at a high cable with a straight bar, elbows at your sides.
• Push the bar down until your arms are straight.
• Let it rise slowly without moving your elbows.

Besides building serious muscle, it helps improve elbow stability. Many beginners find it hard to do this exercise without shaking. If you are a beginner, start with a light weight and focus on correct technique.

The common way to do it is at the cable station in a gym, but you can also do it at home with a resistance band anchored above you.

3. Rope pushdown

The rope pushdown is one of the most special triceps exercises. It is similar to the bar pushdown, but it has differences I like even more for building muscle. I do not like doing it as the first or second exercise: if the triceps are not warmed up, the forearms take some of the load.

Compared with the bar pushdown, the rope lets you spread your hands outward at the end, increasing the range of motion. I like this for balanced work across all three heads of the triceps.

Bring your elbows a little forward and keep them there throughout the movement. That gives your triceps a longer range of motion.

4. Skull crusher (lying triceps extension)

French press, or skull crusher in English. There is a reason for that name: do not choose the weight with your ego and let it fall on your face.

• Lie on a bench holding dumbbells or an EZ bar over your chest.
• Bend only your elbows to lower the weight to just past the top of your head, not onto your forehead.
• Straighten your arms without moving your upper arms.

This is one of my favorite exercises. I prefer dumbbells because they let me give both arms the same load and reach a greater range. I can also lower them beside my head instead of bringing a bar toward my face.

You can emphasize different heads with different versions. For example, an incline French press puts a little more emphasis on the long head. On a flat bench you have the regular version.

Practice the technique before you try heavy weights.

5. Overhead EZ-bar extension

The overhead extension puts the emphasis on the long and medial heads. It gives your triceps an enormous range of motion and plenty of work for building muscle.

• Sit or stand holding an EZ bar overhead.
• Lower the weight behind your head by bending your elbows.
• Straighten your arms again without letting your elbows flare wide.

It is worth doing with an EZ bar or a dumbbell. The angled EZ bar reduces the strain on your wrists and lets you focus the load on the triceps precisely.

You can do it seated or standing, with an EZ bar, one dumbbell, or a resistance band. Doing one arm at a time can help you work on an imbalance between your right and left sides.

What research says: in a 12-week MRI study, arms trained with overhead cable extensions grew more (long head +28.5%, whole triceps +19.9%) than arms trained with extensions at the sides (+19.6% and +13.9%), even with lighter weights. Both arms grew, so pushdowns still work.

6. Dips (triceps version)

Dips are another compound exercise that works the triceps and the muscles connected to them. They build a strong foundation in your upper body that supports triceps growth.

The technique for triceps dips is different from chest dips:

• Triceps dips: keep your body upright and straighten your arms all the way at the top.
• Chest dips: lean your upper body forward and don't go all the way up.

If you have shoulder problems, be a little careful with dips: at the bottom, the shoulder is in a less stable position. If that position bothers your shoulder, skip dips and choose another press.

You can make dips harder by adding weight with a dip belt.

7. Cable kickback

The cable kickback is a wonderful triceps exercise that emphasizes the lateral head. Many people do it with a dumbbell, but I prefer the cable.

With a dumbbell, gravity pulls the weight down and your shoulder helps hold the arm up. With a cable in front of you, the pull comes from the front. That is why I prefer the cable when I want to focus the work on the triceps.

• Set the pulley at about knee height and face the machine.
• Hinge forward slightly and keep your upper arm next to your body.
• Straighten your elbow back and hold the squeeze for a moment.
• Only your forearm and hand move; your elbow stays still.

Kickbacks are not for heavy weights; this position can put too much load on your elbows and shoulders. Do 10 to 15 slow reps for a great pump. You can also use a band.

8. Close-grip push-up

When you do push-ups with your hands close together, a big part of the work goes to the triceps. It is another excellent compound exercise, and it needs no equipment at all.

Place your hands under your chest, thumbs and index fingers forming a triangle (a diamond push-up), and keep your elbows near your body. Beginners can do them on their knees. An ACE-sponsored study in 15 women found the highest triceps activation with triangle push-ups, dumbbell kickbacks, and dips; the triangle push-up ranked highest of the eight exercises tested. Activation in one session does not predict long-term growth.

Add close-grip push-ups at the end of your triceps workout, after the isolation exercises. I like finishing this way to focus on the triceps and get a crazy pump.

9. Resistance-band extension

Looking for a triceps exercise you can do at home? This is a great option.

Anchor a band above you and push down like a rope pushdown, spreading your hands at the bottom. It also gives balanced work to all three heads.

You can play with the angle and difficulty. Bands come in different resistance levels, and the more you stretch yours, the harder it gets. You can use the same band for pushdowns, overhead extensions, and kickbacks. It is useful for stretching too.

How to pick your triceps exercises

For a triceps workout, I start with one compound exercise and add movements at different shoulder angles. That is the foundation I described above. Here are easy swaps when your equipment is different:

A sample triceps workout

Safety

Warm up with light bar pushdowns, then start each new exercise with a light practice set. For close-grip bench presses, use safety arms or a spotter and secure the plates with collars; at the cable station, check that the weight pin and attachment are locked in place. Keep a controlled tempo without swinging or letting the weight drop.

End the set if you feel pain, your form breaks down, or you feel dizzy, and put the weight down safely. For skull crushers, practice the path with a light weight before going heavier, keeping it clear of your face. For the setup and technique, see the tricep pushdown and skull crusher guides.

Bottom line

I started with the anatomy, then took you through the triceps exercises I like best, considering the muscle-building benefit against the time they take, the difficulty of learning them, and their risk.

But this is only the beginning. To build significant muscle, plan your triceps training carefully: your choice and number of exercises, sets, reps, recovery days, and nutrition all matter. You will find more on BodyPlus, from bodybuilding nutrition to building a training plan. Learn a little each time and keep working toward your goal.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best triceps exercise?

There is no single one. For growth, the strongest evidence here favors overhead extensions; for activation, diamond push-ups, kickbacks, and dips ranked highest in one test.

What are the best long head triceps exercises?

Overhead extensions, and skull crushers on an incline bench.

How many triceps exercises should I do?

Start with a compound exercise and add movements at different shoulder angles. The sample above has four working exercises plus a light bar-pushdown warm-up; you can choose fewer while keeping that mix.

Are pushdowns or dips enough?

They are useful, but add an overhead exercise for more complete development.

Which triceps exercises hit all three heads?

All triceps exercises use all three heads; changing the arm position (overhead, at your sides, pressing) shifts the emphasis.

Can I train triceps at home?

Yes: close-grip push-ups and band extensions need little equipment, and a band can also work for pushdowns.