Tricep Workouts are designed to strengthen the arms, making them an essential regimen for bodybuilders and athletes. When you engage in these workouts, you’re enhancing your triceps and fortifying your biceps, shoulders, and core.
This comprehensive approach ensures balanced muscle development throughout your upper body. Utilizing tools like resistance bands and machines introduces varied levels of difficulty, which can significantly boost the effectiveness of the exercises.
These tools add resistance that challenges your muscles in new ways, promoting strength and growth. Skipping any part of the routine can lead to missed muscle gains and overall body strengthening opportunities.
Therefore, consistently following the complete plan is crucial for achieving the best results and witnessing substantial growth and improvements in muscle mass and function.
Structure of the Triceps
The triceps brachii, with its three heads, accounts for around two thirds of the upper arm’s bulk. You will, therefore, receive a huge return on your gym investment even if your goal is solely aesthetic when targeting your triceps.
- Long head:
The area closest to the body along the inside of your arm is the largest of the three muscles.
- Lateral head:
The strongest triceps head is thought to be this one. It inserts into the ulna forearm bone after beginning at the humerus. The lateral is shorter than the long head but packs a bigger punch and comes into play while lifting.
- Medial head:
This is positioned directly above the elbow at the back of the arm, beneath the long head. Though it is the smallest of the three and is primarily hidden by the long and lateral heads, it is mainly responsible for routine elbow raising.
How Can I Do A Triceps Exercise?
Consider incorporating five of the top 15 triceps exercises below into a body part focused workout. Do each exercise for 12 to 15 repetitions in three sets.
Exercises targeting the triceps typically involve pushing motions; thus, resting in between sets is necessary. To choose when to take breaks, use your goals:
To increase muscle mass
Take a 60–90 second break in between sets.
To develop unadulterated strength:
Take a 3 to 5 minute break between sets. Lifting large objects strains your muscles and central nervous system, which takes time to heal.
To increase stamina and effectiveness:
Take a 50–55 second break between sets. Reduce your rest intervals by five to ten seconds per week, within reason, without adding weight, to increase muscle mass, improve conditioning, and expedite your workout. If you rested for 60 seconds the previous week, take only 50–55 seconds of rest between sets.
Exercises aimed at the triceps assist in developing stronger and more attractive muscles. As healthy elbow joints result from strong triceps, they also aid in injury prevention. If you incorporate these 15 exercises, your muscles will noticeably change.
How Should the Triceps Be Warmed Up and Sprung?
When warming up the triceps, focusing on all three heads of these muscles is crucial to ensure they’re ready for the workout. A good routine should include Bodyweight moves like chaturanga, which effectively target each part of the triceps.
Adding triceps extensions with an iron weight or a resistance band can further prepare the muscles by introducing varying resistance methods. Remember to include a triceps stretch using a towel to elongate the muscle fibers and prevent injury safely.
This systematic way of warming up ensures that your triceps work efficiently and are primed for any workout challenges.
How to Create a Triceps Workout?
You should pick three to five triceps exercises to set up a good Triceps Workout. For each exercise, do about 12 to 15 reps for each set. Usually, three sets of each move are enough.
Rest a bit between sets to help your muscles get ready for more. This way, your Triceps Workout will help you meet your goals and strengthen your arms.
Best Tricep Workouts of All Time
Following is the list of the Best Tricep Workouts of All Time.
1. Pullover
The Pullover is an excellent triceps exercise in Triceps Workouts Total that also engages the back, core, and lats. Using a dumbbell pullover, this exercise improves strength and coordination, making it a comprehensive upper body workout.
How to do it:
- Hold the bar overhead with an overhand grip, shoulder width apart, and lie back on the floor. A partner can hand you the barbell if needed.
- Press the bar overhead, then reach it back over your head, bending your elbows slightly.
- Lower the bar until you feel a stretch in your lats.
- Pull the bar back over your chest, focusing on flexing your triceps.
- Concentrate on your triceps throughout the exercise to engage them more effectively.
2. Triceps Stretch
Triceps Stretch is a key part of Triceps Workouts Total because it helps with shoulder mobility. Using a towel or rope, you can effectively stretch the triceps by pulling gently from one side to the other.
This stretch prepares the triceps for a workout and serves as a barometer to measure progress in flexibility and range of motion. Stretching both sides evenly ensures balanced development and highlights improvement points over time.
How to do it?
- Stand up straight.
- Reach one hand behind your neck, elbow up, and palm down.
- With your other hand, reach behind your back, palm out, and try to touch your fingers together.
- If it’s hard to reach your fingers, hold a rope or towel between your hands.
- Gently pull down on the rope or towel with your upper hand.
- Hold the stretch for five seconds.
- Repeat on the other side.
3. Close Grip Bench Press
The Close grip Bench Press is a variation of the traditional Bench Press that emphasizes the triceps. In Triceps Workouts Total, using a barbell with resistance bands or chains at the ends adds intensity and stress to the muscles, enhancing the workout’s effectiveness and focusing on the triceps heads.
How to do it?
- Lie flat on a bench and grab the barbell with your index fingers inside the rough part.
- Arch your back slightly, leaving a gap between your lower back and the bench.
- Lift the bar off the rack and lower it slowly to your sternum. Keep your elbows at a 45 degree angle from your body.
- Press the bar up by pushing your feet firmly into the ground.
- For your last set, reduce the weight by half and do as many reps as possible to work your triceps.
4. Chaturanga
Chaturanga is a core component of the Triceps Workouts Total, serving as a potent yoga pose that enhances upper body strength. Primarily targeting the triceps, it involves maintaining a pushup-like position, where you support your body weight with your hands.
This posture not only bolsters the triceps but also fortifies the entire body, promoting stability and muscular endurance. Incorporating Chaturanga into your routine can significantly improve your upper body’s strength and overall physical resilience, making it a valuable exercise for both yoga practitioners and fitness enthusiasts.
How to do it?
- Start in a standard plank position with your shoulders directly over your wrists, and keep your core and glutes tight.
- Lower your elbows until they’re at shoulder height, and keep them close to your sides. Ensure your chest, shoulders, upper arms, and elbows form straight lines.
- Push yourself back up to the starting plank position.
5. Band Triceps Pushdown
Band Triceps Pushdown is a part of Triceps Workouts Total that uses a resistance band to target all three heads of the triceps. Your movement and grip can vary to increase resistance and promote growth. This tip ensures that the triceps pushdown effectively strengthens the triceps.
How to do it?
- Attach a resistance band to something sturdy above you and hold each side of the loop with your palms facing each other.
- Keep your elbows close to your sides and push your arms down.
- Focus on squeezing your triceps as you move to maximize muscle engagement.
Note: You can do pushdowns with either a resistance band or a cable pulley machine. You can attach a straight bar, a V shaped handle, or a triceps rope using a machine.
When performing the movement, push down using the heels of your palms instead of gripping too tightly with your fingers. A good technique is pushing without fully wrapping your fingers around the attachment. This method allows you to handle more weight, which can lead to greater muscle gains.
6. Waiter’s Walk
The Waiter’s Walk is effective because it incorporates triceps, core stability, and balance into Triceps Workouts Total. You carry a weight in one hand like a waiter carrying a tray. This exercise is similar to the farmer’s walk, but focusing on one side at a time challenges your core and triceps more intensely over a distance.
How to do it?
- Start by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand. You can have it at shoulder height or overhead. If you’re starting with it overhead, choose a lighter weight.
- Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and down, and squeeze your glutes as you walk.
- Ensure your wrist stays straight, like a server holding a tray.
- Walk 10 yards, then walk back the same distance.
- Switch the weight to your other hand and repeat the walk.
7. Underhand Kickback
In Triceps Workouts Total, the Underhand Kickback with a cable or cable station emphasizes the contraction of the triceps. The setup with cables ensures continuous tension on the triceps, making every movement count while controlling the momentum and grip, improving the exercise’s efficacy.
How to do it?
- Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge at your hips, lowering your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor.
- Turn your palms to face out with elbows slightly bent.
- Keep your upper arms against your sides and extend your elbows until your arms parallel your torso.
- Reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
8. Tate Press
The Tate Press, a part of Triceps Workouts Total, uses a unique angle and movement to target the triceps head specifically. This Press varies the routine and adds variety to your workout, helping to break plateaus and build muscle more effectively.
How to do it?
- Lie back on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended over your chest, and palms facing your feet.
- Point your elbows outward and bend them to lower the weights near your chest, forming an L shape with your arms.
- Extend your elbows to lift the weights back to the starting position.
9. Close Grip Pushup
The Close grip Pushup is a variation of the standard pushup that emphasizes the triceps. By positioning the hands closer together, this exercise mimics the motion of a bench press but without the need for equipment.
The focus on the triceps heads during the pushup makes it a highly effective bodyweight exercise for strengthening these muscles.
How to do it?
- Get into a pushup position with your hands closer than shoulder width.
- Keep your core tight, lower your body until your chest is just above the floor, and then push back up.
- For an advanced workout, add resistance by wrapping a band around your back and holding an end in each hand.
10. One Arm Overhead Triceps Extension
The one arm overhead triceps extension is crucial in the total triceps workout because it isolates and works each tricep’s head individually. This exercise helps ensure balanced triceps development by focusing on one arm at a time, promoting symmetry and strength across all three heads of the triceps.
How to do it?
- Hold a dumbbell and raise your arm with your elbow bent behind your head.
- Extend your elbow to straighten your arm overhead.
11. Dip
The Dip exercise effectively works the triceps, shoulders, chest, and back. This compound movement engages multiple muscle groups, making it an excellent choice for developing upper body strength and coordination.
By focusing on the downward and upward motions, the Dip targets the triceps while simultaneously involving the chest and shoulders, enhancing overall muscle engagement and functional strength.
How to do it?
- Use dip bars, ace your palms on a bench or chair, and extend your legs in front of you.
- Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
- Extend your elbows to lift your body back up.
· Close Grip Pushup
The Close grip Pushup is a variation of the standard pushup that emphasizes the triceps. By positioning the hands closer together, this exercise mimics the motion of a bench press but without the need for equipment.
The focus on the triceps heads during the pushup makes it a highly effective bodyweight exercise for strengthening these muscles.
How to do it?
- Get into a pushup position with your hands closer than shoulder width.
- Keep your core tight, lower your body until your chest is just above the floor, and then push back up.
- For an advanced workout, add resistance by wrapping a band around your back and holding an end in each hand.
12. Standing Overhead Cable Triceps Extension
The Standing Overhead Cable Triceps Extension is effective because it targets the triceps with a unique stretching action that enhances blood flow and activates multiple muscle fibers.
This action increases the pump and ensures that each head of the triceps is thoroughly worked through. This method contributes significantly to the growth and definition of the triceps.
How to do it?
- Set the cable attachment to a low or high position, then turn away from the station and hold the rope behind your head.
- Extend your elbows overhead if the attachment is low or out in front of your eyes if it’s high.
- Take three seconds to lower the weight and hold the bottom for two seconds.
- On the last rep of each set, hold the stretched position (elbows bent) for 15 seconds.
13. Suspension Trainer Triceps Extension
The Suspension Trainer Triceps Extension is a dynamic exercise that targets all three heads of the triceps while also functioning as a shoulder stabilization exercise.
This movement strengthens the triceps and improves overall shoulder health and stability, making it a multifunctional exercise essential for comprehensive upper body development.
How to do it?
- Lengthen the straps and stand under the trainer’s anchor point.
- Lean forward and bend your elbows until you feel a stretch in your triceps, with your palms facing each other behind your head.
- Keep your body straight and abs tight, then extend your elbows, rotating your palms to face down as you straighten your arms.
14. Diamond Pushup
The Diamond Pushup is a powerful bodyweight move that intensifies the work on the triceps. This pushup variation targets the triceps head more directly than other exercises by forming a diamond shape with the hands on the ground.
It’s an excellent choice for those looking to increase arm strength and muscle definition through challenging bodyweight routines.
How to do it?
- Get into a pushup position with your hands close together, forming a diamond shape with your index fingers and thumbs.
- Keep your core tight and your torso in line with your hips.
- Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
- Press through your hands to return to the starting position.
Top Finishers For Your Triceps Exercise
Top Finishers for Your Triceps Exercise are designed to maximize muscle growth and definition by intensely targeting the triceps at the end of a workout. A triceps workout finisher can involve anywhere from 50 to 75 repetitions to boost blood flow to the muscles, which is crucial for repair and growth.
These finishers can combine movements that engage the triceps and the back and chest, integrating a full upper body challenge. For example, adding a leg lift or a triceps workout fin movement during each rep can further enhance the workout’s effectiveness.
This ensures that each head of the triceps is pushed to its limit, promoting comprehensive development and fatigue for better results.
Benefits of Strong Triceps
The Benefits of Strong Triceps are numerous, especially in sports where power and precision are required. For basketball players, strong triceps contribute to a more forceful jump shot due to better elbow extension during the follow through.
Similarly, in sports like tennis and baseball, where swinging a racket or bat is fundamental, well developed triceps ensure a stronger swing and better control at the end of the movement.
Strong triceps also benefit swimmers significantly, particularly in water, where every arm and hand movement is critical for speed and efficiency. The triceps propel the swimmer forward by allowing powerful movements through the elbow joint and forearm.
In everyday life, strong triceps support various arm movements, enhancing overall body functionality and reducing the strain on the elbow and lats.
Whether in the gym or during daily activities, the role of the triceps in maintaining joint health and enabling efficient muscle work cannot be overstated, illustrating the intrinsic value of triceps work across different facets of life and sports.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Tricep Exercises Should I Do?
In every training session, you should perform three to five tricep exercises. The exercises you select should target all three heads of the triceps, stretch the long head of the triceps, and hit overlapping strength curves.
Does Tricep Exercises Work All 3 Heads?
Additionally, you must train each of their three muscular origins, or “heads.” While every triceps workout targets all three, they will focus more on one than the other. Always perform 3 5 sets, 12–15 repetitions per set.
What are the Benefits of Tricep Workouts?
Tricep workouts help build strong arms by focusing on the triceps while also strengthening the biceps, shoulders, and core. This balanced approach enhances muscle growth, improves upper body strength, and increases stability and endurance.