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Triceps Exercises – Best Workouts for the Triceps Muscles

Triceps Exercises – Best Workouts for the Triceps Muscles

Natalia Goździak

Publication: 2024-05-27

Triceps exercises are activities that engage the triceps brachii muscles, which can be performed both at home and in the gym. Triceps training is especially popular among athletes who want to increase strength and develop arm size, but strengthening the triceps can also be useful for everyday activities. What exactly is the triceps? What triceps dumbbell exercises can you do? What are the best triceps workouts? Which bodyweight triceps exercises are worth adding to a training plan?

Table of contents

What is the triceps?
Triceps exercises - how to train them?
Triceps exercises without equipment - how to work your triceps at home?
Triceps training - how to work triceps in the gym?
Triceps training - effects and results

What is the triceps?

The triceps, or triceps brachii muscle (from Latin musculus triceps brachii), is located along the entire back of the upper arm and consists of three heads - lateral, long, and medial. The medial head lies directly on the humerus bone, forming the deep layer, while the lateral and long heads are located superficially over the medial head.

The long head originates from the infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula, the lateral head begins on the posterior surface of the humerus in the lateral intermuscular septum, and the medial head originates on the posterior surface of the humerus. All three heads share a common insertion on the posterior surface of the olecranon process of the ulna.

The triceps is responsible for elbow extension. The long head is also a strong extensor and adductor of the arm at the shoulder joint.

This large upper arm muscle not only affects the look, mass, and circumference of the arm but also helps with everyday tasks such as lifting heavy objects.

Triceps exercises - how to train them?

The triceps make up most of the upper arm muscles. They give the arms a muscular appearance and contribute to a balanced physique. Well-developed triceps can make daily activities easier and also improve performance in strength training, increasing both safety and lifting efficiency.

Before starting triceps exercises, it’s important to warm up properly to prepare the muscles for intense effort. After the workout, stretching is recommended to help reduce the risk of injuries.

Since the triceps assist during chest and shoulder workouts, triceps training should not be scheduled immediately after these sessions to avoid muscle fatigue and reduced effectiveness.

When training triceps, focus first on proper technique. Repetition count, regularity, and consistency are also key. Triceps training is best done 2-3 times per week, including both bodyweight exercises and gym-based exercises with dumbbells or cable machines.

Triceps exercises without equipment - how to work your triceps at home?

Triceps exercises can easily be done at home, either with no equipment using body weight or with basic gear like dumbbells or kettlebells. Everyday items such as a towel or a chair can also be useful.

Before training at home, make sure you know the correct technique - in the gym, a trainer can guide you, but at home you rely on your own knowledge. Here are examples of home triceps exercises:

Close-grip push-ups - Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and elbows close to the body. Keep your back straight and slowly lower your chest toward the floor as you inhale, without touching it. Exhale and push back to the starting position, focusing on arm engagement.
Reverse push-ups with feet elevated - Use two chairs or a chair and a couch. Place your hands on one elevated surface and your feet on the other, facing upward in a reverse plank position. Lower your body by bending your elbows on the inhale, then extend your elbows and shoulders on the exhale to return. Keep your abs tight and head aligned with your back.
Diamond push-ups - In a plank position, place your hands close together with fingers forming a diamond shape. Tighten abs and glutes, inhale, bend your arms, lowering your chest toward your hands, then exhale and push up powerfully with your arms.
Chair dips - Stand with your back to a chair and place your hands on the seat. Lower your torso toward the floor by bending your elbows, then exhale and straighten your arms to return to the starting position.

Triceps training - how to work triceps in the gym?

For those who prefer a gym environment, triceps training offers access to a wide range of equipment for different exercise variations. You can adjust weights and use accessories to increase effectiveness and stimulate triceps growth.

The best triceps exercise according to many trainers is dips. To perform them, stand between parallel bars, place your hands on the bars, lift your body, and straighten your legs while keeping your core tight. Lock your elbows, pull your shoulder blades together, then inhale and lower yourself until your arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale and push back up to the starting position.

Other recommended triceps gym exercises include:

French press lying on the floor - Lie on your back with knees bent, hold dumbbells above your chest with thumbs facing backward. Inhale and bend elbows to bring the weights toward your forehead, keeping your upper arms still. Exhale and straighten elbows to return.
Incline bench barbell press - Lie on an incline bench with feet on the floor. Grip the barbell over chest width, retract shoulder blades, inhale, lower the bar toward the upper chest, then exhale and press back up without overextending elbows.
Triceps extensions on an incline bench - Rest your chest against an incline bench, hold dumbbells with a neutral grip, and keep arms straight down, perpendicular to the floor. Inhale, lift your upper arms until parallel to the ground, then straighten elbows to lift weights, engaging the triceps. Exhale and return slowly.

Triceps training - effects and results

The triceps play a major role in arm strength. While many exercises for other muscles engage the triceps as secondary movers, it’s worth dedicating specific training to them.

Triceps exercises can improve daily function, create well-defined arms, and support upper body development, including the chest and shoulders. They also improve stability for overhead movements, important for weightlifters.

Strong triceps can protect elbow joints from overload and enhance upper body functionality, grip strength, and overall power. Well-trained triceps may also lower injury risk during other activities.

Bibliography:

Natalia Goździak

Master of dietetics, specialist in dietoprophylaxis and dietotherapy

Copywriter and nutritionist Graduated from the University of Physical Education in Poznan with a bachelor's degree in sports dietetics, and from UP in Poznan with a master's degree in dietoprophylaxis and dietotherapy. She treats principles of healthy eating, however, first and foremost as valuable tips, and not as strict rules to be strictly followed Privately a photography enthusiast who cannot imagine life without books

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