The Tricep [Brachii] is a thick muscle on the back side of your upper arm made up of three different muscles, the long head, the lateral head and the medial head, which is where the name comes from (Tri = three, cep = head). All three of the heads of the tricep originate at different points around the shoulder joint but all attach to the elbow via the same tendon. This makes tricep exercises very beneficial for strengthening the elbow and preventing conditions like tennis elbow.

The main function of the tricep is to extend the elbow, thus its key role is as a major mover in any upper body pushing movements, like the bench press.

Do I Need to Train My Triceps on Their Own?

Not necessarily, however, if you wish to increase your upper body pushing strength it may be additionally beneficial to target the triceps. The triceps play an important role in upper body pushing movements but people tend to use movements that bias the pectorals, leaving tricep gains on the table.

Our Top Ten Favourite Tricep Exercises (Not in Order!)

Bench Tricep Dips

• Facing away from a Flat Bench, place your palms shoulder width on the bench, with your heels into the floor at a 45-degree angle to your knees.

• Slowly lower your bum to the floor until your upper arm is at least parallel to the ground.

• Push the floor away with your hands until your elbows are locked out to complete the rep.

Tricep Dips

• Place two Dip Bars just outside shoulder width, facing forwards.

• Grab the handles evenly on each side, with your palms facing in towards your side.

• Lift your feet off the floor with your arms locked out.

• Slowly lower your knees towards the floor until your upper arm is at least parallel to the ground.

• Push the floor away with your hands until your elbows are locked out to complete the rep.

• Attach a Resistance Band laterally around the dip bars and under your knees if you need to make it easier.

Diamond Push Up

• Assume a high plank position with your thumbs and index fingers touching, creating a diamond shape between your hands.

• Slowly lower yourself to the floor, pushing your elbows out to the side, keeping your torso in a straight line from head to toe.

• Drive the floor away until you are back in the initial high plank position to finish the rep.

• Add a Weighted Vest if you wish to make the movement harder or place your knees on the ground to make it easier.

EZ Bar Skull Crusher

• Lay flat on a bench, with an EZ Bar held in a close grip above your head.

• Lower the bar towards your face, keeping the upper arm vertical, pointing your elbow to the sky, to isolate the elbow flexion movement from the tricep.

• Press the weight back up, thinking about ‘touching the sky with your hands’, until your arms are locked out, to complete the rep.  

Single Arm Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension

• Hold a light Rubber Dumbbell over the back of your head, ‘showing the room your arm pit’ to put your shoulder into an extended, thoracically extended and externally rotated position, testing the shoulder through its extremities while you work around the tricep.

• Lower the weight towards your shoulder blade, pointing your elbow to the sky throughout to isolate the elbow.

• Drive the dumbbell back to the sky until your arm is locked out to complete the rep. Repeat evenly on both arms.

6 - Banded Tricep Push Down

• Attach a resistance band overhead to a pull up bar.

• Stand tall, feet staggered for stability and up to grab the band with both hands, pulling it down to the start position, elbow tucked into your side and hands at your chest, to create tension in the band.

• Push your hands to the floor until fully locked out.

• Slowly reverse the movement to complete the rep.

7 - Dumbbell Kick Back

• Set up with one knee and the corresponding arm on a flat bench for support, with your other foot on the floor.

• Grab a dumbbell with your free arm, raising your elbow until your upper arm is in line with your body, with your forearm hanging towards the floor.

• Keeping your elbow still, extend your arm, rotating around your elbow until your arm is locked out and your forearm is parallel to the ground.

• Slowly lower back down to complete the rep.

8 - Close Grip Bench Press

• Lying on a flat weight bench with your feet on the floor and your shoulders back and down towards your bum.

• Place your hands shoulder width on the Barbell before un-racking.

• Pull the bar down to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked into your side.

• Push the bar to the sky until your elbows are locked out to complete the rep.

9 - Barbell Floor Press

• Lay flat on the floor with a barbell set up at a low pin height on a Power Rack, within reaching distance, with your eyes in line with it.

• Un-rack the barbell like a regular bench press, with your hands just outside shoulder width.

• Lower the barbell towards your chest until your elbows simultaneously touch the floor.

• Push the barbell away, thinking about ‘touching the sky’, until your elbows are locked out to complete the rep.

10 - Inverted Skull Crusher

• Start in an inclined plank position, feet on the floor and hands on a racked barbell, with your arms locked out straight.

• Slowly lower your head towards the bar, thinking about rotating around your elbow to isolate the tricep and avoid the chest taking over and turning it into a push up. 

• Push yourself away from the bar, keeping your torso in line, from head to toe, until your arms are locked out again to complete the rep.

NOTE: No matter the exercises you choose to use, to continue to build muscle you need to train with adequate volume and with a close proximity to failure (but not necessarily to failure). So, pick your favourite exercises from this list and look to progressively increase the volume over time while training nice and close to failure!

Written by guest author Ewan Hammond.

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Tags: Equipment > Bars & Weight Plates ; Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout