Triceps Exercises
Every triceps exercise in the library — close-grip bench press, skull crushers, cable push-downs, overhead extensions, dips, and kickbacks. Triceps make up roughly two-thirds of upper arm mass, so they are essential for both arm size and pressing strength. This index covers all three triceps heads (long, lateral, medial) with equipment variations.
Training Guide
The triceps has three heads and makes up roughly two-thirds of the upper arm's mass — which means most of "bigger arms" is actually triceps work. All three heads extend the elbow; the long head additionally attaches at the shoulder, so it trains best when the arm moves overhead or behind the body, where it runs stretched under load.
The library's 71-exercise family includes compound pressing (Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press), bodyweight extension (Bench Dips), cable work (Triceps Pushdown for constant tension, Triceps Overhead Extension with Rope for the stretched long head), and loaded stretching (Band Skull Crusher, Close-Grip EZ Bar Press).
Programming guide: - 8–14 hard sets per week on top of pressing days, split across 2–3 sessions - 8–12 reps on compounds and pushdowns, 10–15 on stretch-biased movements - One press, one pushdown, one overhead/stretch movement weekly covers all three heads - Elbows stay tucked and move only at the joint — flaring shifts work away from the triceps
All Triceps Exercises
71 exercises- Band Skull CrusherResistance BandBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Bench DipsBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Bench Press - PowerliftingBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Bench Press with ChainsBarbellAdvancedPrimary: Triceps
- Board PressBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Body-UpBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Body Tricep PressBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Cable Incline Triceps ExtensionCableBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Cable Lying Triceps ExtensionCableBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Cable One Arm Tricep ExtensionCableBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Cable Rope Overhead Triceps ExtensionCableBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Chain Handle ExtensionBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Close-Grip Barbell Bench PressBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Close-Grip Dumbbell PressDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Close-Grip EZ-Bar PressBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Close-Grip Push-Up off of a DumbbellBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Decline Close-Grip Bench To Skull CrusherBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Decline Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Decline EZ Bar Triceps ExtensionBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Dip MachineMachineBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Dips - Triceps VersionBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Dumbbell Floor PressDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Dumbbell One-Arm Triceps ExtensionDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Dumbbell Tricep Extension -Pronated GripDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- EZ-Bar SkullcrusherBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Floor PressBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Floor Press with ChainsBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Incline Barbell Triceps ExtensionBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Incline Push-Up Close-GripBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- JM PressBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Kneeling Cable Triceps ExtensionCableIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Low Cable Triceps ExtensionCableBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Lying Close-Grip Barbell Triceps Extension Behind The HeadBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Lying Close-Grip Barbell Triceps Press To ChinBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Lying Dumbbell Tricep ExtensionDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Lying Triceps PressBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Machine Triceps ExtensionMachineBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- One Arm Floor PressBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- One Arm Pronated Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- One Arm Supinated Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Overhead TricepsBodyweightAdvancedPrimary: Triceps
- Parallel Bar DipBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Pin PressesBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Push-Ups - Close Triceps PositionBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Reverse Band Bench PressBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Reverse Grip Triceps PushdownCableBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Reverse Triceps Bench PressBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Ring DipsBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Seated Bent-Over One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Seated Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Seated Triceps PressDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Sled Overhead Triceps ExtensionBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench PressMachineBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Speed Band Overhead TricepsResistance BandBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Standing Bent-Over One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Standing Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Standing Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Standing Low-Pulley One-Arm Triceps ExtensionCableIntermediatePrimary: Triceps
- Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
- Standing Overhead Barbell Triceps ExtensionBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Triceps
Triceps Exercises by Equipment
Other Muscle Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best triceps exercises?
Cover all three heads with three movements: Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press as the heavy compound, Triceps Pushdown (rope or V-bar attachment) for constant-tension extension, and a stretch-position move like Band Skull Crusher for the long head. Bench Dips are an excellent bodyweight addition. Progress these four over months and the back of your arm has no choice but to grow.
Why are triceps so important for bigger arms?
Simple anatomy: the triceps occupies about two-thirds of the upper arm's volume, the biceps only about a third. Trainees who chase biceps peaks while ignoring triceps work on the smaller share of the arm. Balanced arm training leans triceps-first — presses, pushdowns and extensions — with dedicated biceps volume layered on top. That is also why big pressers often carry big arms without many curls.
Are dips or pushdowns better for triceps?
They are different tools for the same job. Dips (Bench Dips for most trainees) are a compound movement — you move your whole body, so the load is naturally high and the shoulders and chest assist. Pushdowns are isolation with constant cable tension, easier to progress in small steps and kinder to fatigued joints. The practical answer: dips early in the session for load, pushdowns late for controlled volume.
How often should I train triceps?
Two to three sessions weekly, with 8–14 direct hard sets, remembering that every chest and shoulder press already loads the triceps hard. Space sessions at least 48 hours apart and keep the last set of each movement within 1–3 reps of failure. If your elbows start complaining, drop to two sessions and replace one pushdown movement with a band variation for a week.
Why do my elbows hurt during triceps pushdowns?
Elbow discomfort at pushdowns usually traces to three things: snapping the arm violently straight at lockout, letting the elbows drift forward and flare during the rep, and stacking pushdowns right after heavy close-grip pressing. Keep the elbows pinned to your ribs, control both halves of the rep, stop short of grinding lockouts, and warm the elbows with light band extensions first. Persistent or sharp pain — especially with gripping — needs professional assessment.
How do I target the long head of the triceps?
Put the arm overhead or behind the body. Because the long head crosses the shoulder joint, movements that raise the arm — overhead extensions like Triceps Overhead Extension with Rope, and skull-crusher patterns — place it in its stretched, highest-growth position. Standard pushdowns and presses stay valuable for the lateral and medial heads; the long head just needs its stretch work included weekly.
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