Basic and isolation exercises for triceps

The triceps is the triceps extensor muscle. It consists of three parts - heads: lateral, medial and long. It is located behind the humerus (on the posterior surface), occupying almost the entire area. This muscle is attached to the scapula, humerus and ulna and therefore works and strains when extending the arm at the shoulder or elbow joint. Based on this, in order to pump up the triceps, improve the tone of the back of the shoulder, get rid of fat deposits and improve the condition of the skin in this area, you need to introduce triceps exercises into your training plan in the gym with arm extensions with weights.

Close grip bench press

During the bench press, the upper triceps, anterior deltoids and upper chest muscles are intensively worked.

We take a comfortable position on the lounger, making sure that the bar is located at eye level.
Before lifting the load, press your shoulders, buttocks and head against the bench. The back may be arched, the shoulder blades retracted. We place our legs so that our feet are completely on the floor.
We try to hold the barbell without discomfort in the wrists, avoiding skewing the load to the side. To do this, the grip should not be too narrow. Optimally – from 10 to 20 cm.
We begin to lower the barbell to the chest, raise it until the arms are completely straightened. You can pause for a second at the peak point of the projectile.
While doing this, don’t forget to tense your biceps and breathe. When lowering the load we inhale, when lifting it we exhale.
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Add weight gradually to avoid loss of balance and injury.

Advice! For beginners, it is better to give preference to the EZ bar - it makes it easier to fix the position.

Rear push-ups

During the exercise, all areas of the triceps are worked out. The main emphasis is on the lateral head.

We place 2 benches at a distance of a meter. We sit on one of them, place our hands on the edge of the bench on both sides of the body. Elbows “look” back. We place our feet on the bench opposite.
Using the strength of our hands, we lift the body and slightly shift the pelvis. Inhale and slowly lower yourself until you reach a right angle at the elbows.
At the lowest point, we fix our breathing and stretch our body until our arms are completely straightened. We release air from the lungs after maximum exercise. We make sure that the elbows do not “look” to the sides.
The position of the hands is as close to the body as possible. We extend the limbs exclusively in the vertical plane.

Advice! For beginners, you can place your palms on the bench a little wider - this makes it easier to fix the elbow joints.

Dips

When performing the exercise, the pectoral muscles, deltoids and triceps are tensed, which we extend the limb at the elbow.

We take a position on the uneven bars - arms straight, body strictly vertical, legs bent, crossed, looking forward.
As we inhale, we lower ourselves, moving our elbows back. We make sure that the torso does not lean forward. Bend the limbs to a right angle.
As you exhale, strain the muscle and rise up.
During the exercise, you should keep your body straight, without tilting it forward. Otherwise, the main load will be taken on by the chest muscles, not the triceps.

Advice! To isolate the muscle as much as possible, you should bring your elbows closer to your body and do not spread them to the sides throughout the entire exercise.

Triceps supersets

When training biceps and triceps on the same day, it is best to perform supersets. Because these muscles respond very well to them. The biceps and triceps brachii muscles are the most striking example of antagonist muscles. That is, when one muscle contracts, the opposite one relaxes, and vice versa. Training antagonist muscles in supersets leads to significant increases in strength. During a biceps-triceps superset, when one muscle group tenses, blood flow increases in another, which speeds up recovery.

A superset means going from one exercise to the next without pausing (no rest). And only then rest between sets (approaches).

We recommend reading: The best exercises for the long head of the triceps

Extension of arms on the upper block in a standing position

During the exercise, all triceps muscles are included in the work. The lateral and medial heads take the greatest load. The back muscles are relaxed - the risk of injury is close to zero.

We stand in the block frame at the top block.
We take hold of the straight bar with a straight grip and bend over it, fixing the position of the projectile not with the help of the strength of our hands, but due to our own mass.
We press our elbows to the body - in this position the back muscles do not strain.
We smoothly extend our arms at the elbow joints and pause at the end point for a second.

Don't forget about breathing. We extend the limbs while inhaling, and when returning to the starting position, we release the air from the lungs.

Advice! When performing extensions, it is not recommended to keep your legs straight - it is better to bend them slightly at the knees. The body leans slightly forward, the back remains straight.

Detailed lesson program for the week

Training at home

Training day 1:

Warm-up: cardio (jumping rope, running) – 15-20 minutes.
Bent over weight row. Bend your legs slightly at the knees, and lower your body with a curved lumbar region to the bottom, taking additional weight in your hands (you can use water bottles instead of dumbbells). With your elbows pointing toward the top, slowly lift the weight until it touches your shoulder blades and return. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps.
Pushups. Do a lying position. Next, lift your body by extending your arms and gradually return to the starting point. Do 3 sets of 10 push-ups.
One arm row. While standing, bend one leg and lean against a chair/chair, place the same arm on a flat surface. The weight should be in the opposite hand. Begin to smoothly pull your arm with the weight up until peak muscle contraction and return. Perform 3 sets of 8 reps.

Training day 2:

Warm-up: cardio (jumping rope, running) – 15-20 minutes.
Shrugs with weights. Stand up straight and take extra weight in your hands. Slowly lift the weight at the top, as if trying to connect your shoulders at the back of your head. Then return to the starting point. Do 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Start with heavier weights on the first set and finish with lighter weights.
Push ups. Do a classic hands-on position while lying down. Raise your body by straightening your arms and then return to the starting point. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.
Alternate raising of arms. Stand up straight and take weights in your hands. Alternately, bend your elbow and raise your hand to chin level, then lower it. Do 3 sets of 8 reps for each arm.

Extension of arms from behind the head

By extending your arms with a dumbbell from behind your head, you load the long head of the triceps muscle to a greater extent. It is rarely involved in most basic triceps exercises.

We sit on the edge of the lounger, resting our feet on the floor. We take the dumbbell with the hand we will train. We extend the limb above the head until it is completely straightened at the elbow joint.

Inhaling, we lower our hand behind our head, trying to avoid movement in the shoulder joint. We lower the dumbbell down along a straight path (towards the shoulder) or slightly beveled (towards the spine).
Once at the lowest point, as you exhale, extend your arm until your elbow is fully straightened. At this moment, stop for a second and tense the triceps.

You should not tilt your torso forward or backward - you may lose your balance. You cannot round your back - this position additionally loads the spine.

Advice! If at the initial stage of training it is not possible to keep the elbow joint motionless, you can hold it with the hand of the opposite hand.

Top 10 Triceps Exercises in the Gym

French press with barbell

Perform the exercise on a special bench with French press racks if you work with heavy weights. For bench presses, you can use either a straight or curved barbell. A curved bar will allow you to choose an anatomically more comfortable position for the joints, increasing the quality of the exercise.

For better balance, keep your palms shoulder-width apart.
Pay attention to your elbows; the joints must always maintain their position at one point.

Lying dumbbell extension

This is a variation of the French press with two dumbbells.

Lying on a bench, distribute the weight of the dumbbells over your shoulders, keeping your shoulders still.
In this case, the hands form a parallel grip, which is as comfortable as possible and does not overload the joints.
Lower the dumbbells toward your shoulder without touching your knuckles.

Extension of arms in the upper block

Extension of the arms in the upper block with a reverse grip. This method of training the triceps allows you to maximally work out the medial head with little load. This option does not involve working with heavy weights.

It is also possible to hold the handle with an overhand grip, this will increase the force load on the muscles. When performing the technique, press your elbows to your body and lean forward slightly.

Arm extension in Crossover with ropes

The ropes allow you to get a load aimed at the lateral bundles, but at the same time it involves all the heads of the triceps in a concentrated execution.

When lowering the handle to the bottom position, hold for 2 seconds, moving your hands back a little, this will shorten the medial head.
When lowering the ropes, try to pronate your joints by turning the back of your hand outward.

Read more about the triceps crossover extension →

Close grip barbell press

Despite the fact that the press is a basic exercise for the pectoral muscles, it is also an effective way to work the auxiliary muscles - the triceps. To maximally engage your triceps rather than your chest, push the bar directly with your hands, keeping your elbows as close to your body as possible.

At the lowest point, lower the bar under your chest;
and when pushing, bring the bar above shoulder level.

Although the exercise is called a close-grip bench press, it should still be performed with a medium-stable grip (shoulder-width apart).

Read more about the close-grip press exercise →

Arm extension with overhead Crossover block

This option is performed with your back turned to the machine.

Grasping the straight handle from above, turn around and place one foot forward, maintaining a stable bent over position. In this position, the long head is better worked out.
Keep your shoulders stationary and your elbows always at the same point.
Extend your arms completely, bringing the handle above the top of your head.

Lifting a dumbbell with two hands from behind the head

Perform with one dumbbell, holding it with both hands.

But there is also a one-arm extension option. The exercise can be performed either sitting or standing.

It is important to pay attention to a straight lower back, which must be maintained by tensing the abdominal muscles.
The vertical position of the hands allows you to better work out the long head.
Place the dumbbell behind your head as far as possible, but do not touch the vertebrae.
Keep your elbows straight, as close to your head as possible, while keeping your shoulder stationary.

Extension of arms with a curved bar from behind the head

The exercise is also called the standing French press. Working with a curved bar is similar to extensions with a dumbbell, but allows you to change the grip width, as well as select a more comfortable position for the joints, based on the morphological features of the structure. This option is also designed to shorten a long head.

Remember to keep your lower back straight and avoid arching.
The weight of the load must be moderate, otherwise there is a risk of loss of balance and injury.

Bent over arm extension with dumbbell

Bent-over arm extensions with a dumbbell do not involve a large load; it is important to monitor the appearance of a burning sensation at the end of the approach . Perform the same number of repetitions on each side with the same weight. This option can also be performed with the emphasis not on the thigh, but on the bench.

Step forward with your feet wide, bend your front knee, and place your same hand on that thigh.
Keep your back straight.
The second hand holds a dumbbell and forms a right angle at the elbow, the shoulder is parallel to the floor.
Perform full arm extension for the desired number of repetitions and switch sides.

Dips

Fortunately, there are parallel bars in every gym, and push-ups on them allow you to fully work out your triceps. The exercise hones skills as the athlete learns to control his own weight. In the future, to increase the load, you can add weights using a special belt, which is also found in every gym.

When lowering to the lowest point, bring the angle at your elbows to 90 degrees (shoulder parallel to the floor).
Push the weight as hard as you can using your triceps, but don't swing.

For those who do not yet control their own weight, there is a special simulator - a gravitron, which has handles for push-ups, like parallel bars. The counterweight of the machine will help push out the body weight, selecting any necessary load.

French bench press

During the exercise, movement is observed only in the elbow joint. The lateral and long head of the triceps works.

We sit on the bench, rest our feet on the floor. We move our straightened arms up and take the barbell with the bar from an assistant (grab it with an overhand grip). We straighten our arms and move them back a little from the top of the head - the starting position is accepted.
We keep the upper part of the limbs motionless, while inhaling, we slowly bend our arms at the elbows, lowering the load behind the head.
We don’t stop at the bottom point, we return our hands to their original position. Once at the “start”, exhale and tense your triceps.

When lifting the barbell, your elbows should not extend forward. The area of the arms from the shoulder to the elbow should be motionless during the entire exercise.

Advice! The exercise is best performed with an EZ bar.

Triceps anatomy

Triceps (triceps brachii) - translated from Latin means triceps brachii muscle. It consists of three parts:

We advise you to read: Technique of push-ups on uneven bars

External (lateral) head.
Long head.
Inner (medial) head.

The lateral head is the largest and most prominent of these. It is the main muscle that is most involved when pushing heavy objects and punching and is located on the outer part of the shoulder. The inner head is centrally located and is used for less precise movements, while the long head runs the entire length of the inner arm and is used to adduct and internally rotate the shoulder.

In short, all three heads enable the triceps brachii muscle to perform many functions such as flexion, extension and rotation.

In order to pump up large and sculpted triceps, you need to focus on developing all three heads. The lateral one is the easiest to train, because it already takes on all the main work. Others take longer to train, but respond quite well to the right load.

Extension of one arm on the upper block in a standing position

Due to this exercise, the triceps acquire additional volume and become sculpted.

We stand in front of the block so that our hand is parallel to the hummock. With your free hand, grab the stationary part of the block. We move the body slightly forward, the leg of the same name as the involved arm is set back. We take the handle with a reverse grip.
Inhale, pull the handle down, fully extending your arm at the elbow. At the end point, exhale and tighten the muscle even more.
We return the hand to its original position slowly, feeling resistance.

During work, your back should be kept motionless. We fix the wrist, press the elbow to the body.

Advice! At the initial stage, “don’t chase the weights” - select the load so that you can perform the exercise at least 10 times.