The Best—and Worst—Exercises for Tricep Gains, According to a Trainer

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The Best—and Worst—Exercises for Tricep Gains, According to a Trainer originally appeared on Men’s Fitness.

The triceps brachii is a three-headed muscle that plays a critical role in elbow extension, pressing strength, and upper arm development. Its long, lateral, and medial heads each contribute differently depending on arm angle, resistance path, and shoulder positioning. A well-structured training program requires targeted exercise selection to ensure all heads receive adequate mechanical tension.

This guide ranks the most common triceps exercises from best to worst based on their ability to overload the muscle, stimulate hypertrophy, and train each triceps head effectively. Each movement includes a breakdown of its primary recruitment pattern, execution notes, and how to integrate it into a broader training strategy.

Triceps Anatomy 101

Your triceps brachii has three distinct heads:

Long Head: The largest head. It runs along the back of your arm and crosses the shoulder joint. You train it best with overhead or shoulder-extended positions.
Lateral Head: Creates the outer “horseshoe” shape. It thrives under heavy pressing and close-grip work.
Medial Head: Lies underneath the other two heads. It helps stabilize and extend the elbow, especially at the lockout.

To fully develop your triceps, train all three heads by varying your grip, range, and arm position. Kick off your workouts with compound exercises, then hit the triceps with focused, isolation exercises.

The Best Triceps Exercises

These are the proven triceps-builders. They hit multiple heads, allow progressive overload, and deliver real muscle-building tension.

1. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press

This compound press allows for heavier loads than most triceps movements and hits the lateral and medial heads hard. It’s one of the best for total triceps mass and carries over directly to pressing strength. Keep your elbows tucked and grip just inside shoulder-width to minimize shoulder strain and maximize arm tension.

Type: Compound
Sets/Reps: 4 sets of 5 to 8 reps

2. Overhead Dumbbell Extension (Seated or Standing)

Overhead dumbbell extensions stretch the long head of the triceps under load, creating a potent hypertrophy stimulus. The deep range of motion targets the long head more than most pushdowns or bench variations. Use a single heavy dumbbell with both hands and control the descent to protect your elbows.

Type: Isolation
Sets/Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps

3. Triceps Rope Pushdown (Cable)

This classic triceps move emphasizes the lateral head and allows for consistent tension across the full range of motion. Pulling the rope apart at the bottom enhances peak contraction and carves out the triceps “horseshoe.” Cables also let you control tempo and stay locked into the movement without joint strain.

Type: Isolation
Sets/Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps

4. Weighted Dips (Upright Torso)

When done upright with the elbows staying close to your body, dips become a triceps-dominant powerhouse. The lateral head gets hammered, while the long head assists throughout the push. Add weight as you build strength, and focus on full lockouts at the top to engage all three heads.

Type: Compound
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps

5. Cable Overhead Extension (Rope or Bar)

This variation mimics the stretch and activation of overhead dumbbell work but with constant tension from the cable. It directly targets the long head, which responds best to overhead loading. Step slightly forward and keep your elbows locked in position throughout the entire rep.

Type: Isolation
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps

The Average Triceps Exercises

These can work well but require strict form or careful programming. Use them to complement the best movements.

6. Skull Crushers (EZ-Bar or Dumbbell)

Skull crushers challenge the long head but demand strict control. Flared elbows or fast eccentrics can beat up your joints quickly. When performed slowly and with moderate weight, they help build long head thickness and triceps density. Stick with the EZ-bar to protect your wrists and elbows.

Type: Isolation
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps

7. Dumbbell Kickbacks

This isolation move hits the lateral head with a solid contraction when done correctly. But it’s often rushed or performed with too much weight. To get value from it, go light, keep your upper arm fixed, and squeeze hard at the top of each rep.

Type: Isolation
Sets/Reps: 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps

8. Machine Dips (Assisted Dip Machine)

This gym staple makes dips more accessible, but the fixed path limits full range and shoulder positioning. It still hits the lateral and long heads decently but lacks the intensity of free dips. Use it for volume, warm-ups, or finishing sets.

Type: Compound (guided)
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps

9. Single-Arm Dumbbell Overhead Extension

This movement trains the long head effectively and helps iron out strength imbalances. But it’s easy to lose control or cheat reps due to awkward arm positioning. Use this for finishing work rather than a primary builder.

Type: Isolation
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps

The Below Average Triceps Exercises

These exercises either underdeliver, encourage bad form, or simply have better options. If you’re limited on time, skip these.

10. Barbell Behind-the-Neck Press to Lockout

This old-school movement was once used to overload the long head, but the shoulder positioning puts many lifters at risk. It lacks joint safety, limits triceps activation, and has far better alternatives.

Type: Compound
Sets/Reps: Not recommended

11. Resistance Band Pushdowns

Resistance bands offer some tension at the bottom but very little at the top of the movement, making them ineffective for full triceps development. They’re good for warm-ups or travel workouts, but not for serious growth.

Type: Isolation
Sets/Reps: 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps

12. Dumbbell Floor Press with Close Grip

This variation can overload the lockout but lacks full elbow extension due to the floor’s limited range. While it trains the lateral head, it doesn’t offer enough mechanical advantage or tension to be a top-tier triceps builder.

Type: Compound
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps

Triceps Training Tips for Bigger Arms

Your biceps may get the spotlight, but if you want arms that actually look big and powerful, your triceps need focused, intentional training. Here’s how to do it right.

1. Train Triceps Twice Per Week for Optimal Volume and Recovery

Your triceps recover quickly, especially compared to larger muscle groups like your chest or back. They can handle high frequency and moderate volume, especially when split across the week.

One day can focus on heavy compound lifts (like close-grip presses or dips) for strength and size, while the second day can include more isolation work (cables, overhead extensions, kickbacks) to chase the pump and refine all three heads. Hitting triceps twice weekly gives you more quality sets, better volume distribution, and more growth stimulus.

2. Train All Three Triceps Heads with Purpose

The triceps aren’t one simple muscle. They include the long head, lateral head, and medial head, each with different activation patterns. If you always do the same pushdowns or machine presses, you’re only stimulating a portion of your triceps.

Use overhead movements (like seated dumbbell extensions or cable overhead extensions) to fully stretch and load the long head.
Include pushdowns, dips, or kickbacks to emphasize the lateral head, especially with full elbow extension.
Add close-grip presses or floor presses to activate the medial head, which helps with lockout strength and overall size.

A well-rounded triceps program includes a mix of these movement patterns in every training phase.

3. Start Heavy with Compounds, Then Isolate and Burn Out

Begin each triceps workout with a heavy compound movement when you’re freshest. These lifts allow you to move the most weight, recruit more muscle fibers, and build real strength and size.

Examples:

Close-grip bench press
Weighted dips
Floor presses

After that, switch to targeted isolation work like rope pushdowns, overhead extensions, or machine presses. This combo of mechanical tension (heavy lifts) and metabolic stress (pump-style work) gives you the best of both worlds.

4. Chase Full Elbow Extension with Controlled Reps

The triceps extend the elbow. To fully engage them, you need to reach complete lockout on every rep, especially on pushdowns and isolation moves. Many lifters stop short and lose activation at the top where the triceps are fully shortened.

Slow down your reps. Focus on squeezing your triceps hard at lockout, and avoid bouncing or rushing through sets. Controlled form leads to better fiber recruitment, safer joints, and bigger arms.

5. Stretch the Long Head With Overhead Work

The long head of the triceps is the only one that crosses the shoulder joint. That means it requires a shoulder-flexed position (arms overhead) to get fully stretched and activated.

Movements like overhead dumbbell extensions, cable overhead triceps extensions, or even incline skull crushers give the long head the loaded stretch it needs to grow. The stretch-under-tension principle works extremely well here, so make sure every triceps session includes at least one overhead movement.

The Best—and Worst—Exercises for Tricep Gains, According to a Trainer first appeared on Men’s Fitness on Jul 18, 2025

This story was originally reported by Men’s Fitness on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.