10 Best Triceps Exercises – Home & Gym

The Ten best triceps exercises you should be doing right now? The triceps is a muscle that is located at the back of the arm and is divided into three parts: the lateral head, the medial head and the long head. He is responsible for important movements in the region, such as the force to push.

In this article we will be looking at 10 important triceps exercises you can include in your training.

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Anyone who wants to have defined and muscular arms, in addition to, in the case of women, not seeing them swinging too much when saying goodbye, should include good triceps exercises in their workouts, whether done at home or in the gym.

Ten Best Triceps Exercises

1. Lying Or Incline Triceps Extension (Triceps Forehead), With Straight Bar Or Ez Bar

The first exercise on our list of triceps exercises works both the side head and the long head of the muscle and is rated as one of the best moves to activate the triceps overall.

The lying down triceps extension is a strength exercise with a beginner level of difficulty, which also works the forearm region. It is performed with the help of an EZ bar, but it can also be done with the straight bar, and even on the incline bench.

How to do the lying down movement:

1. First, lie on your back on a straight bench and hold the bar in a tight grip, palms facing outward and arms extended and perpendicular to the floor;
2. From this starting position, lower the bar, bending your elbows and keeping your forearms fixed.  Don’t open your elbows out during the movement.

Inhale as the bar descends and pause when it is directly above your forehead. Then lift the bar and return to the original position, while exhaling and extending your elbows.

This exercise can also be done on the incline bench.

2. Close-grip Straight Bench Press

This compound exercise primarily works the triceps, but it also engages the chest and shoulders. A study has already shown that when the exercise is done on a straight bench with a smaller grip, there is greater activation in the long head of the triceps than in the incline bench.

The closed grip should have a distance of 20 to 25 cm between the hands to work the triceps well. A smaller grip doesn’t put more stress on the arms, but it does put increased strain on the wrists, which isn’t the point here.

For beginners in the exercise, it is recommended to have someone accompany you during its execution. It’s also important to be careful about the load you choose and not push beyond your limits, as well as make sure the bar reaches your mid-chest area during the descent. She shouldn’t stop anywhere other than this.

How to make:

1. Lie on your back on a straight bench and grip the bar with a tight grip;
2. Lift the bar straight up and hold it with your arms straight;
3. As you inhale, slowly lower the bar until it touches your mid-chest area.  During the movement, keep your elbows close to your torso at all times to increase triceps participation.
4. Pause for a second and raise the bar again, in its starting position, using the triceps to execute the movement and exhaling the air;
5. Then, keep your arms straight, hold the position for a second and slowly lower the bar. The descent should take twice as long as the ascent. 

3. Dive In The Bank

This version of triceps exercises uses your body weight and is performed with the help of two straight benches. It also brings a lot of activation to the triceps muscle. By adding weight to the exercise by placing a weight on your lap, it becomes even more efficient.

However, it is recommended that the first time you do the bench dive, the weight is not used, so that you get used to the movements. Then, when it becomes something easy to do, you can start adding the load.

The movement is composed and in addition to triggering the triceps, it works the chest and shoulders. Its difficulty level is intermediate.

How to make:

1. Place one bench behind you and one in front of you. They should be perpendicular to your body and you should hold the edge of the back seat with both hands close to your body. The palms should be shoulder-width apart and the arms should be fully extended.
2. The legs should be extended forward on the other bench, with the feet parallel. They should be parallel to the floor and the torso perpendicular to the floor. If you choose to use the weight, have a colleague place the load on your lap. 
3. The weight must be properly positioned so that it is on top of you throughout the exercise. You should not carry the load alone, as the movement will be difficult and you will be at risk of injury. 
4. Then, slowly lower your body, bending your elbows while inhaling the air. Stop descending when you form a slightly less than 90 degree angle with your upper and lower arms. At this time, the elbows should be as close together as possible and the forearms should point downwards at all times.
5. Use your triceps to bring your torso up and bring your body back to the starting position while exhaling air.

4. Triceps Supported On The Bench

This type of exercises for triceps has a beginner level of difficulty. It also engages other muscles like the delts, glutes, hamstrings, abs and hips.

When performing triceps on the bench, it is recommended to keep the body straight and avoid excessive relaxation of the hips. It’s also important to keep your elbows straight during the exercise and prevent them from splaying out to the sides.

How to make:

1. Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands below your shoulders, with your palms firmly on the edge of the bench and your knees bent at 90 degrees.
2. It is necessary to hold firmly, keep the torso tight and in place, contract the glutes and take a few steps forward, leaving the arms fully extended and supporting the weight of the body.
3. The next step is to bend your elbows and lower your body in front of the bench, forming a 90º angle. Stay in this position for a moment, keeping your elbows close to your torso, and return to the original position using the strength of your triceps.

If you want to make the exercise more difficult, you should stretch your legs and keep them that way during the execution.

5. Dumbbell Extension Under The Head

When the overhead dumbbell extension is done, with the arms raised above the head, the long head region of the triceps is engaged. This strength exercise has a beginner level of difficulty and in addition to hitting the triceps, it also works the deltoids and trapeze.

How to make:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each of your hands and extend your arms up over your head, with one palm facing the other. 
3. Then, bend your elbows and lower the dumbbell, placing it behind your head so that it is perpendicular to the floor.
4. Pause briefly and extend your arms, bringing the dumbbell under your head and returning to the starting position.

From now on, we will see exercises for triceps that require the use of machines or equipment that you will certainly only have access to at the gym. Check out:

6. Dive In Parallels (With Or Without Weights)

This item on our triceps exercises list also works the deltoids and has an intermediate difficulty level. To add weight to the movement, you can add weighted ankle shin guards or tie a belt with a washer attached to your waist.

Pay attention to the amount of load used so that it is within your limits. Another relevant tip is to keep the body as vertical as possible during the exercise, to focus the work on the triceps. If you lean forward, it will trigger your chest.

How to make:

1. Put on the shin guard or belt with the weight. Hold on to the device’s supports and lift your body until your arms are aligned and your body can descend in a straight line.
2. Then, slightly bend your knees and bend your elbows, lowering your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. With your arms, lift your body up again and return to the original position. 

7. Triceps On The Machine

This is a compound exercise that works the triceps, in addition to mobilizing the shoulders and chest. The load should be chosen according to your goals: if the focus of your training is strength, the indication is to work with more weight than if the goal is muscle building. Not forgetting to select the load according to your conditions and not exceed your limits to avoid getting hurt.

How to make:

1. Sit properly on the machine, choose the weight and hold firmly on the handles of the machine. Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle, keeping them at your sides, to focus your work on your triceps.
2. Then, contract the triceps and extend the arms while exhaling the air. At the bottom of the movement, keep your arms slightly bent to put tension on your triceps.
3. Slowly return to the original position while inhaling the air. 

8. Triceps Extension On Cable Under The Head With Rope (Sitting Or Standing)

We have another intermediate difficulty level exercise that engages the triceps long head. His focus is strength and he runs on the cable apparatus with a rope. During the entire exercise, it is important that the elbows remain in line, and that they do not open outwards.

How to make:

1. Position a bench in front of the cable machine and sit on it. Hold the end of the rope attached to the handle of the apparatus, with your elbows bent and your hands behind the trapeze. 
2. The next step is to extend your elbows until your hands are above your head. At this point, the arms should be as vertical as possible.
3. Pause for a moment and slowly return to the original position.

9. Triceps On High Pulley With Straight Bar

Here’s an exercise that works the lateral head of the triceps better than other movements like the lying down triceps extension, for example. This exercise works the triceps in isolation.

How to make:

1. Attach a straight or incline bar to a high pulley and hold it with your palms facing down and shoulder-width apart.
2. Keeping your body in a straight position, with a slight forward bend of your torso, bring your forearms closer to your body and make them perpendicular to the floor. At this point, your elbows will be bent and your forearms are pointing towards the pulley.
3. Use your triceps to push the bar up to the front of your thighs, keeping your arms fully extended as you exhale. Pause the movement for a second in this position, and slowly return the bar to its original position while inhaling the air.

10. Triceps On High Pulley With Rope

The last item on our triceps exercises list has a beginner level of difficulty. He acts in isolation and is rated excellent.

How to make:

1. Attach a rope to a high pulley on the cable equipment and hold it with a neutral grip, i.e. your palms should be facing each other.
2. Stand upright, with your torso straight and a slightly leaning forward. The forearms should be close to the body and perpendicular to the floor.
3. Then, use your triceps to lower the rope, bringing each side of the accessory up to your thighs, while exhaling the air. In the final part of the movement, the arms should be fully extended and almost perpendicular to the floor.
4. Hold the contracted position for one second and slowly lift the rope, returning to the original position, while exhaling the air. 

Care

Before you start doing your triceps exercises or any other type of activity, be sure to check with your doctor if you are fit to do weight training. This will help prevent future health problems and injuries.

If you can, count on the follow-up of a personal trainer, either at the gym or at home. He is the most suitable professional to help you set up the training, teach you the techniques of the exercises and help you in case any problem or injury happens. Its presence in bodybuilding sessions bring greater security and guarantee of efficiency in training.

However, if you choose to work out alone, only with YouTube tutorials, be careful to watch carefully, pausing and repeating as many times as necessary, until you understand correctly how the movements should be performed.

And in case of injury, injury or any other health problem, don’t delay in seeking medical attention, especially if you’re training alone. To see more post on Fitness click here.

Do You Usually Practice These Exercises For Triceps? What Are Your Favourites? Comment Below!