Try these moves to give your arms' three-headed monster some extra attention.
WALK INTO ANY weight room and you're practically guaranteed to witness at least one determined person toiling away in front of the dumbbell rack, pumping through biceps curls on an endless quest for sleeve-bursting arm muscles. Sometimes they might switch things up for variety's sake, shifting their grip to a neutral one for a hammer curl or swapping out their DBs for a two-handed barbell rep. They'd have a much more effective workout if they'd instead switch their focus over to the bigger, potentially more consequential muscle on the backside of their upper arms: the triceps. If building big arms is one of your major fitness goals, the only way you'll be able to achieve the results you want is by giving your triceps plenty of direct training attention. Fast Assembly Bolt
The triceps muscles are, after all, much more than just the biceps' backup. Yes, the biceps are more visible in the mirror and at first glance when you meet someone, with their placement on the front side of your upper arm. The posteriorly-positioned triceps, however, are even bigger than your biceps—taking up about two-thirds of the upper arm area—making them a major factor in your overall upper arm mass when you take the entire muscle group into account. Don't fall for the trap of only training the muscles immediately in front of your eyes.
Even more importantly, your triceps are essential for healthy arm function. They're responsible for common movements like pressing, elbow extension, and more. The triceps serve an essential role in some of the most common movements you'll face in the gym and in life.
Think of your triceps as the three-headed monster that will make your arms pop. The muscle takes its name from those three heads—the long head, the medial head, and the lateral head—and is essential for elbow extension.
That means just about any time you're straightening your arms, whether you're pressing or doing extensions, your triceps are going to be involved. All three heads connect to your elbow and humerus (your upper arm bone), while long head alone connects to your shoulder blade, which makes the muscle involved in overhead pressing movements.
Your triceps muscles are integral for arm function. Benefits of triceps training include:
There are plenty of ways to train your tris, too, although finding just the right muscle contraction isn't always easy. Remember that locking out your elbow and straightening your elbow are two different things; focus on keeping tension on your triceps and actively flexing them when you're in the straight-arm position.Any movement that has you straightening your arm at the elbow will train your triceps, but there are plenty of ways to vary up that arm-straightening motion.
Changing the angle of your arm relative to your torso can place different levels of stretch on the triceps muscle, and adding pauses, both at the top of reps and halfway through reps, can emphasize different phases of the contraction.
For the best results, start with these triceps stretches before jumping into your workouts.
The following exercises are the best picks you have to train your three-headed monster muscles. Pay close attention to the form cues, focus on elbow extension, and add them to your routines to hone strength and add more mass.
Pressdowns are one of the most popular triceps exercises, for good reason. The move is all about isolating the muscle as it performs its main function (elbow extension), and using a cable machine or resistance bands allows you to load up to challenge yourself.
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Few bodyweight moves are as effective as the close-grip pushup. First off, this is a move you can take anywhere, a bonus triceps pump whenever you can drop and do a quick set. Secondly, you're also loading with your bodyweight—and sure, other muscles are assisting you in pressing up, but you're still getting plenty of triceps activation under load. And remember: diamonds are not your friend.
This bodyweight movement will look familiar to just about anyone who has tried their hand at training—after all, it appears to be as basic as finding a bench or platform and pumping yourself up and down. If you're looking to train your triceps effectively while also protecting your shoulders, pay close attention to the form check on bench dips.
The bench press is a great exercise to work your chest and core. But a change in grip can help expand your arms.“Placing your hands closer together makes it so your triceps have to work harder,” says Craig Ballantyne, Owner of Turbulence Training. “That can lead to new growth and more strength.” (It's also one of the 3 Secrets to a Bigger Bench Press.)
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
The skull crusher is a go-to tricep move because it gives you a chance to isolate the muscle. The lying position allows you to kill any momentum you use to cheat in other moves.
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
You don't need any weights for this skull crusher variation, which takes you off the bench and uses the ground to isolate your triceps. This particular version has one specific advantage to the standard bodyweight skull crusher: the rocking motion allows you to get a better stretch than just extending your arms would.
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
The overhead triceps extension is one of the most common exercises you'll find in a workout program, and people usually do it from a standing or seated position. Unfortunately, you might be putting your shoulders and low back in a bad spot with this approach. You'll get more out of the movement if you add a bench, according to MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
The JM press is a hybrid movement combining two of the best triceps builders in the game, the skull crusher and the close-grip bench press. You'll put yourself in a great position to kickstart growth using whichever implement you want, but dumbbells are a great place to start.
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
This simple movement gives you a gentler variation of an overhead extension, which usually uses some form of free weight and might be difficult for those with shoulder issues. You'll need a straight bar set below eye-level—and you can scale the difficulty by changing the angle—so you'll need a rack and bar, a Smith machine, or some other stable straight bar that can bear your weight.
3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Need some extra guidance to nail that dumbbell bench? Check out this video and directions to perform the move with flawless form.
One of the most basic ways to train your triceps is the pressdown, which has you keeping your elbows in line with your torso and driving your hands down while holding a band or cable. Level that move up by kneeling on the ground, engaging your abs and glutes.
3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps per arm
What if you could train your abs and triceps at once? You get to do that on the half-bench skull crusher, thanks to the fact that half your torso is off the bench (and thus must stay contracted to keep you level and in control).
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps per arm
The triceps kickback is one of the most basic exercises for triceps development, when done correctly, forcing you to straight your arm so it's parallel with the ground.
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Suspension training allows you to work against your own body weight, which can be a novel way to use resistance for upper body exercises. If you're stuck in a small space without room for weights, a set of straps is all you need to get your triceps burning.
3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps
Build showstopping arms and get stronger with invigorating training plans designed by pro trainer David Otey and the Men’s Health team. This is the ultimate program to transform your biceps, triceps, and shoulders—in 90 days!
Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men's Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He's logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men's Health in 2017, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men's Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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