The triceps brachii are the muscles of the back upper arm (between your shoulder and forearm), and they are comprised of three heads: the long, lateral, and medial heads. Working out triceps is essential for building strength and getting that beautiful 3D look in the arms, but what’s the most effective way to do it? Well, we will tell you all about it here.

In this definitive tricep exercises list, we have compiled the 13 best tricep exercises that can help you build muscle mass in the back of your upper arms and improve strength, which is essential for enhancing performance not only in sports but also in your daily life. Let’s dive right in!

13 Best Tricep Exercises

1. Bench Dips

In many ways, the bench dip is the equivalent of a push-up, but for the triceps and not the chest. We draw this connection because, like push-ups, bench dips are effective, activate several muscles, only require bodyweight, and can be easily incorporated into any full- or upper-body workout routine (please keep in mind they’re entirely different exercises, though!).

Bench dips can be performed on any ordinary bench (as long as it’s strong and stable enough), and their correct execution depends, in great part, on positioning. These are two things we suggest you keep in mind:

1. Your hands should rest next to your hips, with the fingers facing forward.
2. Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle, with both feet providing support.

Lower your body by bending your elbows and push it back up by straightening your arms. Go low enough to feel a good stretch in your shoulders and chest.

2. Lying Triceps Extension (Barbell)

If you have never heard of the lying triceps extension, you may recognize its other name—the skull crusher! Despite its scary moniker, this tricep exercise is a favorite for hypertrophy development.

To perform lying tricep extensions, you need a bench and a barbell. You can also use an EZ curl bar to make the exercise even easier on the wrists.

3. Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

Similar to the lying triceps extension, but performed with dumbbells instead of a barbell. The main difference includes the wider range of motion, which can make it easier to handle more weight while also making it harder to fully control execution.

In addition to the bench, the dumbbell overhead triceps extension can be performed on a chair and while standing up. The caveat is that these variations require an added level of control due to the lack of complete back support usually provided by the bench.

4. Triceps Pressdown 

The triceps pressdown is an exercise normally performed on the cable machine (however, you can also do it by using resistance bands, barbells, and dumbbells). For correct execution, we suggest you pay attention to the following notions:

• Your elbows should be kept close to your obliques.
• Your back should be as straight as possible.

Additionally, try to stay away from that “mom’s posture” (also known as rounded shoulder posture) by keeping your shoulders back.

The triceps pressdown can be performed with different machine attachments, not just the standard straight bar. Alternatives include using rope for enhancing tricep contraction and a v-bar for a more natural grip.

(Rounded shoulder posture, Wikipedia)

5. Cable Rope Pushdown

The cable rope pushdown is also performed on the cable machine. Grab the rope with a neutral grip, keeping the arms close to your body, and focus on moving your elbows—not your shoulders.

To add more stability, don’t worry if your knees have a moderate bend. At the bottom of the pushdown, we recommend that you give your triceps an extra squeeze to make sure they are fully contracted.

Popular variations include the single-arm pushdown (using one arm at a time), the overhead rope pushdown, and a variation where you use an underhand grip. The cable rope pushdown has the distinctive feature of isolating all three heads of the triceps brachii.

(About Overhand and Underhand Grips, Top End Sports)

6. Close-Grip Bench Press

A not-too-distant relative of the barbell bench press (one of our top chest exercises), the close-grip bench press uses a close grip instead of a wide grip, switching the focus of the press from the chest to the triceps. Please keep in mind, though, that the close-grip also activates the pectoralis major.

While lowering the barbell, we recommend that you direct it to the lower or middle chest area. Press up.

If you feel like experimenting with some variations, we suggest that you use dumbbells instead of a barbell (wider range of motion), or add some inclination to the bench.

7. Tricep Kickback

The tricep kickback is an exercise that can be done exclusively with dumbbells, but may require more balance than usual. You should do a cable variation instead. If you have a hard time keeping your balance while performing the classic standing kickback, try using the bench or holding the machine with one arm for increased support.

To perform this exercise correctly, keep the following in mind:

• Your arms should stay parallel to the ground.
• You should keep a bend at the waist.
• You should keep your elbows close to your sides.

8. Reverse-Grip Cable Triceps Extension with Barbell

This one is a mouthful, but (luckily) executing the reverse-grip cable triceps extension with barbell is easier than remembering exactly how it’s calle

Start by grabbing the smith machine barbell or a regular barbell on a bench, with a reverse supine grip. Then, extend your arms downward using the force of your triceps. At the bottom of the movement, squeeze your triceps to increase contraction.

9. Single-Arm Cable Triceps Extension

Unilateral training is associated with benefits that include muscle-imbalance correction and can help in injury prevention.

The single-arm cable triceps extension is performed with the cable machine, using some sort of single-hand attachment. The key to the movement is to pull the handle away from the machine while keeping your elbows in place.

A good way to add more control and stability to the movement is resting the hand you’re not using against the cable machine. Remember to keep pulling down the handle until your arms are fully extended!

(The Benefits of Unilateral Training, Acefitness)

10. Single-Arm Cable Triceps Extension With Supinated Grip

Despite being a simple variation of the last exercise, the single-arm cable triceps extension with supinated grip deserves a list entry of its own. Why? Because this important exercise activates all three heads of the triceps brachii simultaneously, and with an extra emphasis on the bottom tricep stretch.

As for execution, it’s pretty much the same as the standard single-arm cable triceps extension, but with a supinated grip.

11. Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension

Similar to the standard lying triceps extension that we’ve covered above, but with dumbbells instead of a barbell. To master the lying dumbbell triceps extension, you just need to:

1. Lie on a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Lower the dumbbells behind your head without moving your upper arms.
3. Bring the dumbbells back to their original position.

12. Seated Barbell French Press

The seated barbell French press is yet another tricep exercise that features the familiar overhead movement provided by bending the elbows while lowering the bar towards the back of the head.

Here, the distinctive feature is that you’re supposed to be sitting, either without (requires more balance and core engagement) or with back support (better for keeping the back straight and increasing stability).

13. Parallel Dip Bar

Last but not least, there’s the parallel dip bar! This all-time classic requires parallel bars and a considerable amount of upper-body strength, but is highly efficient at targeting the triceps, shoulders, and chest. Many people believe it’s an underrated upper body exercise, and we’re inclined to agree.

Tricep Exercise Comparison

Our 13 recommended tricep exercises share similar goals, but affect your triceps brachii muscles (and other aspects of your body) differently. If you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of tricep exercises above, the following comparison table can potentially help you choose the best ones for you.

Here’s how each exercise activates different upper body muscles, including the three separate heads of the triceps brachii:

As you can see, exercises such as bench dips and the parallel dip bar are the most encompassing, activating all three tricep heads and the chest and shoulders as secondary muscles.

On the other hand, workouts like the triceps pressdown and cable rope pushdown are perfect for working out the three heads of the triceps more isolatedly. For ultimate long-head activation, we suggest you consider lying tricep extensions.

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid

All tricep exercises have different techniques, but these two common mistakes to avoid apply to all (or at least, most) of them:

1. Unlocking the elbows: For the majority of tricep exercises, the elbows should always remain close to your body and at a consistent angle. When the elbows flare out, the effectiveness of the exercise can be reduced.
2. Using too much weight: They depend on correct technique to be effective; still, many people prefer to focus on weight rather than correct movement. Gains never come overnight, but they can be further delayed if you sacrifice form at the expense of using too much weight.

Incorporating Tricep Exercises Into Your Workout Routine

Let’s imagine that you’re already happy with your upper body workout, but feel like your triceps are underdeveloped. What are the best ways of incorporating tricep-specific exercises in your routine? And how can you make them easier and more effective?

We leave you with some helpful recommendations:

• If you usually struggle with tricep exercises, try to do them at the start of your workout, when your energy levels are still up.
• Consider that different exercises affect different areas of the triceps brachii. Make sure you target all three heads to get more beautiful, 3D triceps.
• Make use of exercises like bench dips, which are strong at activating the triceps, but also focus on other upper body muscles. This can make it easier for you to segue from triceps exercises into your habitual upper body routine.
• No matter how fast you want better-looking triceps, you should always remember that proper results take their time.

One of the best way to do it, however, is to sign up for our 5-day workout split, carefully curated by experts to provide you with the best possible results, all through structured, progressive training.

Tricep Exercises List (FAQ)

What is the most effective tricep exercise?

It depends on your goals. Some are more effective for targeting the triceps’ long head (like the lying triceps extension), while others are more effective for activating all heads at once (like the triceps pressdown).

Are triceps stronger than biceps?

Generally, triceps are stronger than biceps, and this notion is backed by scientific evidence. The triceps typically make up about two-thirds of the upper arm’s muscle mass, making them naturally more dominant in size and strength.

What tricep exercise hits all three heads?

Examples of tricep exercises that hit all three heads include bench dips, the triceps pressdown, the cable rope pushdown, the close-grip bench press, and the parallel dip bar.

How do you tone flabby triceps?

Focusing on eating healthy is very important, but working out is also key. Exercises like the close-grip bench press, paired with cardio and a well rounded diet, can help you get the toned triceps you’ve always dreamed of.