The most effective triceps exercises in the gym

Close grip bench press

Close grip bench press

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

1. We take a comfortable position on the lounger, making sure that the bar is located at eye level.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Triceps training in the gym

Close Grip Press (Basic Exercise)

The close grip press is a basic exercise for this muscle group. Simultaneously develops all 3 muscle bundles of the triceps.

• To perform the exercise, we will need a bench with clamps for the barbell and the barbell itself as a working apparatus. It is worth positioning yourself on the bench in such a way that your entire back is adjacent to it - without bending, your legs must be placed wider to maintain balance. Hands on the barbell should be shoulder-width apart. Now you can start execution.
• The mechanics of execution consist of raising/lowering the barbell in a vertical plane. At the top, you hold the barbell with your arms fully extended. At the bottom, the bar of the bar touches the lower chest. For maximum effect, it is recommended to keep your elbows closer to your body during execution.

The exercise consists of 2-3 warm-up approaches and 3 working approaches. Warm-up approaches are done with light weights. The weight of the apparatus in the warm-up approaches gradually approaches the weight in the working approach, preparing the muscles and joints for maximum loads. Number of repetitions in warm-up and working approaches: 6-8.

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French Press (Basic Exercise)

The French press is the most popular basic exercise for developing the triceps muscle. It is difficult to imagine a person who may not include this exercise in the training process for the development of triceps. Simultaneously develops all 3 muscle bundles of the triceps.

• To perform the exercise, we will need a straight bench and a barbell with a bent bar. It is necessary to sit on the bench so that your back is completely adjacent to it. The legs are positioned as wide apart as in a close-grip press for greater balance.
• The mechanics of execution consist of raising/lowering the barbell in the process of extending/bending the arms at the elbow joint. At the top point, the bar is at the top on outstretched arms. At the lowest point - below the forehead, or behind the head at head level. You can choose the lowest point according to your preference - it’s safer, of course, if you wrap the barbell behind your head.

The exercise consists of 2-3 warm-up approaches and 3 working approaches. Warm-up approaches are done with light weights. The weight of the apparatus in the warm-up approaches gradually approaches the weight in the working approach, preparing the muscles and joints for maximum loads. Number of repetitions in warm-up and working approaches: 8-10.

Arm extensions on the block

Arm extensions on a block are an additional exercise that allows you to refine the triceps muscles, which are maximally loaded with basic exercises. Exercise with the correct technique allows you to isolate auxiliary muscle groups, allowing you to leave the emphasis on the target ones.

• To perform the exercise, we will need a block row machine with a straight handle. You need to position yourself in front of him, taking the handle in your hands.
• The mechanics of execution consist of flexion/extension of the arms at the elbow joint. At the lowest point, the arms are fully extended, the elbows are pressed to the body. At the top point, the arms are in the chest area, the elbows are also pressed to the body. During the execution, it is necessary to control the immobility of the elbows relative to the body - perform the work only with movements of the forearms.

The exercise consists of 1 warm-up approach and 3 working sets. The warm-up approach is done with 60-70% of the working weight. Number of repetitions in warm-up and working approaches: 10-15.

Dips

Dips are an additional exercise that allows you to refine the triceps muscles, which are maximally loaded with basic exercises. The dip on the parallel bars engages all three muscle bands of the triceps.

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• To perform the exercise, we will need a special simulator with handles in the form of parallel bars or parallel bars. It is necessary that the handles are as close to the body as possible.
• The mechanics of execution consist of raising/lowering the body on the parallel bars due to extension/flexion of the arms at the elbow joint. At the lowest point, the arms are bent as much as possible, the elbows are at a minimum distance from the body. The upper arms are fully extended. During the exercise, you should make sure that your elbows are still in relation to your body, keep your head straight or slightly higher, and fully extend your elbows at the top point.

The exercise either consists of 1 warm-up approach (if working approaches are performed with weights) and 3 working sets. Or 3 workers at once (if you do them with your own weight).

Dumbbell Arm Extension

Dumbbell curls are an isolation exercise aimed at developing the long triceps muscle group. Is additional, i.e. added to the training program after the basic ones for maximum muscle development.

• To perform the exercise, we will need a bench either straight or with a backrest (for convenience) and a dumbbell as a working apparatus. Now you need to sit on a bench so that your back is straight, take a dumbbell in both hands and raise it above your head. Next, move the position of the dumbbell in your hands so that your palms rest against the plates located on one side of the dumbbell, and the handle of the dumbbell is between the thumb and index finger of both hands. Now you can start execution.
• The mechanics of execution is to raise/lower the dumbbell by extending/bending the arms at the elbow joint. At the top point, the arms are fully extended, the dumbbell is located above the head. Bend at the bottom as much as possible, the dumbbell is behind the head. During the exercise, you need to monitor the position of your elbows - do not spread them too far apart, try to keep them in the same position as close to your head as possible. It is also necessary to pay attention to the amplitude of movement - it should be maximum, i.e. at the lowest point, the triceps muscle should be as stretched as possible.

The exercise consists of 1 warm-up approach and 3 working sets. The warm-up approach is done with 60-70% of the working weight. Number of repetitions in warm-up and working approaches: 10-15.

Dips

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

1. We take a position on the uneven bars - arms straight, body strictly vertical, legs bent, crossed, looking forward.
2. 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.
3. 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).

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Extension of arms on the upper block in a standing position

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.

1. We stand in the block frame at the top block.
2. 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.
3. We press our elbows to the body - in this position the back muscles do not strain.
4. 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.

Triceps anatomy

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

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1. External (lateral) head.
2. Long head.
3. 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 arms from behind the head

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.

1. 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.

15-Minute Triceps Builder with 3 Exercises

For those who want to build bigger triceps, but are not going to spend days in the gym, this program is what they need. Learn techniques to achieve growth quickly and efficiently.

Check out this 15-minute triceps workout with just 3 exercises. Before you think about how to spend your remaining time in the gym, know that you are unlikely to want to do anything other than just stand there, your lead-filled arms dangling limply.

The suggested exercises are performed in a crossover because it provides greater muscle control. There is a time and place for basic exercises. But when working the triceps, a small muscle group, the crossover helps better isolate the target muscle.

Interestingly, by reducing your rest time, you will load your muscles better with three exercises than with six. You'll only rest 20 seconds between sets and reps.

But short pauses alone cannot achieve impressive results. Perform a set of 15 repetitions slower than usual, emphasizing what is called “time under tension” (TUT), also called stato-dynamics. For each triceps exercise, he works for 25-30 seconds per set.

French bench press

French bench press

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 training program for relief

Working on the relief of the arms requires a clear, strategic approach. If you want to show off your horseshoes to the world, this set is just what you need!

Simple high-rep workouts with light weights are no longer considered the best way to build muscle. This routine begins with basic exercises to initially stimulate muscle size and strength gains, and then increases the intensity with higher-volume supersets. The pace will increase and you will really feel the burning in your muscles.

Adviсe

• Warm-up approaches are provided; perform them as often as necessary, but never take the warm-up to failure.
• Choose a weight that will allow you to reach failure after completing the specified number of reps.
• If you have a spotter, do several forced reps on the hardest sets of the initial exercises. If you are without an assistant, then train as close to the point of failure as possible.
• Perform dropsets on the last set of each exercise after completing both movements, quickly reducing the weight by about 25% after failure and continuing the exercise until the second failure occurs.

Try this routine for 4-8 weeks, then return to your regular program or choose a different triceps routine. If you find it necessary, you can insert these exercises into your split and share your results in the comments!

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

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

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

1. 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.
2. Inhale, pull the handle down, fully extending your arm at the elbow. At the end point, exhale and tighten the muscle even more.
3. 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.

Triceps push-ups

This exercise develops the lateral and middle heads of the triceps.

1. Install two horizontal benches parallel to each other, the distance between them should be 60-90 centimeters. Hold on to the bench behind you. Place your hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Place your heels on the second bench. There should be a right angle between the legs and torso.
3. Bend your elbows and lower yourself deep down.
4. Return to the starting position.