Get ready to build serious upper-body strength.
Katie Thompson
The best triceps exercises have a few things in common. They strengthen your upper arms, work some other related muscles too—and simply just make your regular old workout a little more interesting.
Triceps exercises are also super versatile: You can do them with a bunch of different kinds of equipment, including dumbbells, kettlebells, a barbell, resistance bands, cable machines, and even your own body weight. That means you can get in a great arms workout whether you’re at the gym, taking a fitness class, or in your living room.
If you feel like your go-to moves are getting kind of dull—or maybe you’re not even specifically hitting that muscle in the first place—we have you covered with some of the best triceps exercises out there and some intel on why they’re so important to slot into your workout routine.
What are your triceps muscles?
Your triceps (formally known as the triceps brachii) is the muscle along the back of your upper arm that helps you extend your elbow and straighten your arm. The “tri” in the triceps comes from the fact that it has three heads or points of origin: the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head.
The primary function of this back-of-the-arm muscle is elbow extension—which means it helps you do everything from pushing yourself up off the floor to placing an object on a high shelf, Lee Boyce, CPT, a strength coach based in Toronto, tells SELF. “The triceps assist with that last lockout strength, that strength to fully extend [your arm] over the head.”
Why is training your triceps important?
Your triceps act as a synergist muscle, meaning that it assists your other pressing muscles in pushing movements, Boyce explains. During strength training, your triceps help your bigger muscles, like your pecs and deltoids, complete compound exercises—moves like the bench press, overhead press, or push-up—which work multiple groups.
“Those exercises are going to rely on the triceps for a lot of finishing strength,” Boyce says. “Triceps strength can definitely help with the stability and strength of those movements and then increase the overall force output or power potential that you can have.” So if your goal is to lift heavier weights or get stronger, working your triceps is important to get you there.
Triceps strength also plays an important part in your fitness outside of the gym. While it may sound strange that a muscle in your arms can help you run faster, it actually plays a vital role in your sprints, since it helps you kick your arms behind your body to propel you forward, Boyce says.
What’s the best way to train your triceps?
It may sound surprising, but you shouldn’t focus solely on your triceps: You’ll want to include a combo of compound moves and isolation exercises (which zero in on a smaller muscle group)—especially if you’re a beginner or looking to build general upper-body strength, says Boyce.
The compound exercises help your triceps and related muscles get stronger overall. And adding in some isolation exercises that only involve moving the elbow joint—say, any variation of triceps extensions or triceps kickbacks—can help highlight (and fix) any weaknesses or imbalances in those back-of-the-arm muscles that may be hampering your bigger lifts.
To really make the most of your triceps workout, the same applies as it would for any other strength training routine: You need to slot in a proper warm-up first. This gets the blood flowing throughout your muscles and increases your range of motion. Then when you’re done with your session, cool down afterward to bring your body back to baseline—doing some triceps stretches and other relaxing upper-body moves can feel amazing when your workout is in the books.
What are the best triceps exercises?
There are tons of triceps exercises out there, but all share the same movement pattern: They all have you extend your elbow, though you’ll likely be doing this from different angles.
That means great triceps exercises include overhead triceps extensions, kickbacks, triceps push-downs, and variations of presses and push-ups. Changing up your angle can help you hit the three heads of the triceps just a little bit differently.
Ready to refresh your upper-body routine? Check out the best exercises for targeting your triceps—and add a few into your next arms workout for a much-needed refresh.
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Katie Thompson
Bent-Over Dumbbell Triceps Kickback
- Bend your knees forward and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your core tight and back flat.
- Hold your arms at your sides with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
- Bend at the elbows until your forearms are parallel to the ground, keeping your elbows tight by your rib cage.
- Kick the weights back to completely straighten your arms.
- Bend your arms to return to start. That’s 1 rep.
A classic triceps-targeting move, the bent-over kickback hones in on elbow extension and isolates the backs of your arms. As you extend your arm, think about squeezing the triceps to focus on muscle activation.
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Katie Thompson
Close-Grip Dumbbell Chest Press
- Lie faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a weight in each hand with your palms facing each other, arms on the ground by your sides, and elbows touching the ground and bent so that your forearms and the dumbbells are in the air. This is the starting position.
- Press the weights toward the ceiling, straightening your elbows completely and keeping your palms facing each other. Pause here for a second.
- Slowly bend your elbows and lower them back down to the floor. This is 1 rep
By simply narrowing your grip on a basic chest press, you get your triceps more involved in the movement.
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Katie Thompson
Push-up
- Start in a high plank with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body to the floor. Drop to your knees if needed.
- Push through the palms of your hands to straighten your arms. That’s 1 rep.
You may think of a push-up as a pecs exercise—and it is—but it also works your triceps. To make it easier, elevate your hands on a step or a box.
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Katie Thompson
Diamond Push-Up
- Start in a high plank with your palms flat, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged.
- Walk your hands together so that your thumbs and forefingers form a triangle.
- Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor. Straighten your arms and push your body back up. This is 1 rep.
While both the regular push-up and the diamond push-up work your triceps, the latter modification—also known as a close-grip push-up—works them a little more, since your hands are positioned closer together, Boyce says.
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Katie Thompson
Triceps Dip
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat and your back against a box or step. Place your hands on the box, fingers toward your body. If your box is high, like the one pictured here, place your hands on the box first, and then walk your heels out so you can comfortably lower your body in front of the box without hitting it.
- Straighten your arms to lift your butt, then bend your elbows to lower yourself without sitting down completely. That’s 1 rep.
- Keep your heels on the floor and your elbows pointed directly behind your body (not flared out to the side).
If you have shoulder pain or other shoulder problems, doing triceps dips on parallel bars or a Gravitron machine at the gym (where you can add weight for assistance to make bodyweight dips easier) might be a safer choice than box or bench dips, Boyce says.
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Plank Up-Down
- Start in high plank with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and your core and glutes engaged. Place your feet hip-width apart.
- Lower your right arm down so that your forearm is on the floor, then do the same with your left. You should now be in forearm plank position.
- Place your right hand back on the floor to extend your arm and follow with your left arm, so that you end back in high plank. That’s 1 rep.
- As you move, keep your hips as still as possible so that they’re not swaying from side to side.
Each time you straighten your arm, you’re hitting your triceps. To make this easier, widen your base of support by moving your feet a little farther apart.
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Katie Thompson
Dumbbell Skull-Crusher
- Lie faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling at chest level. This is the starting position.
- Slowly bend your elbows to lower both weights toward your head. Keep your elbows in place and simply bend them; don’t move your shoulders or upper arms. Try to lower your dumbbells so they are on either side of your head, elbows bent close to your torso (not flared out to the sides).
- Lift your arms back to the starting position. This is 1 rep.
This is a great triceps exercise for anyone who has issues with overhead extension—say, your shoulders limit your ability to lift a weight completely overhead.
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Katie Thompson
Barbell Chest Press
- Lie on a bench with a barbell rack with the bar racked at about wrist height when your arms are fully extended toward the ceiling.
- Position your body so that your eyes are directly underneath the barbell. From there, pinch your shoulder blades down and back together, arch your chest up toward the ceiling, and plant your feet firmly on the floor.
- Unrack the bar (like at the start of the GIF above, with the bar held in your fully extended arms) and lower it to your chest while keeping your shoulder blades down and your back and your lower body engaged. In this position, your elbows should be bent so that your arm is angled about 45 degrees from your body and your forearms are vertical.
- Press the barbell up toward the ceiling until your arms are straight. Make sure to keep your wrists and elbows and shoulders stacked. This is 1 rep.
The closer together you grip your hands on the barbell, the more your triceps will be activated, Boyce says.
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Katie Thompson
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand behind your neck, elbows bent and pointing toward the ceiling. Press the weights together so they are touching and pull your elbows in as close to your head as you can. This is the starting position.
- Without moving your upper arms, straighten your elbows and extend the weights directly overhead. Keep your shoulders down and your core tight.
- Pause for a second, and then slowly lower the weights back down behind your head. This is 1 rep.
Keep the dumbbells pressed together and your elbows close to your head to make sure you’re really isolating the muscles in the backs of the arms.
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Katie Thompson
Dumbbell Overhead Shoulder Press
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders with your palms facing out and your elbows bent. This is the starting position.
- Press the dumbbells overhead, straightening your elbows completely. Make sure to keep your core engaged and hips tucked under to avoid arching your lower back as you lift your arms.
- Slowly bend your elbows to lower the weight back down to starting position. This is 1 rep.
Yes, the overhead press is a classic shoulder exercise, but you’re also working your pushing muscles when you press the weight overhead—and that includes your triceps.
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Meiko Arquillos
Banded Overhead Triceps Extension
- Stand with your feet close together holding down a resistance band.
- Hold an end of the band in each hand behind your head, with the band running behind your body. Your elbows should remain close to your ears, your palms facing each other, and the knuckles on both hands touching. This is starting position.
- Without moving your upper arms, straighten your elbows and extend your arms directly overhead. Try not to let your elbows flare out. Keep your shoulders down and your core tight
- Pause for a second, and then slowly lower the band behind your head. This is 1 rep.
A resistance band provides tension on the muscle throughout the duration of the moves, providing a different kind of challenge than you’d get with dumbbells.
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Katie Thompson
Staggered-Stance Banded Overhead Triceps Extension
- Secure a resistance band to a low anchor point and stand in front of it in a staggered stance, with one foot in front of the other.
- Grab the band with both hands, bringing your arms overhead so your elbows point up. Your elbows should remain close to your ears, your palms facing each other, and the knuckles on both hands touching. This is the starting position.
- Without moving your upper arms, straighten your elbows and extend your arms. Try not to let your elbows flare out. Keep your shoulders down and your core tight.
- Pause for a second, and then slowly lower the band behind your head. This is 1 rep.
Because the anchor point is behind you, the angle for this move means you’re working your triceps a little bit differently than the traditional overhead triceps extension.
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Katie Thompson
Lying Single-Arm Cross-Body Triceps Extension
- Lie faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and extend your arm straight up toward the ceiling at chest level. This is the starting position.
- Slowly bend your elbow to lower the weight toward your opposite shoulder, so that you’re crossing the midline of your body. Keep your elbow in place and simply bend it; don’t move your upper arm.
- Lift your arm back to the starting position. This is 1 rep.
A twist on the skull-crusher, this move changes up the angle to make sure you hit every portion of your tris. By using a single arm at a time, the exercise may feel a little easier, which can allow you to go heavier and hammer on that triceps even more.
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Katie Thompson
Renegade Row to Triceps Kickback
- Start in a high plank, shoulders directly above your wrists, hands shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand on the floor, legs extended behind you slightly wider than hip-width apart (to help with stability), core and glutes engaged.
- Pull your right elbow back to do a row, raising the dumbbell to your chest and keeping your elbow close to your torso. Keep your abs and butt tight to prevent your hips from rocking.
- Keeping your elbow in place, straighten your right arm completely, pressing it back in a triceps kickback.
- Bend your right arm, bringing the dumbbell back toward your shoulder, and then lower the weight back to start.
- Repeat with your left arm. This is 1 rep.
This move is kind of a beast. It hits your triceps as you’re working hard to stabilize your core—making it a compound exercise that’s a lot harder than it looks.
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Katie Thompson
Dumbbell Pullover
- Lie on your side on a mat with a dumbbell in front of you. Grab the weight with both hands, hold it to your chest, and turn flat on your back, shoulder blades pressed into the ground. Keep your feet hip-width apart.
- Grip the dumbbell vertically with both hands around one end, as pictured. (If the weight is smaller, you can also grip both ends of the dumbbell with your palms facing each other.) Lift it into the air directly above your chest, keeping your arms straight. Engage your core and press your lower back into the floor.
- Slowly bring the dumbbell over your head, keeping your lower back connected to the ground. Bring the dumbbell as far as you can overhead without letting your lower back come off the ground.
- Reverse the movement, bringing the weight back to the starting position. Continue to engage your core as you move the weight. This is 1 rep.
While primarily working your chest and back, the dumbbell pullover also engages the triceps as you bring the weight back up. Bonus: It also improves shoulder stability and mobility.
Demoing the moves above are Cookie Janee (GIF 1), a background investigator and security forces specialist in the Air Force Reserve; Rachel Denis (GIFs 2, 7, 9, 10), a powerlifter who competes with USA Powerlifting and holds multiple New York State powerlifting records; Jamie Song (GIF 3), NASM-certified personal trainer based in New York City; Amanda Wheeler (GIFs 4, 5, 14), host of the Covering Ground podcast; Maggi Gao (GIF 6), a NASM-certified personal trainer and level-two-certified kettlebell instructor; Mia Lazarewicz (GIF 8), CSCS, a Boston-based personal trainer, strength coach, adult gymnast, and American Ninja Warrior competitor; Hejira Nitoto (GIF 11), a mom of six and a certified personal trainer and fitness apparel line owner based in Los Angeles; and Nicole Figueroa (GIF 12), a NASM-certified personal trainer and online fitness coach; and Tray Drew (GIFs 13, 15), MPH, owner/operator of Body By Tray and an ISSA-certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist.
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Christa Sgobba is a writer and editor who joined SELF in November 2019 and is now SELF’s director of fitness and food. She’s an ACE-certified personal trainer, and previously held print and digital positions at Men’s Health, Runner’s World, and Bicycling, where she covered health, fitness, nutrition, and pro sports…. Read more
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