Exercises by muscle

Triceps exercises.

Your triceps make up two thirds of your upper arm. These are the exercises that train them best, head by head, with or without equipment.

As the main muscle
13
As a helper muscle
23
Muscle map: triceps muscles

Meet the muscles

The triceps straightens your elbow and has three heads. The lateral and medial heads work in any extension; the long head crosses the shoulder and works harder with your arm overhead.

That's why it pays to combine an arms-down exercise like the cable pushdown with an overhead one.

  • Triceps

The best triceps exercises

Triceps workout

An arm session you can add to the end of a pull or push day, or do on its own in about 30 minutes.

  1. Close-Grip Bench Press3 × 6-10
  2. Overhead Tricep Extension3 × 10-12
  3. Tricep Pushdown3 × 12-15
  4. Skull Crusher2 × 10-12

All triceps exercises

Strength13

As a helper muscle23

FAQ

What is the best triceps exercise?

Combine a heavy one (close-grip bench or dips), an overhead one and a cable one to hit all three heads.

Why train triceps overhead?

With your arm overhead the long head works stretched, which grows it more.

How many sets of triceps per week?

If you do presses, 6-12 direct sets a week is usually enough.

My elbows hurt, what should I do?

Use a rope or V-bar, lighten the load and don't snap to lockout. A good warm-up helps too.

Train your triceps with Nuvana.

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