The Best Triceps Exercises for Building Muscle

The triceps are the three muscles located on the back of your upper arm and are a target of many upper-body exercises. If you’re looking to build muscle in your arms, you’ll want to incorporate triceps exercises into your workout routine, especially if you’re also targeting your biceps, which are paired with the triceps muscle group. But how do you choose the best triceps exercises? Let’s look at some options and compare them so that you can see how they stack up against each other and ultimately select the tricep exercise that will best serve your goals.

1) Upright Barbell Press

The Upright Barbell Press is one of the best exercises for targeting the triceps. It’s a great exercise for building both size and strength in the triceps. The exercise is simple to perform and can be done with a variety of weights. Plus, it’s a great exercise to do if you’re trying to get fit and build muscle.

The upright barbell press is a weight training exercise that focuses on building muscle and strength in your triceps. While it may look simple to perform, it’s one of those exercises that you need to be careful about performing correctly or you risk injuring yourself.

When you do upright barbell presses, make sure to hold your form throughout each repetition. If you’re using a weight that’s too heavy, you can put too much stress on your elbows and possibly even injure yourself. A good rule of thumb is to keep your elbows pointed directly forward instead of bending them outwards when performing upright barbell presses. Also, make sure that you perform each repetition through its full range of motion so that you can build both size and strength in your triceps.

2) Close-Grip Bench Press

The close-grip bench press is one of the best triceps exercises because it allows you to lift heavy weights and really overload the triceps. Plus, it’s a great fit for most people since it can be done with a barbell or dumbbells.

To do a close-grip bench press, lie on a flat bench and grab hold of either a barbell or dumbbells with your hands about 8 inches apart. Lift up the weight, then lower it back down to your chest. Keep in mind that you’ll need to use less weight than what you would normally use for an overhand grip (full range of motion) version of this exercise. That’s because using a narrower grip shifts some stress off your pecs and onto your triceps, which is perfect when focusing on tricep workouts.

To adjust the intensity of a close-grip bench press, keep these factors in mind: Changing your grip width (wider or narrower) will change which muscles are targeted. Raising your elbows as you lift and lower weight shifts more focus to your triceps. Moving your body up or down on a bench to target different areas of your triceps will cause you to engage more muscle fibers.

3) Decline Close-Grip Bench Press

The decline close-grip bench press is one of the best exercises you can do to target your triceps. This exercise allows you to really focus on working your triceps, as well as getting a great chest workout. Plus, it’s a great exercise to do if you’re trying to get fit because it works multiple muscle groups at once.

To do decline close-grip bench press, place your back on a decline bench set at between 45 and 60 degrees. Make sure that your feet are flat on the floor and you’re holding a barbell with an overhand grip (your hands should be shoulder-width apart). Then press it straight up above your chest. Pause for a moment at the top of your movement, then slowly lower it to arm’s length in front of you. Repeat as many times as needed until you feel fatigued. For optimal results, use a weight that allows you to complete no more than 12 reps per set.

 

4) Pronated Cable Triceps Extension

This exercise is performed by holding a cable at shoulder-level with a pronated (overhand) grip. The working arm is extended fully so that the triceps are stretched. From this position, the elbow is flexed to bring the weight behind the head. The triceps then contract to extend the elbow and return to the starting position.
This exercise is an isolation movement, which means it targets only one muscle group. It specifically works the triceps and places minimal strain on other muscles in your upper body. You can make use of a cable machine or dumbbells to perform this exercise. Make sure you don’t use too much weight since you’re trying to isolate and target a specific muscle group. Start with light weights and work your way up. In addition, remember to keep your shoulders back and your chest tall during all exercises so as not to put strain on other muscles in your body that aren’t being targeted by these movements.

5) Incline Bench Dips

 

This exercise is performed by holding yourself up on an inclined bench with your feet placed firmly on the floor. From here, lower your body down until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, press back up until your arms are fully extended. This exercise can be made more difficult by placing a weight plate on your lap.

The bench dip is an excellent exercise because it not only allows you to build up your triceps but also focuses on building up your chest muscles. With that said, however, it should be noted that while they can be very beneficial if performed correctly, incorrect bench dips can easily put your shoulders out of place, so make sure to find a stable surface before attempting them. Once you’ve mastered these exercises and are ready to increase its difficulty level, try putting your feet on a weighted plate or step and lower yourself down to 90 degrees with straight arms. From here, use those arm muscles to push yourself back up again.

6) Seated Overhead Dumbbell Extension

The seated overhead dumbbell extension is a great exercise for targeting the triceps. Sit with a weight in each hand, palms facing forward, and extend your arms straight overhead. From here, slowly lower the weights behind your head, keeping your elbows close to your ears. Once your elbows are at about 90 degrees, pause and then press the weights back up to the starting position. This exercise can be done with one arm at a time or with both arms simultaneously.

The seated overhead dumbbell extension works best if you keep your elbows close to your ears throughout. This may cause some discomfort in your shoulders, so it’s important to be careful not to lean back too far. Keep in mind that this is a compound exercise that involves multiple muscle groups including the triceps, deltoids and traps. By concentrating on these muscle groups, you’ll ensure that you get maximum results from your workout. If possible, perform 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions per workout.