Triceps Exercises
10 EXERCISES
Best triceps exercises
ANATOMY
Triceps anatomy and function
The triceps brachii is the largest muscle in the arm, accounting for approximately 60-70% of its volume. Despite often being neglected in favor of the biceps, it is the muscle that most determines arm circumference. The name itself indicates its composition: three distinct heads, all inserting onto the olecranon process of the ulna.
The long head is the only one of the three to originate from the scapula (infraglenoid tubercle). It crosses two joints (shoulder and elbow) and is therefore biarticular. It is the largest head and contributes most to the overall mass of the triceps. It is maximally activated when the arm is in flexion (arm overhead), where the long head is fully stretched.
The lateral head originates from the posterior surface of the humerus, above the radial groove. It is the most visible when the arm is extended and is responsible for the outer relief of the arm. It is maximally activated during pushing exercises with the arm at the side of the body (tricep pushdowns, presses).
The medial head is the deepest and least visible of the three, but is the most active during elbow extension movements. It originates from the posterior surface of the humerus, below the radial groove. It contributes to elbow joint stability and is activated in all elbow extension variations regardless of shoulder angle.
The primary function of the triceps is elbow extension (straightening the arm). The long head also contributes to shoulder adduction and extension. For optimal development it is important to stimulate the long head with overhead exercises (overhead tricep extension) and the other two heads with exercises with the arm at the side (pushdowns, dips, close-grip bench).
GUIDE
How to train your triceps
VOLUME
8-14 sets/week
FREQUENCY
2-3x per week
REP RANGE
8-15 hypertrophy
REST
1-2 min
How to train triceps effectively
Optimal weekly volume for triceps is 10-20 direct sets. As with biceps, consider indirect volume: chest and shoulder pressing exercises intensely activate the triceps. For those training chest and shoulders 2x/week, 6-10 additional direct sets are often sufficient.
The importance of overhead exercises
Recent research (Maeo et al., 2022) shows that overhead triceps exercises (incline skull crushers, overhead tricep extensions with cable or dumbbell) produce significantly greater hypertrophy than pushdowns, primarily due to greater long head activation in the stretched position. Include at least one overhead exercise per session.
Key exercises
Close-grip bench press: heavy compound exercise for strength and mass. Skull crushers (EZ bar): fundamental for long and lateral heads. Overhead tricep extension (cable with rope): great for long head in stretched position. Tricep pushdown (cable with bar or rope): isolation exercise for accessory volume. Upright dips: excellent for the lateral and medial heads.
Rep ranges
Triceps respond well to moderate-high rep ranges (10-20). Close-grip bench press is effective with heavier ranges (6-10). Isolation exercises like pushdowns and overhead extensions work best with 12-20 reps, focusing on full contraction and stretch.
Frequently asked questions
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